Prolonged or excessive exposure to noise, whether in the community or at work, can cause permanent medical conditions, such as hypertension and heart disease Noise can adversely affect performance, for example in reading attentiveness, problem-solving and memory Poorer performance can lead to accidents. A link between community noise and mental health problems is suggested by the rising demand for tranquillizers and sleeping pills, the incidence of psychiatric symptoms and the number of admissions to mental hospitals.