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4 Effects of Noise Pollution on Human Health Oct 31, 2019 By Fenesta

Noise is unwanted or disturbing sounds which have the ability to affect human health and the quality of life in general. The worst offenders of noise pollution are cars, aeroplanes, trains, and various other forms of transportation. The roadworks, different running appliances, and the garden equipment are equally responsible for causing noise pollution.But, how bad can it be for you? Well, prolonged exposure to noise can lead to various health-related issues and even hearing loss. Moreover, noise pollution impacts your well-being. That is why it is beneficial to be aware of the effects of noise pollution in order to take the necessary steps to combat the issue. So, here is what you should know about the effects of noise pollution on human health:

1. Increases the Risk of Heart Disease Prolonged exposure to noise augments the risk of getting a heart disease. Noises that are higher than 60 decibels can be the cause behind high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, elevated cholesterol, heart attacks, and faster pulse rates. There are higher chances of people taking cardiovascular medication if they are exposed to noise pollution as compared to the people who are not. 2. Disturbs Sleep Noise pollution often causes sleep disturbance which, in turn, impacts a person’s health as well as mood. Poor sleep leads to tiredness, impacts the health of your heart, and makes you perform poorly at a lot of tasks. 3. Causes Psychological Effects Noise pollution can be the cause of many psychological issues. If a person is already vulnerable to mental illness, noise pollution can further augment the development of mental disorders. Prolonged exposure to noise can lead to anxiety and neurosis, nervousness, emotional instability, and makes the person more moody and argumentative. Also, because noise can intervene with spoken communication, it can lead to reduced self-confidence, disturbed interpersonal relationships, and so on. 4. Decreased Cognitive Functioning The sound waves that enter the ear are directed to your brain so that it can interpret them. The brain coordinates the stimulus responses of the body and hence when too much noise enters the brain it gives a lower response rate. Because of this, the cognitive functioning decreases and you are not able to resolve problems in a normal manner.

How to Tackle Noise Pollution?

To start with, you can notify the concerned authorities if people in your surroundings are not obeying noise rules. The things that you can do on your part to reduce noise pollution are: -

Follow the limits defined for noise levels.

Switch off appliances when they are not in use both in your house and your workplace.

Use windows and doors that take the necessary steps to offer sound insulation to your house. For instance, you can choose windows and doors which use special silicone sealants to fill the gaps between door/window units. You can also use laminated or double-glazed laminated glass that can significantly reduce noise.

In this respect, you should have sound proof doors and sound proof windows which can block the noise disturbances from outside.

Plus, when you look for sound proof windows and doors, make sure you buy air tight windows and doors that help in cutting the outside noise. The windows and doors that come with double seals and multiple point locking systems are shut very tightly to prevent outside noise from coming in.

As is rightly said, reduce the noise pollution before it reduces your capacity to hear. After all, your ears deserve the melodies and symphonies, not the rattle and noise.