Explained: The link between noise and mental health
There are few things more headache inducing than persistent, nuisance noise – but aside from effects on our physical health, how can noise affect us mentally?
To mark Stress Awareness Month, we look at the links between excessive sound and mental health, and the importance of keeping the noise down with help from Echo Barrier.
How does noise affect mental health?
Persistent exposure to nuisance noise can leave people feeling more than just irritable. It can seriously affect their mental health.
This is as frequent loud noises set off our body’s natural warning signs, triggering anxiety and stress. And this effect worsens over time the more a person is exposed to noise pollution.
This can be especially true should noise be emitted at night. Long-term disruption to sleeping patterns and have a major impact effect on wellbeing, especially on their mood and concentration levels.
Indeed, both the World Health Organization and the European Environment Agency have labelled noise exposure as a major threat to both physical and mental health.
Those physical effects – particularly tinnitus – can have a profound knock-on effect on mental health too.
Noise pollution and the construction and events sectors
The effects of noise pollution on physical and mental health are just one of the many reasons why local authorities in the UK take regulations very seriously. Especially when it comes to areas like construction, demolition, streetworks and events.
It isn’t just the general public that contractors need to consider, but their own workers too. Failure to protect workers from dangerous sound or exceeding legal noise limits can open employers up to significant fines.
How can Echo Barrier help?
Echo Barrier’s range of industry-leading noise abatement solutions are trusted by contractors around the world.
Our products help reduce sound energy by up to 99% at certain frequencies – minimising the impact of their work on the health of stakeholders.
Our success stories include helping heal the headaches of local people during an annual music festival in England and minimising the impact of noise on residents, business and tourists during the construction of the One World Trade Center.
All of our H-Series™ products are designed with ease of use in mind and are easy to install, disassemble, store and transport – saving you from any organisational headaches.
Want to learn more about our products? Discover our full range here or contact us today.