New Study: Traffic Noise Increases Your Risk of Tinnitus

By: Doug Garfield | Posted on: 02-16-2023 | Category: Tinnitus

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark have found that living near a busy road increases the risk of developing tinnitus.

Each additional ten decibels of traffic noise in people's homes increased the risk of tinnitus by 6%.
The Danish team hypothesizes traffic noise increases stress and reduces sleep quality. When exposed to this combination, we may be at a higher risk of developing tinnitus.

What to do

You can reduce the amount of traffic noise by

Sleeping in a room away from the road
Wearing soft earplugs while sleeping
Installing soundproof windows and doors
Planting trees, shrubs, and other greenery around your home

The researchers recommend city planners consider

Lowering speed limits at night
Placing noise barriers or changing road surfaces

Got traffic noise?

The Danish guidance for harmful traffic noise is 58 decibels. How about your place?

If you're interested in seeing the noise level for your residence, visit Howloud or download Decibel X, a sound-measuring app for Android and Apple phones

Notable

It is a myth that replacing gas-powered cars with EVs will significantly reduce traffic noise. The noise comes mainly from the contact between the tires and the road.
In Germany, speed limits have been lowered in some places at night to help people sleep.

Tinnitus in a nutshell

Tinnitus is a subjective experience of sound that does not come from an external source but from your brain. It's experienced in various ways — ringing, buzzing, whooshing, humming, and even music and singing.

Tinnitus can be caused by disease or physical injury, but the cause for most tinnitus is unknown.
Tinnitus frequently occurs with hearing loss.
Tinnitus is stressful, can reduce the quality of life, disturb sleep, reduce concentration, and lead to depression.
Treatments for tinnitus include hearing aids, sound therapy (a feature of some hearing aids), and stress reduction.

Do you have tinnitus?

Schedule a free, 15-minute hearing screening performed by an audiologist. It's easy to find out if you have hearing loss, a common ingredient of tinnitus.

If you have hearing loss, your audiologist will explain —