Listening To Music: The Effects Of Music On Physical Health

Billy Joel, a famous musician, said, “I think music in itself is healing. It 's an explosive expression of humanity. It 's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we 're from, everyone loves music.” Music is a universal language that is part of virtually all cultures. The beautiful melodies are not only pleasing to the ears, but they are also favorable to mental and emotional health. Physical health is also improved by music. Interestingly enough, listening to music is beneficial when learning though some argue that it is a distraction. The effects of music on everyday life are essential for the wellbeing of people all over the world.
Mental and emotional health are positively affected by music. Listening to music reduces anxiety. …show more content…
Music improves the immune system. In response to “happy” hormones, such as those discussed previously, being released, the body ejects beneficial hormones for the immune system. In turn, the immune-boosting hormones help to reduce headaches and migraines. Moreover, college students in Japan were asked to complete a stressful task. Then, the students were divided into three parts. Each part listened to low-uplifting music, high up-lifting music, or silence. The group that listened to high up-lifting music showed “trends of increasing the norepinephrine level, liveliness, and decreasing depression” (Hirokawa). Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter chemical that is released in response to stress. Norepinephrine increases the amount of oxygen in the brain and increases blood flow. Listening to music eases pain in patients with chronic illnesses. Cancer patients undergoing treatment who listen to therapeutic music see major positive outcomes. Listening to music is shown to “help patients promote a better quality of life; better communicate their fear, sadness, or other feelings; and better manage stress, while alleviating physical pain and discomfort” (Richardson). A random, six-month long clinical trial of fibromyalgia patients was conducted by the University Hospital Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Clinic. According to Mayo Clinic, “fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues.” In the study, female patients of different ages, different durations of sickness and different pain intensities were divided into two groups. One was a control group and the other was an experimental group. The experimental group, who listened to the sounds of water and waves, showed a significant decrease in pain. (Alparslan) Music is beneficial to exercise. Most people listen to music when exercising, whether he or she is running or lifting weights. Music acts