Noise – an underestimated headache and migraine trigger?

Roadworks – which seem to be getting more common all the time – add to the noise and may make the environmental soundscape painfully loud for many people. The unpleasant mixture of loud sounds all around us is a serious health hazard. It can cause migraine attacks, tension-type headaches and other health issues.

Science delivers proof

The link between noise exposure and health problems has not always been accepted. Patients who said their headaches were linked to the noise around them were thought to be making a fuss or dismissed as complainers.

Luckily, scientific evidence has changed those attitudes. Science now provides ample evidence that noise can trigger or worsen headache events.

Research studies have shown for instance that many people who get migraines are exceptionally sensitive to noise. In one study, research participants with migraine had a much lower noise discomfort threshold than subjects who did not have migraine.

Other research shows that noise is more likely to trigger a headache just when you need to focus all your attention on your work. So it’s no surprise that work quality is poorer and headache-prone people are more likely to get a headache attack in a noisy environment.

It doesn’t have to be deafeningly loud, either. Prolonged exposure to a noticeable level of background noise that you can’t avoid may be enough to trigger a headache or migraine.

Science has also disproved the notion that young people are less sensitive to noise than older people. Youngsters like being loud, so they be less sensitive to noise, it was thought. That is not true at all, according to a University of Lille study in 7- to 17-year-olds with migraine. In fact, the kids said noise was one of the main triggers for their migraine attacks.

Noise harms your whole health

A World Health Organization (WHO) study into the overall health effects of everyday noise (road traffic, neighborhood noise, airplanes, big city living) found that noise is very bad for your health. In addition to a higher incidence of migraine attacks, noise was found to cause high blood pressure, allergies, and respiratory diseases. Experts say that long-term exposure to noise starting from when you are a child or teenager increases your risk of developing medical conditions that don’t go away (chronic disease).

What can you do?

Noise is everywhere and it may seem like there’s little you can do to escape its harmful effects. But you can take action to protect yourself from harm caused by noise. Wearing earplugs can help keep you safe from everyday noise.

If you use headphones to listen to music, be careful. If the music from your headphones is loud enough to drown out the sounds of a noisy environment, the volume is high enough to harm your health.

Keeping noise down below safe limits at work and in your free time can help. Proper restful breaks and periods of recreation are great ways to offset the effects of noise. Relaxation exercises can help you release pent-up tension and give your senses a bit of a rest. Try out the exercise on this website. It is highly recommended.

The surest way to counteract the harmful effects of noise is to stop noise at the source wherever possible. And all of us can do our bit to make that happen.