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Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

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Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#461

Post by everybodyknows »

ghotli wrote: post #23
drstewart wrote: post #2

This is one of the things I struggle with the most in life. I feel like most people don't seem to care about noise pollution and zero care is put into designing living spaces or cities to minimize it. I've moved into apartments and nearly cried because I realized that there was some noise pollution that wasn't apparent when I visited it (e.g. a water boiler that ran constantly at night, road noise during the day, etc…

Sometimes out of a similar desire I will wear noise cancelling earbuds inside of noise cancelling over the ear headphones. No music no sound, pure silence. Obviously not a cheap solution but doubling up is better than any earplugs I've ever used.

For a cheap (and zero maintenance) solution, double up plugs inside a pair of hardware store "leaf blower" headphones. Very effective, no dead-battery surprises.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#462

Post by [deleted] »

tayo42 wrote: post #27
shados wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not only do people not care, they actively push down and belittle people who do. They'll say it's just something that's notmaly and anyone trying to change it should move. Most source of noise pollution wouldnt be that hard to fix. Society just doesn't want to.

I had this "conversation" with my neighbor (it was more like me being yelled at) It kind of blew my mind they didnt care about noise interruptions at all hours and told me its my problem. Like maybe if you got a full night of sleep you wouldn't be so angry? I guess this study supports that. The noise in my current apartment is endless, car alarms, screaming and crying kids along with their loud toys, idling cars, the…

[deleted]

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#463

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

brimble wrote: post #444
8note wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

round me its just leaf blowers for ~4 hours everyday a few months a year Its really annoying for WFH

Lawns—especially front lawns—are connected to a weirdly-large number of problems in the US, when you think about it. Noise pollution, excessive water use, more driving (all those barely-used front lawns take up a ton of space, which pushes everything farther apart by a significant distance). Fuel use and air pollution (mowing, trimming, those damn leaf blowers—though at least some of this is going electric).

> Lawns—especially front lawns—are connected to a weirdly-large number of problems in the US

Adding to that list: The poisoning of every downstream waterway for miles. The further south you go, the worse it is.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#464

Post by somebodynew »

unrealp wrote: post #154
Sciz0r wrote: post #47

there's a muscle called the tensor tympani the way I learned conscious control was through yawning. this muscle can be strengthened then can protect from hearing damage.

Can this be learned? i see that on hearing loud noise there is a reflex that uses this muscle to protect the ear. Can one learn to do this consciously?

I learned to consciously control this after reading about the reflex years ago. The easiest way to "find" the muscle is to swallow slowly and pay attention to the feeling in your ear canals. Most people naturally use these muscles slightly when chewing or swallowing. I can hold it for several seconds before it starts to feel like an exertion. You'll know that you've got it when you can voluntarily hold a quivering/vibrating sensation in the ear along with external sound dampening.

It is not a substitute for earplugs around dangerous sounds and you cannot hold it for hours to block out the sound of an airplane engine. The only time I ever had a practical use for this was when I heard someone leaving a movie theater start to discuss what was obviously about to be a major spoiler with their friend as I was entering. The utility there comes purely from it being socially unacceptable to interrupt a stranger or suddenly cover your ears, while nobody else can see if you're using your tensor tympani.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#465

Post by ARandomerDude »

bombcar wrote: post #453
mft_ wrote: post #346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. A big road near us (2-3 lanes in each direction; also a major route into a large city) recently dropped from an 80km/h limit to 60km/h - and I understand the reason is noise pollution for nearby residents.

Did the speed limit drop actually coincide with people slowing down or was it a paper change only?

No matter how the parent answers, on HN somebody else will come along and say "is that just your opinion, or did you conduct a study and publish a paper in a peer-reviewed journal?"

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#466

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

bogota wrote: post #84
gonehome wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find by far the biggest disruption in US suburbs is lawn equipment. Suburbs are louder than cities imo because there is always a leaf blower, lawn mower, and weedwacker going at all times during the day within 100 yards of you. Often for hours. Moving from Palo Alto to SF things got way quieter.

They may be louder but do you have a dump truck waking you up at 4am several times a week? I really don’t know what to do anymore. Obviously they need to pick up trash that early to beat the traffic and save a few bucks /s. But the city doesn’t care and I’m constantly told that condos/apartments are a more sustainable way of living. Thats great but I’m about done with this nonsense and about to move out to the burbs…

> They may be louder but do you have a dump truck waking you up at 4am several times a week?

> I’m about done with this nonsense and about to move out to the burbs so I can sleep through the night.

Trash trucks run at 4am in the suburbs too. The absolute best is when the truck sits in one spot, in reverse, for 5+ minutes - for no discernible reason at all.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#467

Post by spacexsucks »

shados wrote: post #16
drstewart wrote: post #2

This is one of the things I struggle with the most in life. I feel like most people don't seem to care about noise pollution and zero care is put into designing living spaces or cities to minimize it. I've moved into apartments and nearly cried because I realized that there was some noise pollution that wasn't apparent when I visited it (e.g. a water boiler that ran constantly at night, road noise during the day, etc…

Not only do people not care, they actively push down and belittle people who do. They'll say it's just something that's notmaly and anyone trying to change it should move. Most source of noise pollution wouldnt be that hard to fix. Society just doesn't want to.

Leaf blowers. I hate those things with a passion

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#468

Post by Beltalowda »

throwaway378037 wrote: post #430
Beltalowda wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After months of being effectively homeless I moved in to a new place 3 weeks ago. There's this stupid air ventilation system making noise 24/7 and it's already driving me up the walls, and that's with the windows closed . It's like having a car idle outside your house all day and night. Because it's newly built I couldn't have a viewing; normally I would have just passed, but I was kinda desperate. Been trying to con…

With you there buddy. Moved into a place at short notice because I was desperate and squeezed, only to find it is next to the plumbing for the whole building’s heating system. 24/7 noise of radiator pipes and boiler running filling the apartment. And I have the same equation: fuck this shit, not worth it, they can keep my deposit

It's almost €4000 though, so quite a lot :-/ Not the kind of money I can miss at the moment, but we'll see how things are in a few months, and/or if I can convince them to do some sort of deal (although usually these type of real estate types operate according to the Rules Of Acquisition; e.g. "one you have their money, don't give it back").

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#469

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

colanderman wrote: post #382
smallerfish wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I fucking loathe leaf blowers...Get a damn rake! I fucking loathe chain saws...Get a damn axe! I fucking loathe lawn mowers...Get a damn scythe! I fucking loathe loud diesel trucks...Get a damn wagon train! I fucking loathe cellphone ringers...Get a damn semaphore! Seriously, until you've done a full day's landscape maintenance yourself, you're not qualified to talk about leaf blowers. Luckily battery powered leaf…

50% of the time my neighbor's maintenance company spends with leaf blowers is chasing individual leaves across the yard and through shrubbery (not exaggerating). They'd save themselves time if they just bent down and picked up the damn leaves with their hands. Or -- novel idea -- left the last couple leaves anyway, because just as many more will accumulate 30 minutes after they leave.

> 50% of the time my neighbor's maintenance company spends with leaf blowers is chasing individual leaves across the yard and through shrubbery

Neighbor here blows for 2-4 hours regularly, carefully hitting every sq in of the lawn. Most of that time is spent blowing clean grass, with the nearest leaf (there are only a few to begin with) being a doz yards away.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#470

Post by bittercynic »

This is one of the top reasons for preferring single-family detached housing. I lived in apartments for many years, and when I moved to a house I felt like I could finally relax for the first time in years.

For the people advocating for high density housing to alleviate suburban sprawl and all of its environmental problems, I do appreciate the importance of that, but if I can avoid living in an apartment again I am willing to go to almost any amount of trouble to do that.

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