The Effects of Noise

Since the ear is the “best detector” of noise, it is obviously the organ most likely to suffer harm from it. Damage to the sensitive nerve cells of your inner ear can cause permanent loss of hearing. People vary in their response to loud sounds, it is true. But repeated exposure to sounds above 80 to 90 decibels can lead to gradual loss of hearing. Indeed, the higher the noise levels are, the less time you can spend daily in that environment before your hearing suffers damage.

New Scientist magazine reports that many personal stereos sold in France have a maximum output of 113 decibels. Citing one study, it noted that “rock music played at full blast for one hour on personal compact disc players surpassed 100 decibels most of the time and reached peaks of around 127 decibels.” Even more serious is the effect of noise produced during live concerts. One investigator found people huddled near loudspeaker stacks in an unconscious stupor. “My vision was blurring, body cavities resonating with the bass beat,” he relates, “and the noise was painful to my ears.”

What effects can noise have on you? One authority states: “Constant noises of moderate to high levels cause stress, fatigue, and irritability.” “Being tormented by noise not only takes the joy out of life, it can wear a person down physically and emotionally,” notes Professor Gerald Fleischer, of the University of Giessen, Germany. When noise comes on top of other stressful conditions, according to Professor Makis Tsapogas, it can provoke depression as well as organic diseases.

Prolonged exposure to noise can affect your personality. When British government researchers asked victims of noise pollution how they felt about those responsible, they spoke of hatred, revenge, and even murder. On the other hand, noisemakers frequently become aggressive when they are the target of repeated complaints. “Noise lessens people’s altruism and creates aggression and hostility,” claims one antinoise campaigner.

Most who have suffered from noise pollution recognize a gradual wearing down of their resistance to the disturbance. They echo the view of one woman whose noisy neighbors constantly played loud music: “When you are forced to listen to something you don’t want to, it wears you down. . . . Even when the noise stopped, we were waiting for it to start again.”

Noise and You

“Noise is the most widespread industrial hazard in Britain today,” notes The Times, “and deafness its common consequence.” Some occupational-health studies indicate that noise above 85 decibels can harm a fetus. The baby’s hearing is damaged, and the baby may have hormonal disturbances as well as birth defects.

Exposure to loud noise constricts blood vessels and decreases the flow of blood to your organs. In turn, your body reacts by producing hormones that raise blood pressure and increase your heartbeat, sometimes leading to palpitations or even angina.

When noise disrupts your routine, other problems can occur. Disturbed sleep can affect your daytime reactions. Noise may not alter the overall speed at which you work, but it can have a bearing on the number of errors you make.