Music is a worldwide phenomenon which makes people communicate through notes and rhythm. Aside from its relaxing effect to the body and mind, it brings a lot of health benefits. Many studies attest to music's benefits to the mind and body.
According to Huffington Post, neuroscientists have discovered that listening to music increases one's positive emotions through the reward centers of the brain. Thus, it increases the levels of dopamine to make the person feel good.
According to a study, music can relatively reduce anxiety levels. It can prevent heart rate increases during anxiety attacks and can lower the blood pressure. They discovered that music can decrease the stress for patients who just underwent heart surgery. Another study shows that music is effective in reducing anxiety and stress levels among patients awaiting surgery.
Music is also helpful in reducing pain. It has a unique ability to help in pain management. In one study, patients who are about to undergo spine surgery were instructed to listen to music before the scheduled surgery until two days after surgery. There was marked reduction in pain felt by patients who listened to music than those who did not listen to music at all.
Ironically, music can also boost one's immune system. A research claims that music can prevent diseases and illnesses through an improved immune functioning. In fact, a study entitled, "Effect of Music on Secretory Immunoglobulin A (IgA)" shows that certain auditory stimuli such as music has an effect on the body's IgA levels. IgA is a protein responsible for first line of defense from infections and pathogens. Music was able to increase the levels of IgA in the body making it ward off certain infections such as simple colds.
Furthermore, music is helpful in memory. Music helps in the release of dopamine that is linked to motivation which is helpful in learning and memory. Also, based on a study last year, people who were learning a foreing language (Hungarian) were asked to use music in memorizing phrases such as reciting the phrases in rhythms. They performed better than those who did not use music in memorizing the lines and phrases.