PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF NOISE AS A STRESSOR
The paper deals with the issues related to noise as an environmental stressor by considering its influences on the human psychophysiological functioning, the psychos ocial impacts and the psychological symptoms. In the first part of the paper, some basic concepts and definitions of stress and impact of stressors are given, while in the second part of the paper the basic mechanisms of psychophysiological response to stress and the studies dealing with noise as one of the most common environmental stressors are presented. The paper shows that the noise seriously affects the nervous system, both central and vegetative, which further influences the heart, blood vessels, blood pressure, digestive tract and many other organs and tissues, where many changes and functional disturbances including harassment, sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease and cognitive performance deficit are caused. Noise exposure is associated with psychological symptoms, but not with the clinically defined psychiatric disorder. Key words: stress, noise, environmental stressor, reactions .