Persistent noises around us aren't just annoying, they can lead to physical and mental health issues
Do you feel more irritable or upset when exposed to loud noises? Experts said our auditory systems trigger a stress response as loud noises are often associated with danger.
Studies have also shown that “noise annoyance” also impacts our mental health.(Illustration: CNA/Samuel Woo)
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It happened more than a decade ago, but I still shudder when I think about the neighbour from hell that my family had to put up with for two years.
The couple, who lived in the flat above ours, argued day and night and were constantly shouting like a group of rowdy children. Their arguments were punctuated with the sounds of banging pots and pans coming from their unit.
I was constantly on edge, and soon, every sound seemed like a racket to me. When their dog's chain leash was dragged against the floor, I felt like I was being subjected to the screeching sound of nails against a chalkboard.
I became hypersensitive to the sound of traffic from the busy street below my house, children running around at the nearby playground and my elderly neighbour, who was possibly a little hard of hearing and used to watch Taiwanese dramas at full volume.
It was hard for my 13-year-old self to focus on homework, and even the faintest purr or hum in my neighbourhood felt like someone was stabbing my ear.
I wasn't the only person it was affecting – every member of my family became irritable and we all argued more often as our mood soured over the inescapable noise.
While the authorities were called, the onslaught of noise only ended when our neighbours moved out.
Rediscovering peace at home felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders but I know of friends who have not been able to solve their noise woes.
For instance, one friend lives next to the MRT tracks along the East-West Line. While there are sound barriers, the rumbling sound of a train chugging along the tracks can never be fully eliminated.
Her solution? Head to the office or a nearby cafe to concentrate on work or use noise-cancelling earphones for most of her day.
“I feel like I’m more irritated when I hear (any) loud noise… I react much worse than my friends when I hear a child screaming or someone just being a bit noisier,” she said, adding that she spends hundreds on staycations yearly just to get some “peace and quiet”.
Why do loud noises make us want to pull our ears off and cause us so much stress?
LOUD NOISES EQUAL DANGER
Psychologists and an audiologist told CNA TODAY that our minds instinctively associate loud noises with danger.
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