Silence is a great option to relieve stress, especially when we live in loud environments. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noise pollution is responsible for the premature death of 340 million people in Western Europe. Besides contributing to sleep loss and heart problems, too much noise can trigger stress and cortisol, which damages the nervous system. Silence also has many benefits, including improving memory and improving sleep for insomniacs.
Noise increases your risk of heart disease
Whether you live in a quiet neighborhood or a bustling city, noise can affect your health. Even low-level noise can cause problems, including impaired communication, reduced concentration, and disturbed sleep. In addition, low-level noise is associated with increased psychological stress, triggering the sympathetic nervous system and the release of stress hormones. People with a higher annoyance response to noise are at greater risk of cardiovascular side effects.
Researchers have identified that long-term residential exposure to road traffic noise is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. However, they did not study whether the increased risk was due to a single source of noise, such as the railway, aircraft, or construction. These associations were consistent after adjusting for the presence of PM2.5 in the air. For this study, people who lived near roads with train tracks also had a higher risk of heart failure and angina pectoris.
Sleep loss
Researchers have long suspected that the effects of silence on sleep may extend to other aspects of our lives. Recent studies have found that men and women differ in signal intensities associated with various brain circuits. Women show greater changes in signal intensities in the prefrontal cortex, which is a crucial area for maintaining working memory under sleep loss. While there are some differences between the two sexes, silence has many benefits on physical and mental health.
According to studies, as many as 69% of people have some form of insomnia, it affects many aspects of our health. Insufficient sleep is a major contributing factor to many serious problems such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The detrimental effects of chronic sleep loss are cumulative. If you are experiencing a sleep problem, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. There, trained counselors are available to help you overcome the issue. You can also call 911 for immediate assistance if you are in immediate danger.
Depression
Millions of people around the world suffer from depression. According to the World Health Organization, the number is rising. This number includes people who have been diagnosed with the illness, but those who suffer silently are likely to go undiagnosed. In some cases, depressed people may even die by suicide. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, and is more than twice as common as homicides.
The study aimed to determine if Christians experience God’s silence, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it sought to determine whether such experiences were associated with depressive mood disorders and other spiritual experiences. Researchers collected data from 771 people, and found that 82.1% reported experiencing God’s silence. In addition, the study found that the frequency of such experiences did not vary with age and sex, and it tended to decrease with age.
Tinnitus
In addition to being annoying, tinnitus can also be a symptom of an underlying condition. High blood pressure, earwax buildup, and stiff inner ear bones can all cause tinnitus. For the most effective tinnitus treatment, try addressing the underlying condition. Some people even find that stopping certain medications can help. For more information, visit Insomnia (Poor Sleep).
The most common type of tinnitus is subjective, meaning that the noise is heard only by the person affected by the condition. The underlying cause for this ailment is not known, but it can be a result of noise-induced hearing loss. Other causes include ear infections, sinus infections, diseases of the heart or blood vessels, brain tumors, and hormonal changes. Despite the fact that it is a frustrating problem, tinnitus can be managed.
Stress
There’s no denying that stress is a major contributor to chronic illness. Stress can lower your immune system and make you prone to diseases. Prolonged exposure to stressful situations can make you ill and even dangerous. Stress is a normal human response, which evolved to help us survive in the wild. When we experience stress, our bodies respond by boosting our blood pressure and secreting compounds to clot blood better. However, this response is unhealthy in the long run. It can increase our risk of heart attack and stroke, which are the most common health risks related to chronic stress.
Scientists have discovered that the sound waves we hear in noisy environments affect the neuroaffective response system, which deals with our responses to stress. Studies have shown that listening to silence reduces the level of stress hormones in the body. This finding makes it possible to develop more effective treatments for illnesses. The benefits of silence therapy are so great that people are willing to pay large sums to attend retreats. For adherents of silence therapy, these retreats can last anywhere from several hours to several months.
