The Effects of Noise Pollution on Our Wellbeing

4 min readApr 3, 2023

Some of the purposes of hearing are to alert and warn us about danger; sound directly evokes emotions and actions. However, when the hearing becomes too loud or lasts too long it can cause irritation, stress, and becomes Noise pollution.

Noise pollution is defined as the ‘’unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activities, including noise from the road, rail, airports and from industrial sites”. It is the excess of sound that alters the normal conditions of the environment in a certain area. Although noise does not accumulate, move or last over time like other types of pollution, it can also cause great damage to people’s quality of life if it is not well or adequately controlled.

There are two types of Noise Pollution: Natural and man-made.

Natural noise pollution refers to the sound of animals and all-natural calamities, however, their effects are minimal and do not present major damage to human hearing. Nevertheless, noise pollution by man-made it has negative effects on our health.

Noise pollution refers to the excess of noise that alters the normal conditions of the environment. The noises caused by human activities such as traffic, industries, leisure facilities, airplanes, and ships, among others can produce negative effects on the auditory, physical, and mental health of human beings.

Noise Pollution affects the environment

A study made in 2019 demonstrates that Noise Pollution by human activities also affects our environment and pollutes our biodiversity.

It disrupts the lives of birds, whales, and other creatures. Animals use sounds for many reasons including navigating, finding food, attracting mates, and avoiding predators. Yet, Noise pollution makes it difficult for them to accomplish these tasks, which affects their ability to survive.

Did you know that sound travels rapidly through the water — four times faster than through air? The impact of underwater noise pollution is more painful than anything else for animals. Most marine animals are alarmed by strange sounds and noise triggers stress and impairs the animals’ immune systems which makes them more susceptible to illness. There is also a disruption of normal communication between animals. This can cause changes in diving patterns or migration to new places. Animals exposed to noise pollution are unable to call their mates, seek food or even call for help in such circumstances.

Who are the most affected?

While most research has focused on the impacts of noise on children, according to the European Environment Agency there are other sectors in the population that may be disproportionately affected by noise.

Elderly
Shifted workers
People with pre-existing chronic diseases
People considered to be noise sensitive
Lower socio-economic groups may be exposed to higher levels of noise.

How does Noise Pollution affect the body and brain?

Noise pollution can have a number of negative effects on our health. It is important to be aware of its impact and how affects our overall well-being. Noise pollution can also have some psychopathological effects on our brains.

Here are some areas that can affect it:

Hearing loss: our ears are designed to hear sound up to 1 decibel or dB (a logarithmic unit used to measure sound level), but if our ears are exposed to sounds 85 dB or above it can damage the nerves in our ears. Traffic noise typically ranges from 70 to 80 dB. A drilling machine produces between 90 and 94 dB and hammer drills produce in excess of 100 dB.
Stress: According to Noise&Health, noise pollution can trigger chronic stress and high levels of stress hormones related to depression and anxiety.
Sleep quality: Even when you sleep, the brain is always monitoring danger signals, for this reason regular, loud noises or unwanted sounds can trigger anxiety or stress and can cause fatigue from lack of sleep.
Cardiovascular Disorders: Traffic noise at night can cause sleep fragmentation and this can lead to high levels of stress consequently, these factors can favor the development of vascular dysfunction and arterial hypertension, which, can increase cardiovascular risk. The risk increases if the person is older, however, studies confirm that children can also suffer from cardiovascular disorders. In the same study, it is shown that not all people exposed to noise experience cardiovascular disorders; however, noise pollution is likely to affect the health of susceptible individuals when combined with other stress stressors, such as work pressure and population density.
Cognitive impairment: Noise is linked to an increased likelihood of developing mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. It can affect performance either by impairing information processing or causing changes in strategic responses. Noise Pollution increases the level of general alertness or activation and attention. And can also reduce performance accuracy and working memory performance

Action plans for noise control

Being aware of how to avoid or reduce noise pollution can be a great start to improving your current living condition as well as your health. For the betterment of our health and environment, there are some small steps you may take to reduce it:

Set the volume of your TV, video games, and radio to a level that is audible enough for you.
Do not honk unnecessarily, especially when passing by schools or hospitals.
Recycle, reduce, and REPAIR! Consider, if it’s possible to replace noisy household items or old appliances, vehicles, or other items that produce a lot of noise.
If you don’t need certain devices then them turn off. For example, air conditioning, heaters, fans, and others; can contribute to overall noise levels in the home.
If the noise comes from outside of your house, you may think about soundproofing your space. Adding insulation strategically around the home can help muffle sounds from other rooms, neighbors, or outside. Rugs, carpets, and curtains may also help.
If loud noise is unavoidable, use ear protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs, to reduce its impact.