Do you know what’s loud and proud? Airplanes are! You can hear them pass over as they fly over you at heights up to 45,000 feet. But that’s not exactly a good thing, because airplanes are too loud and the noise is bad for your health. 

Airplanes are too loud, putting your health at risk

You may not have noticed that airplanes are too loud, but I’ve been trying to sleep on a plane before as the engines startle me awake. Loud planes impact your sleep, which is exactly the issue, even when you aren’t up in the air.

A recent study by the University of Boston School of Public Health and Oregon State University discovered that people exposed to aircraft noise levels of 55 decibels or higher are more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI). 

But noise levels above 45 decibels can also impact the health of people in the early to late stages of adulthood. 

This is an indicator of obesity and may contribute to cardiometabolic diseases, like diabetes, stroke, hypertension, and heart attacks. 

The study measured noise levels from aircraft exposure, BMI, and other health concerns related to 75,000 participants who live near 90 popular American airports every five years. 

The noise impact increased at night, leading to poor sleep and a higher link to obesity with noise over 65 decibels. But planes can be louder than 45 decibels for up to 22 miles away from the airport. 

Stronger associations were noted among participants located in the West and among former/current smokers. 

Plus, Black, Hispanic, and low-income residents are more likely to live closer to airports, worsening their health. 

This noise can be considered an environmental pollutant as it increases the amount of stress in our bodies. The noise also disrupts quality sleep, increasing the risk of stress and cardiometabolic diseases even more. 

More and more people are advocating to the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Noise Abatement and Control to reduce airplane noise. But it could be years before a solution rolls out.