Infrasound, The Silent Threat Beneath Your Feet
Uncovering the Impact of Infrasound on Your Health and How to Take Back Control
Imagine living with a subtle, almost imperceptible vibration in your floor—day and night, year after year. Your body never truly rests. Your children struggle to focus at school, their energy drained. Over time, this small, hidden disturbance shapes your life in unexpected ways—missed opportunities, unrealized potential, and a restless mind.
In this article, I’ll explore an often-overlooked cause of these issues: infrasound. These inaudible, low-frequency sound waves can significantly impact health and well-being. More importantly, I’ll share practical steps to identify and reduce this hidden threat in your home.
Some time ago, a good acquaintance of mine—a sweet, elderly woman with a heightened sensitivity to her surroundings—reached out to me. She was having trouble sleeping in her new apartment and described feeling "electricity" all around her, especially at night. She was so desperate for relief that she even turned off the power supply to her apartment, but the sensation persisted.
I had helped her before when she lived in a small house, advising her on how to reduce electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. Her sensitivity was well-documented, so I took her concerns seriously and began investigating.
When I measured the apartment for EMFs, I was surprised to find the levels quite low, even from external sources like cell towers. Yet, her discomfort was very real. A few days later, she told me the "electricity" feeling had suddenly disappeared, and she was finally able to sleep. Strangely, my measurements showed no change in the apartment's EMF levels.
Then, a week later, she called again. The sensation had returned. At this point, I started looking for other clues. After some discussion, I learned that her downstairs neighbor had been away during those peaceful days. Their apartments shared the same layout, with their bedrooms directly above and below each other. Crucially, both sleeping areas had ceiling fans.
I suspected the neighbor’s fan might be the source of her discomfort. When I inspected it, the fan wobbled significantly while running, due to unbalanced blades and a worn-out rubber mount. These issues caused vibrations that traveled through the floor and walls, creating low-frequency disturbances in her apartment. After adjusting the fan blades and replacing the rubber mount, the problem disappeared for good.
This experience taught me a valuable lesson: not all "electricity-like" sensations are caused by EMFs. Infrasound, often overlooked, can be a hidden disruptor in our living spaces. By looking beyond the obvious, we were able to solve the problem and restore her peace of mind.
Health effects
Infrasound can cause subtle yet significant disturbances to your health:
Disrupted Sleep: Difficulty falling or staying asleep due to vibrations can lead to fatigue, reduced focus, and a weakened immune system.
Mental Stress: Persistent exposure triggers anxiety, irritability, and even depressive symptoms over time.
Physical Sensations: Headaches, dizziness, and even muscle tension may result from low-frequency vibrations interacting with the body.
Children, with their smaller bodies and developing nervous systems, are particularly vulnerable, often exhibiting restlessness, poor concentration, or anxiety.
Sources of Infrasound
Infrasound can arise from a variety of indoor and outdoor sources. Some of the most common include:
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems
Poorly maintained HVAC systems can produce low-frequency noise. Unbalanced fans or compressors may cause vibrations that resonate throughout a building.
Large Household Appliances
Refrigerators, washing machines, and dryers are common culprits. For example, a washing machine’s spin cycle can send vibrations through the floor, while a refrigerator's compressor may create a persistent hum.
Central Heating Systems
Central heating systems, especially those with improperly mounted pumps, can be significant sources of infrasound. Vibrations from a poorly installed pump can travel through pipes and radiators, creating low-frequency noise that resonates throughout the building. Convectors, with their hollow structures, may amplify these vibrations, making the problem worse.
Water Systems
The flow of water through badly designed or poorly mounted pipes can create vibrations that lead to infrasound. This is particularly noticeable in older buildings or those with high water pressure. When water is forced through sharp bends or narrow pipes, the resulting turbulence can cause vibrations that travel through walls and floors.
Building Structures
Wind passing over or through a building can create structural vibrations, particularly in high-rises or poorly insulated structures. These vibrations may be transmitted through walls, windows, or other building components.
External Sources
Noise from highways, railways, wind turbines, or industrial activities can penetrate buildings and contribute to infrasound levels indoors. These vibrations can travel through the ground, walls, or foundations, amplifying their effect inside homes.
Mitigation Actions: How to Reduce Infrasound Exposure
Infrasound can be mitigated with a combination of maintenance, retrofitting, and, in the case of new buildings, thoughtful design. Here are some effective strategies:
Regular Maintenance of Appliances and Systems
Balance Fans and Blades: Inspect ceiling fans, exhaust fans, and HVAC components to ensure they are properly balanced. Worn-out mounts or misaligned blades can cause vibrations that propagate through structures. Replace any worn parts promptly.
Service HVAC Systems: Schedule regular maintenance for HVAC units to ensure compressors and duct systems are functioning smoothly. Unbalanced or uninsulated parts can amplify infrasound.
Secure Appliances: Place vibration-isolating pads under washing machines, dryers, or refrigerators to reduce the transmission of low-frequency noise through floors and walls.
Modifications to Existing Buildings
Soundproofing Floors and Walls: Use damping materials such as acoustic panels, vibration-dampening mats, or dense insulation between walls and floors. These materials absorb low-frequency vibrations and prevent their propagation.
Isolate Problematic Areas: If a specific source of infrasound is identified (e.g., a noisy pump or vibrating appliance), isolate that area by installing rubber mounts or acoustic barriers to minimize vibrations reaching other parts of the house.
Relocate Sleeping Areas: If possible, move bedrooms away from known infrasound sources like external walls facing traffic or wind turbines.
Proactive Design in New Construction
Flexible Connections Between Floors and Walls: When constructing new buildings, pay attention to how structural elements like floors, walls, and ceilings are connected. Use flexible or vibration-dampening connections to minimize the transmission of structural vibrations.
Massive Construction Materials: Heavier materials like thick concrete, earth or stone can help block and absorb low-frequency vibrations better than lightweight materials.
Floating Floors: Incorporate floating floors with sound-isolating layers to reduce infrasound transmission from heavy machinery or external vibrations.
Landscaping Solutions for External Sources
Strategic Landscaping: Add natural barriers like raised earth berms, landscaped elevations, or mounds to deflect or absorb external vibrations from traffic, wind turbines or industrial areas.
Compound Walls: A compound wall or solid fence can act as a barrier, reducing the penetration of low-frequency sound waves into the property. Walls with dense materials or layers (e.g., filled with sand or gravel) work particularly well for this purpose.
Plant Vegetation: Dense rows of trees or shrubs can act as natural sound barriers, diffusing sound waves and reducing their impact before they reach the building.
Building Placement and Orientation
Distance from External Sources: When possible, position buildings or living areas farther away from known sources of infrasound, such as highways, railways, wind turbines or industrial zones.
Optimize Orientation: Design buildings to minimize exposure to prevailing winds or external noise sources. For instance, place garages or utility areas facing the source to shield living spaces.
Monitor and Experiment
Infrasound Sensors: Use low-frequency noise meters to identify persistent infrasound hotspots. These devices can help pinpoint the exact source, whether internal or external.
Trial and Error: For some cases, simple adjustments—like rearranging furniture, adding rugs, or experimenting with bed placement—can make a noticeable difference in comfort.
Seek Expert Guidance
If infrasound persists despite these efforts, consider consulting a building biology professional. They can conduct a thorough assessment and recommend specific solutions tailored to your living environment.
By integrating these strategies, homeowners and builders can significantly reduce infrasound’s impact. Whether you are addressing an existing problem or planning a new construction project, these steps create healthier, more peaceful indoor environments.
It’s unsettling to think that something as seemingly trivial as a wobbling ceiling fan or a poorly designed water system can quietly alter the trajectory of our lives. But the reality is, small, overlooked details often have a big impact. The good news? By identifying and addressing these hidden challenges, we have the power to create spaces that nurture us rather than harm us. Isn’t it time we took our indoor environments as seriously as we do our health