How Escaping Noise Pollution Could Extend & Improve Your Life (an unexpected benefit of rural living)

Looking for another compelling reason to move to the country? Research shows urban noise pollution can contribute to various health problems, including attention deficits, heart disease, chronic stress and more. Learn more about noise pollution and the benefits of escaping it here

People move to the country for many reasons, such as more freedom, better land and real estate prices, greater self-sufficiency, less crime, space to start a hobby farm or homestead and more.

However, most folks will tell you that “finding some peace and quiet” is a top priority.

Likewise, search any vacation rental site for cabins or beach houses, and nearly every advertisement heavily promotes the peace, quiet and tranquility of the place.

Human beings seem hard-wired to seek peace and quiet, but why?

Research suggests this need for silence and the sights and sounds of nature are more than just a preference or luxury, especially for those living in urban or noisy areas.

Numerous studies show that various forms of noise pollution can be detrimental to our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

This suggests a significant benefit for those living in rural or country settings where noise pollution is low or even non-existent.

In this article, we’ll explore the latest science behind the health detriments of noise pollution and how making the move to the country could provide significant health benefits.

What Exactly is Noise Pollution?

Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) consider noise pollution one of the most ubiquitous environmental pollutants and a major public health threat.[1]

Noise pollution takes many forms, but at its essence, it is unwanted and persistent ambient noise from sources such as traffic, air traffic, factories, trains and similar sources.

Noise pollution could also come from neighbors blasting their music all night long, a machine constantly running in the background as you work during the day or a dog that barks incessantly.

These persistent and irritating noises take their toll as they wear down the body and mind over time.

Even if we become deaf to them, like a train going by our home or living in the middle of a bustling city, they create a low-grade, consistent pattern of stress that compounds, even if we are unaware of it.

This might explain why people raised in urban areas are more prone to certain diseases than those from country areas, but more research is needed.

The Surprising Health Impacts of Noise Pollution on Adults and Children

Like a low-grade infection, noise pollution weakens the body over time and has been linked to a number of health issues.

There are two ways noise exposure causes adverse health effects. 

1: Via the direct pathway: Exposure to extremely loud noises/high decibel levels (>100 dB(A)) causing direct ear organ damage. Such as what one would experience standing next to a big stack of speakers or during an explosion.

2: Via the indirect pathway: Exposure to lower decibel levels( 50–70 dB(A), such as traffic, air traffic, city noise, etc., that impairs daily activities, sleep, and communication. 

It is believed noise pollution causes irritability and sleep issues, imbalances of the endocrine (hormonal) and sympathetic nervous systems, and a chain reaction, leading to more serious health conditions.

Noise pollution also causes hearing loss, to the tune of approximately 10 million persons in the US suffering permanent hearing loss from noise pollution or noise-related trauma.[2]

Is all noise pollution equally dangerous? Yes and no. 

A scientific paper entitled “Noise and Mental Health: evidence, mechanisms, and Consequences” published in the journal Nature included a chart showing that noise pollution from automobile traffic was the most problematic, followed by rail transport and air transport.[3]

Interestingly, different types of noise (car, rail, and air) cause or contribute to different kinds of diseases more so than others.

As mentioned previously, any persistent noise that is irritating or unpleasant, even from nature, is a potentially harmful form of noise pollution.

Next, we’ll look at the specific health impacts of noise pollution.

Noise Pollution Increases Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Attack

The link between cardiovascular disease and noise pollution is one of the most studied and recognized.

The previously mentioned paper found aircraft noise most significantly associated with heart disease, but any type of noise pollution can be problematic.

Noise pollution can cause or contribute to various types of cardiovascular disease, including:

• Stroke
• Angina pectoris
• Hypertension
• Ischemic heart disease
• Myocardial infarction
• Heart failure
• Atrial fibrillation/Afib

Per an article entitled “Noise and Health” published in Harvard Medicine, researchers at Mass General Hospital have found that transportation noise is associated with heightened amygdala activity in the brain using PET scans.[4]

This is significant as amygdalar activity can trigger stress pathways, such as inflammation, that may exacerbate cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Given heart disease is still the #1 killer of Americans (tied with cancer in some states), this should be taken seriously.

Noise Pollution Rattles the Central Nervous System, Increasing your Risk of Chronic Stress & Mental Health Issues

It’s no secret that noise can cause mild to severe irritation, annoyance and stress.

It does this by rattling the central nervous system (hence the old-fashioned term “my poor nerves” used to describe stress), which sets off a chain-stress-response reaction that leads to neuroinflammation, cerebral oxidative stress and more.

Researchers believe this is why people exposed to noise pollution have an increased susceptibility to developing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, suicide and behavioral problems.[5]

Noise Pollution Disrupts Sleep

Over 1 in 3 American adults is sleep deprived[6], and it’s become a problem among children and teens, too.

Multiple studies have shown a direct link between noise pollution and sleep disturbance and disorders.

As discussed previously, lack of sleep caused by noise pollution is believed to lay the groundwork for more serious illnesses.

A lack of sleep, for example, is strongly associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety, heart disease, metabolic conditions, learning disability, attention deficits and numerous other conditions.

Noise Pollution Linked to Metabolic Disease

Metabolic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, obesity and Type 1 diabetes, have all been linked to noise pollution.

Although we tend to think of these conditions as either genetic or lifestyle-related, they are also endocrine illnesses. 

And as you learned earlier, noise pollution disrupts endocrine function in various ways.

In addition, research has shown that a lack of sleep, even in the short term, can cause an imbalance in blood sugar, as can chronic stress.

Noise Pollution May Increase the Risk of Certain Cancers

It seems everyone is talking about the increased rates of cancer in people under 55. 

Although experts recommend many things we can do to help prevent cancer, we hear little about avoiding noise pollution.

Yet noise pollution exposure has been shown to increase the risk of several common and less common cancers, including:[7]

• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Childhood cancers

According to the chart mentioned in the Nature study, railway noise is believed to be linked most closely to cancers.

Although the link between noise pollution and these cancers, especially from trains and other sources, is not fully understood, we do know chronic stress and immune system dysfunction can play a role in cancer, both of which are created or aggravated by noise pollution.

Does this mean everyone who lives in a noisy city or near train tracks or a subway will get cancer? 

No. Many other factors, such as genetics, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions and other exposures, must also be considered.

However, it is worth being aware of because cancer is overtaking heart disease as the #1 killer of Americans in several states.

Noise Pollution is Especially Harmful to Babies and Children

Imagine sitting in school and trying to concentrate with a subway or aircraft thundering by every 10-15 minutes. It would be impossible.

Sadly, this is what many students face in urban schools throughout the globe, from trains, planes, automobiles and other sources of noise pollution. As you might have suspected, children of low economic status are most impacted.

Many families, rural, urban, or suburban, also live near highways, quarries, train tracks, or construction sites, which create a constant noise burden on the developing brain.

Studies have shown noise pollution can lead to attention deficits, developmental issues, learning disabilities, a permanently enhanced stress response, hearing problems and hearing loss, higher risk of respiratory ailments, lowered immunity, lower reading performance, impaired executive function, and behavioral problems in children.[8,9]

Plus, noise pollution puts them at higher risk for all the other health issues discussed in this article.

Children are naturally more susceptible to the effects of any type of toxins, including noise, as their cognitive functions are less automatized and, therefore, more prone to disruption.

Parents would be wise to consider their children's home and school environments in relation to noise—even classroom noise—if issues such as attention, behavior, or learning troubles arise.

Noise Pollution is Linked to Neurological and Cognitive Issues

We already discussed how noise pollution impairs cognitive function by dysregulating the nervous system, leading to neural inflammation and cerebral free radical damage (oxidative stress).

In addition, dysregulated or over-activated immune cells in the brain, caused by noise pollution, can disrupt the blood-brain barrier, leading to an onslaught of pro-inflammatory cytokines (signaling molecules) that flood the brain.[10]

Noise pollution impacts metabolic function (blood sugar impacts cognitive function), and sleep may also affect brain function.

In addition to its detriments on children’s brain function, development, and learning abilities, noise pollution has also been linked to learning impairments in adults and an increased risk of dementia.[11]

Noise Pollution May Cause, Exacerbate and/or Increase Mortality from  Respiratory Conditions

We typically think of respiratory problems as being caused by environmental factors such as air pollution.

However, research has shown adults and children exposed to noise pollution have a higher risk of developing various respiratory disorders such as asthma and COPD as well as increasing mortality from these conditions.[12]

Noise pollution is also linked to lowered immunity/immune cell dysfunction and greater susceptibility to infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

Ready for Some Good News?

Although our world is getting noisier, authorities are aware of the problem and are slowly taking steps to address the issue in schools, public spaces and residential areas.

As always, we can do our best to avoid the effects of noise pollution by choosing where we live, work and go to school.

And if we cannot avoid it, these studies will hopefully inspire us to take steps to block it out using ear protection and other sound-proofing measures.

If you’re able, move to the country. 

Next, we’ll share some tips on how to avoid other noise pollutants when buying in the country.

Tips on Avoiding Noise Pollutants When Buying Rural Land

Noise pollution is obvious in cities, but it can happen in the country, too.

Here are some noise pollutants to look out for when shopping for rural land:

• Railways
• Factories
• Highways and freeways
• Quarries
• Shooting ranges
• Dog kennels
• Flight paths
• Slaughterhouses
• Industrial complexes (think big trucks driving in and out all day long, etc.)
• Mills
• Mines
• Event venues

It’s also wise to visit a property of interest and the neighborhood several times throughout the day and night to listen and observe.

Tools like Google Earth and Drone footage can also help rule out any nearby noise factors, such as factories, shooting ranges, event venues, quarries, etc.

By doing your due diligence this way, you protect your health and your family's health, and the land value of your new potential property.

Peace and Quiet: An Unexpected (and Underrated) Benefit of Rural Living

We’ve spent a lot of time documenting the health benefits and virtues of rural living for adults and children.

What’s fascinating is how many of these health benefits, such as cognition, heart health, immunity, fewer respiratory diseases, fewer attention disorders, less stress, greater longevity and others, appear to be connected to less noise pollution.

It seems that seeking the “peace and quiet” of a country home is not only solace for the soul but also essential for health, longevity, and happiness.

References:

1. Hahad, O., Kuntic, M., Kuntic, I., Gilan, D., Petrowski, K., Daiber, A., & Münzel, T. (2024). Noise and mental health: Evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5
2. “ Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.” The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
3. Hahad, O., Kuntic, M., Kuntic, I., Gilan, D., Petrowski, K., Daiber, A., & Münzel, T. (2024). Noise and mental health: Evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5
4. “Noise and Health”. Harvard Medicine: The Magazine Of Harvard Medical School.
5. Hahad, O., Kuntic, M., Kuntic, I., Gilan, D., Petrowski, K., Daiber, A., & Münzel, T. (2024). Noise and mental health: Evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5
6. “Sleep Health”. The Centers For Disease Control.
7. Hahad, O., Kuntic, M., Kuntic, I., Gilan, D., Petrowski, K., Daiber, A., & Münzel, T. (2024). Noise and mental health: Evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5
8.  Klatte, M., Bergström, K., & Lachmann, T. (2013). Does noise affect learning? A short review on noise effects on cognitive performance in children. Frontiers in Psychology, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00578
9. Gupta A, Gupta A, Jain K, Gupta S. Noise Pollution and Impact on Children Health. Indian J Pediatr. 2018 Apr;85(4):300-306. doi: 10.1007/s12098-017-2579-7. Epub 2018 Jan 9. PMID: 29313308.
10. Hahad, O., Kuntic, M., Kuntic, I., Gilan, D., Petrowski, K., Daiber, A., & Münzel, T. (2024). Noise and mental health: Evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5
11. Thompson, R., Smith, R. B., Bou Karim, Y., Shen, C., Drummond, K., Teng, C., & Toledano, M. B. (2022). Noise pollution and human cognition: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of recent evidence. Environment International, 158, 106905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106905
12. Zhang, H., Ye, R., Yang, H., Liu, Y., Zhao, L., Zhao, Y., Chen, L., Shan, L., & Xia, Y. (2024). Long-term noise exposure and cause-specific mortality in chronic respiratory diseases, considering the modifying effect of air pollution. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 282, 116740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116740