Noise Pollution and Health

When does sound become noise?Not necessarily when it directs your thoughts in another direction. Enjoyable music is likely to create pleasant thoughts and carefree feelings and is pleasant sound. When sound is constant, loud or annoying it can disturb and cause tension and anxiety. It is noise.There is also noise that you do not hear consciously. Spending two days in a motel squeezed between a highway and the beach, we did not notice the traffic sound anymore after an hour or so had passed. But when we later watched a video of the wedding on the beach, the steady background noise was astounding. It wasn't background anymore.Noise has been on a considerable rise for most of the past century thanks to manufacturing and the transporting of goods and people.Some noise is purposely created to attract and alter our thoughts for the purpose of selling to us. TV commercials for example. Many of us realize this and do not like it very much at all.

Others are unconcerned and let it seep in to find a position within their minds.But most of us can't just pack up and move to a small country town or lakeside cottage for peace and tranquility. We have work to do, families to raise, and a consumer regimen to follow that is programmed into us from childhood.Possibly there are things we can do to alleviate the noise intake like relocating home or job, altering traffic routes, muting commercials or shutting off the TV altogether.

One thing we can do is to become more aware of noise and its effects on our well being, and then taking the steps towards achieving a prefered calmer lifestyle.