Effects of Noise
The health effects of noise range from discomfort and annoyance to psychological and pathological conditions. Noise can affect sleep, communication, concentration, productivity and mental wellbeing.
The degree to which noise affects people depends on its nature, intensity, duration, the activity being undertaken by the subject at the time of exposure and the sensitivity of the subject. The effects also depend on the quality of the sound and the recipient’s attitude to it. A sound that one person may find relaxing, such as rain against a window, may irritate another.
Noise can cause premature hearing loss. This is usually industrial or occupational deafness and is permanent. It results from continuous exposure to noise. Blast deafness can also occur where an individual is exposed to a sudden very high level of noise.
Circulation problems are also associated with noise. Vaso constriction is a well known response to noise. This tightening of the blood vessels reduces blood flow to certain parts of the body. There is some evidence that prolonged exposure to intense noise can aggravate gastro-intestinal conditions, while sudden, unexpected noise can interfere with the digestive system and can trigger the release of adrenalin, possibly leading to fatigue and headaches.
Sleep is a physiological necessity. Noise interferes with rest, relaxation and sleep and thus, insufficient sleep can adversely affect an individual’s concentration, productivity, mood, temperament, hormone responses, metabolism and immune system.
Noise also affects mental health, but it is not the only factor impacting on one’s mental wellbeing. Exposure to unaccustomed high noise levels alters our emotional responses, making individuals more irritable and agitated. Individuals with a nervous disposition are more likely to suffer mental stress as a result of noise. A number of studies have found relationships between, for instance aircraft noise and mild psychiatric illness.
Noise can also interrupt communications, resulting in reduced efficiency, frustration and possibly accidents or mistakes being made through speech being unintelligible.
It has also been found that noise has less effect on the working efficiency of physical jobs than office based roles. Anticipated noise is less likely to affect mental performance that unexpected noise and research has shown that noise greater than 90dB significantly increases the number of errors made, particularly if the individual has been working in the noise for some time.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has undertaken research on the effects of noise. More detailed information is available on their website: http://www.who.int/topics/noise/en/
There are other non-health related effects of noise. These include reduced amenity value of one’s home, annoyance, anger and resentment. The 2008 National Noise Survey carried out by the charity Environmental Protection UK, which is available at http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/assets/library/documents/National_Noise_Survey_2008.pdf , revealed that 17% of participants were bothered, annoyed or disturbed by noise from their neighbours inside their homes.
Following consideration of the noise complaints data received by the district councils for the period April 2008 – March 2009, the Department of the Environment contacted a selection of the councils to gain an insight into the most common types of complaints. Councils confirmed that lack of sleep, overhearing shouting, interruption to conversations/television programmes and inability to relax were the most common noise related complaints.