MODERN conveniences are driving us beeping crazy.
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While noise studies have previously focused on loud sounds caused by aircraft, traffic and power tools, the high-pitched beeping of mobile phones, microwaves, dishwashers, ovens and washing machines can be just as irritating, lobby group Noise Watch Australia says.
"There is a lot of evidence supporting a link between a noisy environment and stress," spokesman Gary Goland said. "The noise doesn't have to be particularly loud, but if it's constant and it's irritating, it causes stress levels to rise."
While disturbances we cannot control - such as aircraft noise, the sound of traffic and barking dogs - have been found to cause greater anxiety than noises we can control, beeping appliances can still provoke annoyance.
"If your microwave or your mobile phone is beeping, it requires your immediate attention, distracting you from whatever else you might be doing," Mr Goland said.
Densil Cabrera, senior lecturer in audio and acoustics at the University of Sydney, said: "Attention-grabbing noises are designed to alert the user to the status of the device, but the by-product is that they are also very annoying."
The most irritating noises are those which are loud, high-pitched and pulsate quickly.
The home used to be regarded as a place to escape from environmental noise, but no more. "If you have a couple of appliances beeping at the same time, plus the television on and the children running around, you'll have a very challenging home environment," Mr Goland said.
"There is only so much noise people can tolerate before they just have to get away from it."
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change said exposure to noise could result in increased heart rate and anxiety, while a study by the Garvan Institute in Sydney discovered living or working in a stressful environment could prevent the immune system from functioning properly.
Mr Goland advised harassed householders to put their mobile phones on silent when they did not want to be disturbed and to contact manufacturers of offending appliances to see if the beeping facility could be disabled.