Noises Generated by Aircraft and Traffic can Raise Blood Pressure

Researchers say that noises from aircrafts or traffic at night can raise a person's blood pressure.

Researchers from the Imperial College London along with colleagues from European Institutions conducted a small area study, which included about 140 residents. These residents lived near Heathrow airport and 3 other big European airports.

The  team observed the noise levels in their homes and the effect it had on their blood pressure, which was checked every 15 minutes, remotely. It was observed that when noises as loud as 35 decibels were made by aircrafts or traffic passing by it increased the blood pressure of the volunteers while they were asleep.

"We know that noise from air traffic can be a source of irritation, but our research shows that it can also be damaging for people's health, which is particularly significant in light of plans to expand international airports," Dr. Lars Jarup, author of the study from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Imperial College London said in a statement.

"Our studies show that night-time aircraft noise can affect your blood pressure instantly and increase the risk of hypertension. It is clear to me that measures need to be taken to reduce noise levels from aircraft, in particular during night-time, in order to protect the health of people living near airports," Dr.Jarup added.

A rise of 6.2 mmHg was observed in the systolic blood pressure and a rise of 7.4 mmHg was noted in the diastolic blood pressure of the participants because of noise produced by aircrafts or traffic.

The research also brought forward that people diagnosed with hypertension or higher blood pressure, which is defined to be 140/90mmHg and above by the WHO (World Health Organization), were more prone to grave ailments like heart diseases, dementia and kidney disease.