ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on health of noise within the home, and more particularly, the process through which unwanted and intrusive sound works its deleterious effect on the psychological and physiological functioning of the human organism. The trauma of noise may bring to the surface a scarcely submerged tension and result in an emotional outburst, or it may provoke symptomatology manifesting itself as a well-recognized medical syndrome. The chapter discusses urban and domestic noise have been concerned with the negative consequences of very loud sounds, which can cause hearing impairment, and that building standards have been shaped in order to prevent noise levels that cause direct damage to hearing acuity. It describes American standards for permissible domestic noise are too lenient and recommends collaborative research among architects, physicians, and behavioral scientists, as well as collaborative efforts to change building codes.
