By Edna Montes de Oca
Patty M. asks:
I would like you to tell me, how does excessive noise affect the body?
Dear Patty,
Your question is very important, especially since the noise of helicopters has recently been impacting us from the skies of our beloved San Miguel.
This is a battle that’s been going on in the dark. I say that because we citizens haven’t done much about it and only behaved as observers. There are established social groups made up of gutsy San Miguelenses who during the past administration defended the skies of our beloved town with nails, teeth, and kicks. Fortunately, they were able to stop and win the battle.
I am referring to the airport that was going to be built on the outskirts of San Miguel so high-profile tourists could reach our little town and not have to go through the cumbersome trip to León or Querétaro.
They began to test private planes arriving in our town. The first to notice were the birds that couldn’t bear the impact of such noise in their system and began to wake up dead. The group of San Miguelenses took action on the matter and stopped the construction of the airport and some other subdivision to build more 5-star homes.
Yes, friends, environmental noise is one of the great silent enemies impacting our health, and we don’t even bring it into the equation normally when we want to add health to our lives.
There are many scientific studies that speak of the harmful impact of noise on a physiological and psychological level. The nervous system is highly affected as the brain recognizes the noise signal as a signal of danger. Provoking the body’s stress response—you know that hit, run, freeze sensation—and its cascade of neurohormones that cause blood pressure to rise, heart rate to increase, and the immune system to be depressed.
Many times, excessive noise can be the television, music, or, as is already so common in San Miguel, the neighbor who is building.
Fireworks, better not mention them or the saints would writhe in their graves. May the dogs and we living humans suffer better.
According to traditional Japanese medicine, the kidney meridian and the bladder meridian are responsible for controlling the nervous system. Likewise, the nervous system expresses itself through the ear canal. Any alteration in this area has to do with the body’s stress response.
- I recommend that we get involved with civil associations that are fighting to protect us from noise and its consequences.
- Buy earplugs for town holidays, which fortunately are every weekend.
- Have good hygiene in managing stress and emotions.
- If you can’t tolerate noise, and you spend your time complaining about fireworks and rockets, San Miguel is not for you.
Live fullness today, prevention is today.
