The Effect of Light Pollution on Citizen's Health

Light pollution is one of the alarming and often underestimated problems that could potentially pose a great threat to human health, though it may seem a less severe problem compared to air or water pollution. It means the artificial light that an urban society puts out at night than is necessary and the interference with the natural darkness of the night. This phenomenon is not only an inconvenience for astronomy lovers but is really dangerous for the lives of citizens in cities and suburbs. As the world continues to get lit to quell supposititious darkness, and given that lighting is ineluctable in the present times, extenuate attention should be paid to the cognition of the unavoidable discomfort it causes to human health.

Disruption of Circadian Rhythms
Light pollution poses a threat, with some of its main impacts being the disruption of circadian rhythm, which are natural physiological and morphological cycles. The sleep-wake cycle of the human body is dependent on the natural light climate cycle of day and night. Blue light from sources such as screens and LED light has a negative impact on the production of melatonin, which is the sleep hormone. Depletion of melatonin results in sleeplessness, disrupted sleep, and poor quality of sleep. Lack of sleep is similar to malnutrition; it has adverse effects on health, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and a compromised immune system.

Mental Health Implications
Thus, when discussing the effects of light pollution, it is necessary to mention its influence on mental well-being. The sleep disorders that are induced by artificial light lead to mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. Research done in the American Journal of Epidemiology saw that those individuals who experience artificial light at night are more likely to have the likelihood of depression. Furthermore, light is constant, especially in crowded areas, and constant light can cause stress and fatigue, which act as an extra burden to mental health complications.

Raised Chances of Chronic Diseases
Prolonged exposure to artificial light is believed to increase the propensity of contracting several major ailments. Many countries have included shift work, including night work, that increases exposure to artificial lights as a probable carcinogen, according to the WHO. Such classification is based on the fact which indicates that any interference with the circadian rhythms contributes to the development of cancer and most predominantly influences breast and prostate cancers. Also, there are some other consequences of this phenomenon, for instance, the disorders of the metabolic profile, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Light pollution affects circadian rhythms and hormones, which, in turn, affect the body’s metabolism as well as the regulation of blood sugar.

Impact on Cardiovascular Health
Heart diseases are also on the list of diseases which are aggravated due to light pollution. Scholars have hailed artificial light at night as being endowed with the capability of raising hypertension and the heart rate which are both cardiovascular disease precursors. Stress arising out of broken sleep also leads to inflammation and several physiological changes that might have an influence on the heart disease.

Children and Light Pollution
Light pollution seems to pose much danger to children much more than any other section of the population. They are affected by Artificial light at night in that they develop sleep interference, poor academic performance, and lots of behavioral disturbances. That is why it is crucial to provide the children with proper conditions for sleep, in particular, darkness and silence.

Measures for Reducing the Impact of Light Pollution
Light pollution is a pressing problem and should be solved as soon as possible, but it is impossible to do it one-sidedly; it requires a complex solution. People can limit their amount of exposure to artificial light by putting on a blackout curtain, avoiding electronic devices a couple of hours before bedtime, and using low-wattage ‘red’ bulbs at night. Some of the actions that urban planners and policymakers can take include using lower-intensity streetlights and encasing the fixtures to reduce light emissions toward the sky. Promoting the “dark sky” policies to the various communities can go a long way in ensuring that the natural night settings are maintained.

In conclusion, Light pollution is an environmental problem of considerable importance that affects human health. It distorts the normal patterns of body physiology and leads to sleep disturbances, various mental issues, chronic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. This points to the reasons why light pollution should be given adequate attention as people become conversant with it. The value of artificial lighting versus the value placed on maintaining a healthy night environment will be the key to protecting the public's health as darkness continues to disappear.