How does noise affect humans?
A man living in the city is at a particular disadvantage because he is constantly attacked by harmful sounds. The main sources of noise are related to business activities, transport and entertainment and recreation.
In terms of harmfulness, the following three main areas of noise impact on the human body are distinguished:
- weakening or permanent hearing loss,
- damage to the nervous system and psyche (fatigue, drowsiness or irritability, prolonged reaction time, decreased concentration, anxiety, insomnia, aggression, stress and the resulting consequences for the whole body and psyche),
- damage to internal organs (cardiovascular, digestive and musculoskeletal systems, weakening of the immune system, the so-called post-noise syndrome).
Noise is a pollution of the natural environment characterized by a variety of sources and the prevalence of occurrence. There are many definitions of noise, for example:
Noise means sounds that disturb or hinder the performance of work or are undesirable and harmful to health in a given place and time.
Noise is a sound which in certain situations and in certain people may cause psychophysical discomfort.
Noise is any undesirable, unpleasant, irritating or harmful vibrations of the elastic medium, affecting the organ of hearing and other senses and parts of the human body.
Noise is the sounds coming from the environment that are undesirable or harmful to health, making it difficult or impossible to work and rest.
In addition to audible sounds, humans are also negatively affected by sounds inaccessible to the perception of the human ear: infrasounds and vibrations.
Noise, infrasound and vibrations, among other things, accelerating and deepening fatigue, contribute to distraction, suppress the audibility of speech and acoustic warning signals, dull visual acuity and perceptiveness, thus significantly increasing the possibility of accidents, including road accidents. Every day, many people living in noise during the day and unable to rest from it at night are potential perpetrators and victims of accidents at work and in road traffic. Also, drivers themselves often multiply the harmful effects of noise and infrasound on themselves and others by installing music equipment with strong bass in the vehicle and using it loudly.
The negative impact of noise on humans is related not only to its direct impact on the hearing organ, but also includes other health effects. The noise affects on the circulatory system, the digestive system and the nervous system, and may cause premature aging of the body. Epidemiological and clinical studies confirm the existence of a significant relationship between noise levels and the risk of myocardial infarction and hypertension. Recently, there have also been studies on the relationship between type 2 diabetes and exposure to noise – it was found that people exposed to noise above 60 dB had a 22% higher risk of diabetes. Noise exposure has also been shown to be a risk factor for early retirement due to general health,
Source: CIOP, PIB and ITD materials.
