The world that we live in is filled with sounds, some are comforting and some could be jarring too. But what if the constant noise surrounding us is doing us more harm than we realize? There has been immense research that shows that noise is not just a nuisance, but a silent killer and affects our health in ways we do not even know. There are associations of sound causing heart attacks, type 2 diabetes, and dementia.

How Does Your Body Respond To Noise?

Noise is seen as an annoyance, but it effects can go beyond what we imagine. When we hear a sound, it travels through the ear to the brain. This is where it gets processed by the amygdala. It is a region that is responsible for emotional responses. This also triggers a stress response- our heart rate increases, our blood pressure rises, and stress hormones like cortisol flood our system.

This response is also designed to help us react to immediate threats. Especially, if we hear the sound of a predator approaching. However, when we are exposed to constant noise, this response is triggered repeatedly and could compel us to live in a long-term anxious state.

Hidden Health Risks

Many studies including Harvard Health and theAmerican College of Cardiology have found associations of noise with health problems including putting a person at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart strokes, attacks, and high blood pressure. The constant activation of the stress response can take a toll on the body, increasing inflammation and making it harder for the heart and circulatory system to function properly. Over time, this can lead to serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Even more troubling, research suggests that noise pollution may contribute to mental health issues. Studies have found a strong connection between exposure to noise and disturbed sleep, which in turn can cause anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline. The World Health Organization estimates that noise contributes to around 12,000 premature deaths annually across Europe alone. This invisible threat, however, is often overlooked because the effects are gradual and cumulative.

Noise and Sleep: A Silent Disturbance

One of the most insidious aspects of noise pollution is its impact on sleep. Even when we are asleep, our bodies are not fully immune to the effects of sound. Our ears never fully “turn off,” meaning that even faint noises can disrupt our sleep cycle. Research has shown that people who live in noisy environments—whether near busy roads, airports, or urban centers—often experience fragmented sleep, leading to fatigue and a weakened immune system. Over time, this chronic lack of restful sleep can lead to significant health problems, including an increased risk of developing cognitive disorders such as dementia.

The Urbanization Problem

As cities continue to grow, noise pollution is becoming more widespread. Traffic noise, in particular, is one of the most common and harmful sources. The rise of urbanization means more cars, buses, and trains, all of which contribute to an ever-increasing din. This urban soundscape is often relentless, with little respite for those living within it. In densely populated cities, people are exposed to high decibel levels, which can exceed safe thresholds for heart health. In many cases, the sheer volume of sound is not just unpleasant; it’s dangerous.

What Can We Do About It?

The solution is not as simple as reducing noise in our immediate surroundings, though efforts to reduce traffic noise and limit industrial sounds are essential. Some cities have taken steps to create quieter spaces by converting busy roads into pedestrian zones or installing noise barriers. These measures have shown to have a positive impact on public health, with research suggesting that even small reductions in noise can prevent premature deaths and improve overall well-being.

On Doctors Day, along with celebrating the valuable contribution and role of doctors, it is also important to take a look at what goes on beyond operation theatres and surgical masks. Amid increasing instances of doctors seeking mental health support, we take a look at what is pushing doctors to seek mental health care.

Why Burnout In Doctors Needs To Be Addressed?

HealthandMe spoke to Neha Cadabam, Senior Psychologist & Executive Director, Cadabam's Hospitals, and Dr. Jagadeesh P.C, Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon and Robotic Joint Replacement at Kauvery Hospitals & Joss Center, about increasing burnout, stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues among doctors in various specialties.

Doctors face grueling work schedules that entail long work hours, demanding patient care, and constant vigilance to provide the best service.

Neha Cadabam explains, “Doctors are often expected to remain composed, resilient, and emotionally available regardless of the circumstances they face. However, the emotional demands at their profession can accumulate over time.”

Also read: Serena Williams Lost 34 Pounds With The Help Of A GLP-1 Drug But It’s Not Ozempic

She also said that long working hours, repeated exposure to suffering and death, difficult clinical decisions, medico-legal concerns, workplace violence, and the constant pressure to avoid errors can create a significant psychological burden.

Dr. Jagadeesh P.C sheds light on how doctors in the orthopedics specialty face constant physical and emotional stress. He says that as orthopedicians mostly handle traumas and accidents, they undergo added stress due to emergencies and constant patient care.

He says, “Surgeons and physicians work in high-pressure environments where critical decisions need to be made quickly, often after long hours in operating rooms, emergency departments, clinics, and wards. The responsibility of restoring mobility, managing trauma cases, handling complications, and supporting patients through recovery can be deeply demanding.”

He also said that doctors frequently work through physical fatigue, irregular schedules, sleep deprivation, and the emotional weight of patient outcomes. In specialties such as orthopaedics, where many cases involve trauma, pain, disability, and long recovery journeys, the responsibility extends well beyond the operating theatre.

According to the experts, doctors are mainly seeking mental health care for:

• Emotional exhaustion

• Burnout

• Sleep disturbances

• Chronic stress

• Anxiety

• Compassion fatigue

Neha Cadabam says, “Many doctors find it difficult to acknowledge their own emotional struggles because medicine has traditionally valued endurance and self-sacrifice. Seeking help is often perceived as a sign of weakness when, in reality, it reflects insight and self-awareness.”

Also read: Ebola Scare In UK: Suspected Patient At Glasgow Hospital Tests Negative

A Look At Stark Reality

In a real-life case, a 38-year-old emergency medicine specialist sought mental health support after years of managing trauma cases, and long shifts led to burnout, anxiety, compassion fatigue and sleep problems.

After psychotherapy and stress management, the doctor reported improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and better work-life balance.

In another situation, a 45-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist sought help for burnout, chronic stress, and anxiety caused by the demands of high-risk pregnancies, emergency procedures, and medico-legal pressures.

Therapy helped improve emotional wellbeing, sleep, and the ability to disconnect from work outside hospital hours.

Heal The Healers

Doctors are often seen as symbols of resilience, but the misplaced resilience is taking a toll on their mental health. Acknowledging that doctors experience stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue is not commentary on their professionalism.

Dr Jagadeesh P.C says, “The well-being of doctors is closely linked to the quality of care they provide. As healthcare systems evolve, there is a growing need to create environments that support the physical and emotional well-being of medical professionals. On Doctor's Day, it is important to recognize not only the dedication of doctors but also the immense pressures they navigate every day while caring for others."

As conversations around mental health continue to gain exposure, experts say supporting doctors' psychological wellbeing should become an integral part of strengthening healthcare systems.

Every year on July 1, India celebrates National Doctors' Day. This year's theme, "Honor the Calling," is a timely reminder that medicine is not merely a profession—it is a lifelong commitment to service, sacrifice, and human compassion. Behind every consultation, emergency intervention, surgery, and diagnosis is a doctor who has spent over a decade training to save lives. Yet, at a time when healthcare has achieved remarkable advances, trust in doctors appears to be facing one of its greatest tests.

India's Healthcare Landscape

India today has nearly 14 lakh registered doctors, giving the country a doctor-population ratio better than the World Health Organization's recommended benchmark of 1:1000. Yet numbers alone do not tell the full story. India continues to grapple with unequal access to healthcare, overburdened public systems, and significant shortages of specialists in rural and semi-urban regions.

At the same time, the demands on doctors have never been greater.

A physician today is expected to be a clinician, counsellor, communicator, technologist, administrator, and often crisis manager—all at once. Every day, doctors make decisions that can determine whether a patient recovers, survives, or faces lifelong complications. Despite this responsibility, public perception of doctors is increasingly shaped by isolated incidents rather than the reality of millions of successful patient interactions that occur every day.

Rising Workplace Violence and Burnout

The truth is that the overwhelming majority of doctors enter medicine for one reason—to heal.

Yet, increasingly, they do so under immense pressure. According to studies published in leading medical journals and data referenced by the Indian Medical Association, more than 75% of doctors in India have experienced some form of workplace violence, ranging from verbal abuse and intimidation to physical assault. In many cases, the perpetrators are distressed family members struggling to cope with grief, uncertainty, or unexpected outcomes. The impact extends beyond personal safety.

Studies have also shown that over 80% of doctors report significant workplace stress and burnout, fueled by long working hours, rising patient loads, medico-legal concerns, and fear of violence.

The Growing Trust Deficit

No profession can function effectively when fear becomes part of the workplace. Compounding the challenge is a growing trust deficit. Research indicates that nearly 80% of patients search online after visiting a doctor, often seeking validation or clarification about diagnoses and treatments. While informed patients are welcome, the trend also reflects a lack of trust in the healthcare provider, which used to be one of the basic things in the past, and a communication gap that healthcare must urgently address.

Healthcare Has Changed Dramatically

Healthcare itself has changed dramatically. Over the last two decades, advances in neonatal care, robotics, minimally invasive surgery, fertility treatment, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine have transformed once unimaginable outcomes. Patients today have access to world-class healthcare technologies that were unavailable a generation ago.

However, as healthcare has become more specialized and hospital-centric, something valuable has been lost—the enduring relationship between a patient and a trusted family physician.

Why Family Doctors Still Matter

For decades, family doctors formed the backbone of healthcare. They understood not only diseases but also the people behind them. They guided families through preventive care, chronic illnesses, pregnancies, childhood illnesses, and ageing. They represented continuity, trust, and reassurance.

Today, many patients enter the healthcare system only when illness strikes, often bypassing primary care altogether. The result is a system that excels at treatment but frequently misses opportunities for prevention.

This shift has also led to a common misconception—that doctors are responsible for rising healthcare costs. In reality, healthcare expenses are driven by multiple factors, including technology investments, infrastructure, regulatory requirements, advanced diagnostics, and operational costs. Doctors are often the most visible face of a much larger ecosystem and therefore become the easiest target for public frustration.

Rebuilding Trust in Healthcare

The answer lies not in assigning blame but in rebuilding trust. India must strengthen primary healthcare, invest in family medicine, promote preventive care, and create safer working environments for healthcare professionals. Hospitals and healthcare providers must also focus on improving communication, transparency, and patient engagement. Trust is the most powerful medicine in healthcare. Without it, even the best technology cannot deliver its full promise.

Honoring the Promise of Medicine

This National Doctors' Day, as we honor the calling, let us remember the countless doctors who work through nights, weekends, emergencies, and personal sacrifices to care for others.

They are not defined by headlines or stereotypes.

They are defined by the lives they save, the families they comfort, and the hope they restore every single day.

Medicine is not merely a profession. It is a promise—and that promise deserves our trust, respect, and protection.

(By Dr R Kishore Kumar, President- National Neonatology Forum, Karnataka Chapter. The author is also the Founder Chairman & Senior Neonatologist & Paediatrician at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals.)

Every year, National Doctors' Day is observed on July 1 to commemorate the birth and death anniversaries of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, a renowned physician, freedom fighter, and educationist.

The National Doctors' Day 2026 theme is "Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?" This year's theme highlights the importance of supporting the mental, emotional and physical well-being of doctors who dedicate their lives to caring for others.

On the occasion of Doctors' Day, HealthandMe spoke to medical experts who highlighted the growing concern over violence against healthcare workers. They warned that such incidents not only endanger doctors but also weaken the entire healthcare system.

The experts stressed that violence affects patient care, lowers morale among healthcare professionals and erodes trust between doctors and patients.

Their concerns are supported by recent research highlighting the scale of workplace violence faced by doctors in India.

A 2026 study published in the National Medical Journal of India, researchers from the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) found that 80.2 per cent of doctors in India reported having faced or witnessed workplace violence.

Verbal abuse was identified as the most common form, followed by physical and sexual violence. The incidents affected doctors' mental health, with the impact lasting from several weeks to as long as a year.

The study also found that two-fifths of doctors sustained physical injuries, including 7.8 per cent who suffered grievous injuries.

More worryingly, only about one-third of doctors reported such incidents to hospital authorities or professional medical bodies. Even when complaints were made, no action was taken in nearly half the cases, suggesting gaps in institutional accountability.

Why Violence Against Doctors Happens

Also read: Violence Against Doctors Is A National Concern, Says IMA Dilip P. Bhanushali

According to Dr Ishwar Gilada, Secretary General People's Health Organisation, India, several factors contribute to violence against doctors.

These include "high patient expectations, poor clinical outcomes, inadequate communication between doctors and patients, an overburdened healthcare system, high out-of-pocket medical expenses, weak security, misinformation, 'Mr. Google' providing false information, and limited accountability for perpetrators".

Dr. Tejinder Singh, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology, Apollo Cancer Centres, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai added that anger and frustration arising from a patient's condition can sometimes fuel violent behavior, but emphasized that respect and meaningful dialogue are essential.

Impact On Patients And The Healthcare System

The experts said violence against healthcare workers has consequences that extend far beyond individual doctors.

Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, former President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Cochin and Convener of the Research Cell, Kerala told HealthandMe that healthcare workers—including doctors, nurses, technicians and other staff—cannot give their best to patients if they are working under the threat of violence.

Dr. Gilada told HealthandMe that violence affects emergency care, lowers doctors' morale, increases attrition among healthcare professionals and encourages defensive medicine, where doctors order more tests to safeguard their own interests. He also warned that such incidents contribute to an erosion of trust between doctors, patients and the healthcare system.

Dr. Tejinder described violence against doctors as violence against the healthcare system itself, saying it creates a harmful atmosphere that ultimately affects patient care.

Not Every Poor Outcome Is Medical Negligence

Dr. Rajeev said there is often a perception that a poor outcome for a patient is the fault of the doctor or the hospital. He stressed that many adverse outcomes are part of the complex disease process within the body and can occur despite the best possible treatment.

Dr. Tejinder told HealthandMe that doctors are also human and that medical science cannot guarantee that every patient's problem can be cured, even when doctors do their best.

What Is The Solution?

The experts proposed multiple measures to reduce violence against healthcare workers.

Dr. Gilada called for stronger legal protection, saying the Healthcare Protection and Clinical Services Act (Prevention of Violence Act) 2025 should be passed into law. He also recommended improving doctor-patient communication, strengthening hospital systems and increasing public awareness through collaboration among healthcare agencies, patients, communities, government bodies and law enforcement agencies.

Dr. Rajeev said hospitals should establish effective grievance redressal systems so that patients' concerns can be addressed before they escalate into violence. He also said healthcare establishments should be declared peaceful zones where violence is prohibited.

Dr. Tejinder urged patients and families to maintain open dialogue with doctors, emphasizing that doctors and patients ultimately share the same goal—the well-being and betterment of the patient.