Unwanted sounds or noises are a nuisance and an environmental stressor. Today, it is almost impossible to find a place of complete peace and quiet. Unlike cities, where the noise comes from traffic, construction sites, and airplane routes, Harmful effects of noise pollution there is less noise in the countryside. However, even there we cannot escape the bustle of modern appliances. These noises are annoying and the evidence on the negative effects of prolonged exposure to noise appears to be mounting.
In addition to auditory effects, noise exposure can cause effects on human well-being that have nothing to do with effects on the hearing system. These problems are called non-hearing and can be mental, physical, and can even disrupt children's learning. Noise can influence health indirectly (through discomfort leading to stress responses) or directly, Harmful effects of noise pollution and the response can depend on the frequency, intensity, duration, and complexity of the sound.
1 Noise and cognitive performance
According to a 2015 study conducted by the Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care (University of Bergen), noise exposure contributes to impaired cognitive performance in environmental, occupational, and experimental settings. Furthermore, about learning, performance is affected if speech sounds are played while a subject reads verbal material (non-speech noises, however, do not produce the same effect). Noise exposure can influence selectivity processes in memory, choice of strategies to perform tasks, and slow memory rehearsal. By soundproofing or using barriers, you can mask or filter noise at the source and significantly reduce it.
2 Noise and motivation
Several studies have confirmed an association between decreased motivation and chronic exposure to aircraft traffic and noise, but with conflicting results. For example, children exposed to chronic airplane noise were more likely to fail to solve a complex puzzle (involving a hit or miss experience), according to the 1980 Los Angeles Airport Study. However, Harmful effects of noise pollution in one study At a follow-up one year later, the same children exposed to noise were not more likely to fail to solve the puzzle.
3 Noise and endocrine responses
Elevated levels of adrenaline and norepinephrine have been linked to exposure to high-intensity noise, according to this study (Istituto di Clinica Medica e Nefrologia, Università di Parma). If workers wear hearing protection devices, Harmful effects of noise pollution catecholamine secretion decreased, while other studies showed elevated cortisol levels due to noise exposure. These endocrine responses indicate that noise can affect one as a stress inducer.
4 Noise annoyance
Annoyance is the best documented and widespread subjective response to noise, related to mild anger and fear. Noise can cause varying degrees of interference in daily activities, with which annoyance reactions are often associated. Noise levels are found to be associated with discomfort in a dose-response relationship, both in aircraft and traffic noise studies. It appears that activities that involve oral communication (watching television, listening to the radio, and talking) are the most disturbed by aircraft noise. Traffic noise, on the other hand, is more disturbing to sleep if it is present at night. Noise nuisance varies between different people, evoking feelings of irritation, Harmful effects of noise pollution disturbance, annoyance, dissatisfaction, and invasion of one's privacy, to those who are affected by it.
5 Noise and cardiovascular disease
Research conducted at the University of Athens (Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology) has shown that aircraft noise and road traffic increase the risk of high blood pressure. Additionally, increased hospital admissions and deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke, Harmful effects of noise pollution, and cardiovascular disease were found in areas near airports. Increased aircraft traffic and noise are related to increased air pollution. Noise exposure can cause physiological arousal (increased blood pressure and heart rate), while air pollution particles are often associated with inflammation.
Obviously, noise pollution poses a significant risk to human health. We should think about designing a less noisy society to prevent these long-term noise-related negative health effects.
