- There are as many as 6 million people with noise sensitivity in the UK
- We conducted a survey to ask “How much of an impact has noise sensitivity had on your everyday life?”
- 90% of UK respondents felt noise sensitivity impacted their everyday life – and 60% of those said that it has a huge or big impact on their lives
For some, everyday sounds seem so much louder than they should – while other people have an increased sensitivity or intolerance to certain sounds. So much so, they can initiate both a physical and an emotional response. Study results vary, however it is thought that between 2-9% of the UK population displayed some form of noise sensitivity symptoms, also known as hyperacusis.
Symptoms vary from person to person, and the impact of noise sensitivity can affect people in different ways. For some, it’s simply an annoyance or may cause them mild distress in certain situations. For other people, noise sensitivity can have a huge impact on their daily lives. It can cause severe distress, impacting their ability to socialize and carry out normal, everyday activities – which, of course, can have a huge impact on their overall wellbeing.
With as many as 6 million noise sensitivity sufferers in the UK, we wanted to better understand the impact noise sensitivity has had on their lives. What are the potential sounds individuals are most sensitive to? What coping strategies do they use? Has the pandemic impacted their sensitivity to certain sounds? So we went ahead and did a survey, and were surprised by the results.
Survey methodology
We surveyed 500 UK-based adults suffering from noise sensitivity, to find out more about the impact noise sensitivity has on their life, what sounds they’re sensitive to (both indoor and outdoor), what sounds they’ve become more sensitive to since the pandemic, as well as the strategies they use to cope.
The key statistics
So, what did our survey find? Well, firstly, we discovered that noise sensitivity is more common than you might think. And secondly, some of the causes of noise sensitivity might surprise you – read on to find out more about our survey responses.
The impact noise sensitivity has on everyday life
We asked 500 UK respondents the question ‘How much of an impact has noise sensitivity had on your everyday life?’.
- 40% felt that noise sensitivity had a significant impact on their everyday life, that they suffer enough that it affects their routine.
- 20% felt it had a big impact where they suffered with it a lot, so much so they had to change their routine all the time.
- 28% felt there was a small impact (only mildly suffer with it)
- 10% felt there was no impact (don’t suffer at all)
- 2% felt it had a huge impact where it was debilitating and really struggled to cope.
That means that, in total, 90% of the UK respondents felt noise sensitivity impacted their everyday life. And of those 90%, a total of 60% felt it had a big or huge impact on their everyday life, to the extent that they needed to change their routine.
The types of noise UK respondents are most sensitive to
We know, then, that noise affects people’s everyday lives. But we wanted to find out what types of noise have the biggest impact, so we also asked the question ‘Which types of noise, if any, are you most sensitive to?’
- 65% of the respondents were most sensitive to children playing / crying.
- 59% were most sensitive to noisy neighbors.
- 58% were most sensitive to household appliances.
- 38% were most sensitive to other people talking on their phones
- 35% were most sensitive to people eating loudly
- 32% were most sensitive to mouth breathers / loud breathers.
The noises UK respondents have been more sensitive to since the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way people live, all around the world. Many people started working from home, meaning there was less separation between their work and personal lives. For many families, the kids were suddenly at home instead of school, meaning parents had to juggle work and home schooling – as well as the usual everyday chores.
We wanted to know if the pandemic had any influence on the types of noises people are sensitive to, so we asked ‘Which noises, if any, do you think you’ve become more sensitive to because of the pandemic?’
- 60% of respondents were more sensitive to kitchen appliances
- 60% of respondents were more sensitive to kids playing at home
- 43% of respondents were more sensitive to vacuum cleaners
- 42% of respondents were more sensitive to loud conversations
- 41% of respondents were more sensitive to roadworks or construction
- 36% of respondents were more sensitive to loud music
Both kitchen appliances and kids playing at home have topped the list here. Again, this highlights a strong focus on noise from children as a top noise sensitivity.
The coping strategies
We asked ‘What, if anything, do you do to help reduce the impact/effects of your noise sensitivity?’
- 59% of respondents wore earplugs
- 59% of respondents removed themselves from the environment
- 50% of respondents avoid situations which are likely to be triggering
- 36% of respondents listen to music / white noise
Over half of UK residents with hearing sensitivity say they wear earplugs to reduce annoying noises, while the same amount completely avoid triggering situations. However, there’s no need to avoid going outside or socializing. Wearing noise-reducing earplugs can help to reduce the impact of noise, while allowing you to get out there and live your life to the fullest.
The most sensitive outdoor noises - UK
We asked ‘Which of the following outdoor sounds, if any, do you find to be the most distracting?’
- 57% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of kids playing loudly
- 51% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of babies crying
- 35% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of roadworks or other construction
- 34% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of loud conversations
- 33% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of cars on a busy road (sirens, horn honking etc.)
- 32% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of a passersby snorting sneezing or coughing
- 29% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of loud music
- 29% of respondents were most distracted by the outdoor noise of a train or metro
The most distracting outdoor noise was kids playing loudly followed by babies crying. Are we noting a common theme here?
The most sensitive indoor noises - UK
We asked ‘Which of the following indoor sounds, if any, do you find to be the most distracting?’
- 50% of respondents were most distracted by the indoor noise of kids playing loudly
- 49% of respondents were most distracted by the noise of kitchen appliances
- 41% of respondents were most distracted by the noise from neighbors
- 35% of respondents were most distracted by the noise from other household members / conversations
- 33% of respondents were most distracted by cars on a busy road (sirens, horn honking etc.)
- 32% of respondents were most distracted by passersby snorting sneezing or coughing
- 29% of respondents were most distracted by loud music
- 29% of respondents were most distracted by trains or metro
They’ve topped it again: The most distracting indoor noise is kids playing loudly. This was very closely followed by kitchen appliances.
US survey results
We also wanted to find out how noise sensitivity affects people across the pond, so we conducted a survey in the US and asked the respondents some of the same questions:
- What indoor and outdoor noises US respondents were most sensitive to?
- What noises they were more sensitive to because of the pandemic?
The most sensitive outdoor noises - US
We wanted to find out whether people in the US are sensitive to the same outdoor noises as those in the UK. The answer is: some of the same noises!
- The highest distracting outdoor sound for US residents were cars on a busy road (sirens, horns honking etc) at 34%. (This was similar for the UK at 33%.)
- 29% of US residents found kids playing loudly as the most distracting outdoor sound (Compared to 57% in the UK.)
- 32% of US respondents found babies crying as the most distracting outdoor sound. (Compared to 51% in the UK.)
Other top culprits for US residents were loud music and roadworks or other construction. There was more of an emphasis for the US on sensitivity to cars and road noises than there was in the UK.
The most sensitive indoor noises - US
And how about indoor noises? Are people in the US also bothered by kids playing loudly and kitchen appliances, or are there other sounds that trigger their noise sensitivity?
- The highest distracting indoor sound for the US was noise from neighbors at 30% (UK 41%) and noise from other people’s electronics, also at 30% (UK 26%).
- 28% of US respondents found kids playing loudly as the most distracting indoor sound (Compared to 50% in the UK.)
- 29% of US respondents found kitchen appliances the most distracting indoor sound, (Compared to 49% in the UK.)
Distracting noises for US respondents came from noise from other household members either having conversations or using personal electronics.
Pandemic
We also wanted to find out whether there were any specific sounds that people in the US are more sensitive to post-pandemic – and how this compares to those in the UK.
- 43% of US respondents felt that they had become more sensitive to loud music because of the pandemic.
- This was closely followed by 42% stating they had become more sensitive to roadworks / construction (41% for UK) and also 42% to loud conversations (also 42% for the UK)
- 40% of US residents were more sensitive to kids playing at home since the pandemic (Compared to 60% for the UK.)
* The US survey was conducted to 2,003 respondents, to an American general population. The survey was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Loop Earplugs.
The impact on daily lives
Noise sensitivity – as we’ve seen from the survey results – can greatly impact various aspects of daily life. In the workplace, noise sensitivity can affect productivity, making it hard to concentrate on whatever task is in front of you.
For those in education, again, noise sensitivity can affect focus – making it harder to concentrate when studying, when sitting exams, or when trying to meet deadlines for essays and projects.
Socially, noise sensitivity can lead to isolation. If someone is anxious about noise, then it may mean they’re less likely to attend social events or put themselves in busy environments.
All of these things can lead to elevated levels of stress, anxiety and depression. One study even found that strong noise annoyance was associated with a two-fold higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in the general population.
Consequences for hearing
Prolonged exposure to loud or triggering noise can have a severe impact on your hearing, including:
- Noise-induced hearing loss: Exposure to loud noises over an extended period of time can cause hearing loss which can range from mild to severe, depending on the severity of the exposure.
- Tinnitus: A ringing or buzzing in the ears, which can have a big impact on quality of life.
- Hyperacusis: An increased sensitivity to everyday sounds, making them seem louder or more uncomfortable than they really are.
Even if you don’t develop any of these conditions, noise sensitivity can be a serious condition in itself, with a whole host of symptoms that you might not even realize are indicative of noise sensitivity, including headaches, trouble concentrating, and feeling more comfortable when wearing headphones or earplugs.
Coping strategies and support:
Although it can be difficult to live with noise sensitivity, there are ways to deal with it, including:
- Building a strong support network, from friends and family to professionals who can help you better understand your condition and deal with the symptoms
- Practice breathing exercises and mindfulness to calm you down and keep you grounded if you start to feel overwhelmed
- Don’t completely block out sound, as this can make the problem worse. Instead, you should think about how you can gradually expose yourself to noise without going overboard.
Loop Earplugs can help you to manage your noise exposure. If you actively avoid noise, then your brain can find it even harder to interpret and deal with everyday sounds, making them even more difficult to deal with. But noise sensitivity earplugs like Loop Engage can help. Rather than avoiding noisy places, earplugs can help to build up your tolerance to loud noises and reduce sensory overload.