Dr.S.Venkatesan MD

An  unwanted , unexpected , unpleasant sound  is  often referred to as  noise

Human ears , are  not meant to  hear  only the  pleasant  sound . We live in a noisy world. It is believed every cell in the body has ( Auditory ?) sense  receptors. But , the noise is perceived  only at brain .It is  incidental our ears  are located  right beside the brain , adjacent to  parieto  -temporal cortex . The auditory nerve  has   its  nucleus  located dangerously close to vasomotor centers of  brain stem .

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When  excess noise enters our ears it vibrates  the brain stem as well . Noise travels in the nervous system as electrical  impulse , so it is natural  for  to expect a  spill over to the  nearby  adrenergic  centers  .

A sudden explosion or a thunder will skip a few heart beats is it not ?  Similarly , when   we experience  pleasant  sound /  melody**   it  soothes   the nerves ,  this forms the basis of musical  therapy.

So  it is logical to conclude   , when the  nice  music  has a capacity to heal ,  unwanted  noise  is expected   to injure  our biological system.

** A rock fan under the influence of  drug  may feel a every nonsense  as melody . . . is a different  story !

It is observed strokes and MI are more common in urban areas congested  with traffic chaos. Here is an article from European  Heart  journal   with  solid evidence on this topic.

Excess noise   could  result in  cerebral  or coronary arterial  spasm ,  thrombotic  occlusion or even a hemorrhage ?*

• Noise  induced adrenergic trigger and spasm of blood vessel
• Adrenergic  surge  and resultant hypertension

Associated  Phenomenon along with noise

• Anger
• Anxiety
• Fear (A noise associated with a  missile attack  in the  war zone )
• Relative  hypoxia , Air pollution in noisy  environment .

*A distinction must be made between   chronic noise  pollution  vs  Acute noise intoxication.

For  those who want  more depth in this  topic , I  was surprised to find  this  exclusive journal  that documents noise and human health .

Final message

Excessive noise  can have a detrimental effect in the nervous system . Since  cardiovascular system  is also under    neurological command  it  is  expected to  share the ill effects.

A comforting news for healthy men and women  . Noise per se  can not be termed  as a  coronary  risk factor . It can  (at worst ) be a  trigger  for an event  in individuals who have other major risk factors.