Healthy living Health effects of noise exposure

Noise is part of everyday life, especially in cities, and almost everyone is bothered by loud noises now and again. At the same time, exposure to noise can cause stress, especially if it is persistent. Research conducted over the last decade shows that noise is one of the primary environmental risks to physical and mental health.

Many people are affected by persistent noise: 75 percent of people in Germany are bothered or annoyed by the noise of road traffic in the area where they live, almost 60 percent by the volume of noise made by their neighbors, 43 percent by aircraft noise and 35 percent by rail traffic noise.

All sounds and noises travel in the form of sound waves. The strength of these sound waves – the sound pressure level or volume – is expressed in decibels (dB). Sound waves must reach a certain level in order to be heard. This level is called the hearing threshold. However, the hearing threshold depends on the frequency as well as the volume of the sound or noise. Usually, sounds with a higher frequency can be perceived at a lower volume than lower-frequency sounds. Sounds at extremely high frequencies are also more difficult to hear. 

Noise at night is generally perceived as more bothersome and annoying than during the day. For example, the noise of airplanes can be intrusive and harmful at average levels of 40 decibels at night, compared with about 45 decibels during the day. An increase of 10 decibels is generally perceived as a doubling of the noise level.

Loud noise can directly damage hearing and be indirectly harmful to physical and mental health.

Direct effects on hearing

Hearing can be damaged by short, very loud sound pulses over 130 decibels – for example, very close thunder – or long-lasting loud noises. For instance, hearing may be temporarily impaired or muffled after a concert (where sound levels often reach about 90 to 120 decibels). Buzzing or whistling noises may occur temporarily or may develop into tinnitus. Tinnitus is when a person hears a constant whistling or humming without an external source.

If very loud sounds damage the hair cells in the inner ear, certain sound waves are no longer transmitted to the brain. In particular, high-frequency sounds often damage these hair cells. Examples include explosions or gunshots near the ear, for example, fireworks on New Year’s Eve. These can rupture the eardrum, the thin piece of skin that separates the ear canal and the middle ear. In most cases, this heals on its own. However, damaged hair cells do not heal, which may result in a permanent damage hearing impairment.

In addition, impaired hearing can also be caused by a prolonged exposure to high noise levels, for example at work. People with certain jobs, such as construction workers, are exposed to high noise levels at work. The risk of hearing impairment increases with exposure to noise levels of around 80 to 85 decibels and above. The duration of the exposure over the course of a day or a week is also a factor.

For more information about the effects of noise on hearing, see gesundheitsinformation.de.

Important: If you hear unusual sounds in your ears after being exposed to noise – whether from a pneumatic hammer or loud music – you should take this as a warning sign. Reduce or avoid your exposure to this noise or wear hearing protection.

Indirect health effects

Environmental noise does not usually directly damage hearing. However, persistent noise from airplanes and cars in particular can cause chronic stress responses and increase the risk of developing various health issues. These include sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, cardiovascular disease and strong feelings of annoyance caused by noise. Noise-induced stress responses also occur during sleep and in people who believe they have become accustomed to noise.

According to current research, continuous exposure to sounds above 60 decibels can adversely affect health. Sleep problems that can negatively affect health may occur when people are exposed to noise levels above 45 decibels at night.

There are various ways to protect people from exposure to noise. Examples of measures to reduce exposure to traffic noise include introducing more low-traffic areas and speed limits in cities, using noise barriers and developing quieter materials for road surfaces and for car and motorcycle tires. The growing use of electric vehicles and the promotion of other environmentally friendly means of transport, such as bicycles, also play an important role. In many cases, people can also take steps to protect themselves from noise.

Hearing protection

Wear certified hearing protection during loud activities or at loud events, for example when mowing the lawn, at concerts or on New Year’s Eve. Ear plugs may help at night.

Pay attention to your environment

Every now and then, think about whether the sounds in your everyday environment are pleasant or intrusive. Are you bothered by noise? If so, there are some actions you can take. If you listen to background music, could you turn it down or off? Do you find the ticking of the clock or the loud humming of the refrigerator annoying? Then look for another room if you can. If you are unable to avoid noise, then perhaps consider using hearing protection.

Ask for quiet

If you share a room with other people and they are too loud, ask them to be quieter. If nearby colleagues persistently talk loudly on the phone, this can be annoying and stressful.

Find quiet places

If you live in the city, try to choose routes along smaller roads or through parks when going for a walk or heading to work. Spend more of your free time in quiet places, such as forests.

To find out what other steps you can take to protect children from noise, visit the consumer advice center website and kindergesundheit-info.de.

Noise can be perceived differently by different people and can cause varying levels of stress. Some people are also exposed to more noise pollution than others due to where they live, for example, near to busy roads.

Noise perception

In many cases, the annoyance caused by noises depends on how they are perceived. A group of young people enjoying loud music. A neighbor hears the same music much more quietly from next door. However, she gets annoyed because she cannot sleep and has to be up early for work the next day. The same noise can be perceived as annoying by one person and as pleasant by another.

Noise sensitivity

Sensitivity to noise varies from one individual to the next. People who are more sensitive to noise find that it causes them more stress. In the long term, being subjected to noise can have a greater impact on noise-sensitive people than to those who respond less sensitively to it.