Your blood pressure might temporarily shoot up when you are stuck in traffic. Living near an area where traffic noise is significant may increase your risk for long-term hypertension.
A Swedish study suggests that people living near noisier roads were more prone to suffer from high blood pressure that those in a more quiet environment.
The middle-aged subjects of the research who were exposed to traffic noise levels of around 64 decibels on a regular basis are more likely to have high blood pressure compared to their counterparts living in the most quiet roads. A normal chit chat has around 60 decibels.
The recent study adds to the volume of findings connecting long-term noise exposure to more health worries. Other studies have found out that those working in a very noisy job environment or those living close to the airports have higher risks for hypertension and heart attacks.
The logic behind it is the mechanism by which the body perceives noise as a signal of a stressful situation. Exposure in the long run to a noisy environment promotes increase in the amount of stress hormones in the body, increased heart rate, and shooting blood pressure.
The public health research study involved about 25,000 individuals with an age range of 18 to 80 years. The proponents studied the lifestyle of the subjects and also took note of their exposure to traffic noise.