Silent Treatment

There's no question the world is getting louder. In the past 25 years, the number of honking cars on the road and roaring planes in the air has ballooned. And consider all the new noises that didn't exist until fairly recently, like surround-sound movie theaters, car alarms, and ring tones. Sleep disturbance and hearing loss are the most obvious tolls of noise pollution: According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 26 million Americans have permanent noise-induced hearing loss. But even more surprising—and more detrimental to your health—are the links between noise and stress.

Sudden loud noises trigger a fight-or-flight response: The heart pumps harder, blood pressure rises, and the body releases stress hormones including adrenaline and cortisol. It's the inability to predict the sound that brings on the response; that's why the blast from your blender doesn't stress you out the way the sudden revving of a motorcycle does, even if the blender is actually louder.

Our ancestors needed this fight-or-flight boost to escape predators. But modern life doesn't usually include fending off attacks from large fang—baring animals. As a result, people today experience the evolutionary leftovers as extra anxiety and cardiovascular stress. In 2007, researchers in Europe monitored nearly 5,000 people who lived close to six major airports, measuring their blood pressure as ambient noise rose and fell.

"The higher the noise levels, the higher the risk of hypertension [a major risk factor for heart disease]," explains study leader Lars Jarup, Ph.D. Even when they slept through a landing or takeoff, the subjects' blood pressure rose. In fact, by extrapolating from this study data, other researchers estimate that 3 percent of all fatal heart attacks can be attributed to excess noise. According to Louis Hagler, M.D., a retired San Francisco doctor who has written about the health effects of excess noise, that means about 4,000 people in California alone die prematurely each year due to noise pollution. Talk about the opposite of a "silent killer."

Noise-proof your health. So if clamor is such a big health hazard, why don't we take it more seriously? It turns out that a small but vocal group of activists do, among them Arline Bronzaft, Ph.D., an environmental psychologist and a member of the Council on the Environment of New York City. Bronzaft says the best solution would be for the government to begin regulating noise levels—from enacting curfews on airplane takeoffs to replacing asphalt with sound-absorbing road surfaces. But until we start quieting things down, try these tips to help reduce the constant din.

Close your windows. Sure, your bedroom might get hot and stuffy, but that's where your AC (or fan, if you're low-tech) comes in. A low, steady hum, such as the one created by an air conditioner or a white-noise machine, is not harmful because it does not produce a fight-or-flight stress response the way startling sounds do.

Sleep with earplugs. Etymotic Research ER-20 High Fidelity earplugs ($12, etymotic.com) will reduce ambient noise levels by 20 decibels. And since they don't affect sound quality, you can also wear them at face-melting concerts.

Use noise-reducing headphones. When your neighbor starts up her leafblower, don't get mad—just shut it out. The clatter you can't control is inherently more stressful, Bronzaft says. The best pair of sound blockers on the market: Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones ($299, bose.com). Better yet, learn her yard—maintenance schedule and go for a run before she even cranks the motor.

Replace your rumbling dishwasher. Even smaller appliances, such as vacuum cleaners and hair dryers, can be replaced with quieter models. Before you buy, check out ConsumerReports.org, which ranks appliances based on their noise level and performance.

Install sound-absorbing insulation. This is specially engineered to soak up sound vibrations when stuffed inside your floors, walls, and ceiling. Owens Corning's line of QuietZone insulation (owens-corning.com/quietzone) is popular among contractors.

Get Zen. We're not suggesting you take a vow of silence; just try to enjoy more quiet time during your day. Switch off your car radio during your commute, spend Saturday morning flipping through the paper instead of watching cartoons, or leave your iPod at home on your next hike so you can enjoy the chirping birds and rustling leaves.

350,000: Number of noise-related complaints phoned in by New York City residents every year.

Want To Know More? Test your decibel knowledge at womenshealthmag.com/quietquiz.