Pickleball play creates a new type of unwanted noise - repetitive, impulsive “pops,” exposing those living near courts to thousands of piercing pickleball pops per day. Noise has adverse health effects, but those from pickleball noise have not been previously studied. Content analysis, a scientific method which examines words or phrases in public content to identify patterns, was used to explore a possible link between long-term exposure to pickleball noise and self-reported adverse health effects. This physician-led analysis identified 246 such mentions. Physical health effects represented almost half (45.9%) of all mentions. Of these, 46.0% involved the nervous system and 25.7% the heart. Psychological health effects represented 54.1% of all mentions. Of these, over half (51.3%) described severe distress or used the term “torture,” with two mentioning suicidal thoughts. Nearly a quarter (23.9%) reported trauma or PTSD-like symptoms. The remainder included anxiety, stress, and depression. Beyond these acute effects, the responses suggest a highly activated physiological stress response. Such responses are known to be harmful when sustained over time. These findings highlight a need for further research into the complex acoustical characteristics of pickleball noise and its health effects, which must be considered when making decisions about pickleball court placement.
