Noise pollution is a form of environmental pollution that may be the most dangerous to human health and the most widespread and common. However, it is overlooked and the affects it has on our health are underestimated because this form of pollution has no taste, color, or smell. 

The source of this pollution includes the modern and high-tech sound and electronic equipments.

To clarify, noise pollution is defined as displeasing and unwanted sound released into the environment which can be harmful to the ear and to overall health. The danger of noise pollution lies in the fact that we are involuntarily exposed to it and sometimes without even realizing. 

The ear constantly picks up and receives sounds, even when we are asleep, unlike the eyes which we can shut when we do not want to see something undesirable.

Any loud sound or excessive, sudden, and unpleasant noise stresses the human body. Noise causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. These adverse effects are temporary and as soon as the noise ceases, blood pressure and heart rate return to normal. 

Unfortunately, urban life has created an environment that continuously surrounds us with noise, which means that the body’s reaction is prolonged. Sound is measured in the units of decibels and is denoted by dB. The level of noise must be below 25 dB in order for us to be able to sleep and rest. Whispering produces sound at between 20 and 30 dB whereas normal conversation is at around 60 dB. 

The sound from traffic congestion on the road is measured to be 70 dB, equal to the sound of the vacuum cleaner at home. 

The hair dryer is even higher on the scale; 90 dB. We are unable to mentally concentrate and focus if the sounds surrounding us are higher than 65 dB. Sounds that reach over 85 dB can lead to serious health problems, keeping in mind that train or metro stations and motorcycles give off sounds at 100 dB and airplanes up to 120 dB.

In our current lifestyles, noise pollution follows us wherever we go; in the street, public places such as restaurants, cafés, shopping centers, all means of transportation, in addition to construction machines which are notorious for producing harmfully loud sounds. 

At home, not much respite can be found because the electrical appliances, such as the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and air conditioning units also produce noise pollution, even when we are sleeping.

The affects of noise pollution are largely ignored and the root of the problem is that noise and sounds are so widespread. 

Most people are unaware that prolonged exposure to loud sounds can result in tinnitus (ringing in the ear), permanent damage to tissues in the inner ear, and hearing loss. In Europe, 60 percent of the youth are at risk of hearing loss.

The US National Institute of Health warned that prolonged and recurrent exposure to sounds over 85 dB can lead to hearing loss. 

As for the negative impact of noise pollution on our health, it adversely affects the heart and blood vessels.
 
The body views any loud and disturbing sound which lasts for more than three seconds as a threat. 

The body’s automated response includes shrinking of the arteries and a release of the hormones adrenalin and cortisol to deal with the perceived assault.

These hormones trigger a cascade of responses in the body causing irritability, anxiety, mood swings, headaches, poor concentration, insomnia, depression, and memory loss. 

Studies found that 20 percent of the psychiatric patients in France are victims of the disturbances created by noise pollution.

The irritability, mood swings, poor concentration, and memory loss caused by noise pollution no doubt interfere with productivity and performance at work. One company that installed efficient sound insulation in the walls of the employees' offices noticed a 25 percent reduction in calculation and accounting errors and a 27 percent reduction in typing errors made by employees.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported studies that showed that chronic exposure to noise pollution at a level over 70 dB was correlated with increased blood pressure, heart disease, and even heart attacks.

The digestive system is also affected by noise pollution and some conditions may worsen such as stomach and intestinal ulcers, spastic colon, and irritable bowel syndrome. 

Noise pollution also weakens the immune system, making us more prone to catching infections, contagious diseases, and cancer.

The WHO confirmed that noise pollution in the school and home hinders the learning ability among children. Several studies found that students who live near airports achieved lower scores at school in reading and linguistic abilities than those who did not live near airports.
 
Over time, children who live in areas with high noise pollution suffer from poor concentration, inexplicable fluctuations in mood, fatigue, poor academic performance, aggressiveness, and they exhibit a lack of cooperation and teamwork.

What are the solutions?

At the government level, better city planning is needed such as surrounding residential areas with parks and greenery because trees are good absorbers of unwanted sound. 

Schools and hospitals should be built far away from the sources of noise pollution, namely airports, train stations, and busy and crowded freeways. Strict laws should be in place to penalize motorists for unnecessarily honking the horns of their cars, especially at night. 

Airports should be kept at a safe, far distance from the city.

As for families and individuals, each person must take care to choose a suitable location for their house, far away from loud noises and can install good insulators and double-glaze windows to keep sounds out. Control the volume of the television and never leave it on when none is watching or listening.

Make sure that the studying areas of children are in calm, quiet rooms of the home, at a good distance from loud areas such as the kitchen or family room.

Educate your family about the negative effects of noise pollution on health. Allocate a time of the day for some seclusion in stillness and quiet so that the body can regain its inner balance and restore its normal functions.

~By SeeHx :D