(NaturalNews) When it comes to optimal health, eating fresh, organic foods and staying mentally and physically active is essential. However, according to studies conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, silence is also the key to good health.

The findings revealed that too much noise, caused by dense populations, excessive background sounds and even things like needlessly loud vehicles or a snoring bed partner, is linked to an increase in blood pressure, which has the potential to lead to fatal heart attacks.

Noise pollution raises risk of fatal heart attacks and alters long-term memory

The studies that 1.8 percent of heart attacks in Western Europe and approximately 2.9 percent of heart attacks in Germany may be linked to high noise pollution levels. Findings concluded that German inhabitants had 133,115 heart attack cases, 3,860 of which were believed to be caused by noise. Over 2,000 of these 3,860 people ended up dying.

What's important to note is that a person need not be awake to experience the unhealthy effects of noise pollution. Another study, published in the European Heart Journal, found that aircraft or traffic noise can elevate blood pressure even if it does not wake them. The sleep study involved monitoring nearly 150 volunteers who lived near major European airports.

It has even been shown that air traffic noise leads to long-term memory loss and diminished reading comprehension levels in young children. In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the sound of a jet taking off tops the "dangerous" noise level, falling within a pain-producing category that surpasses even rock concerts and chain saws.

Why too much noise harms health

The reason noise pollution harms health is simple: loud noises play a role in disrupting the body's normal rhythms and can throw it out of whack by increasing the heart rate.

One way to tell if noise is at an unhealthy level is to observe anxiety levels; when someone feels nervous, bothered or anxious in a certain environment (using a lawnmower, being near a loud television, living in an area with a lot of traffic), there are often telltale signs that their heart rate is soaring.

Potential solutions for the avoidance of excess noise include purchasing noise-canceling headsets, using ear plugs or earmuffs (some audiologists can even tailor-make them to fit the ear canal) and trying to live and work in more rural settings.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213090530.htm
http://healthmeup.com
http://www.nytimes.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14757721
http://www.oshax.org/info/articles/decibel-levels
http://www.prevention.com

About the author:
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. >>> Click here to see more by Antonia