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Noise pollution hurts the heart

theatlantic.com

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Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#231

Post by sep_field »

johnchristopher wrote: post #31
belly_joe wrote: post #2

I feel the sound -> stress connection palpably. Especially sudden loud noises like a horn honking cause me to feel upset for a long while after being startled. Seems like a convincing argument to me for car-free spaces, although honestly I just wish we had stronger social norms against unnecessarily using a car's horn.

I have stopped explaining people how my neighbor's friends honking when coming in and leaving drives me up the wall. There's the sound and then there's the rage from "that was fucking useless to do, you just spent 15 minutes saying goodbye on the doorstep, it 11PM, please be quiet" but I am the grumpy one. So I say nothing anymore. Fun thing is, when I am in the city, I like opening the windows in summer and car nois…

unfortunately in the US you can't go knock on the car's window because you are likely to be shot since there is no gun control.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#232

Post by remir »

dazc wrote: post #157
johnchristopher wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have stopped explaining people how my neighbor's friends honking when coming in and leaving drives me up the wall. There's the sound and then there's the rage from "that was fucking useless to do, you just spent 15 minutes saying goodbye on the doorstep, it 11PM, please be quiet" but I am the grumpy one. So I say nothing anymore. Fun thing is, when I am in the city, I like opening the windows in summer and car nois…

Maybe it's the lack of consideration that annoys you more than the noise itself?

Not the parent, but that's the main reason for me. I can tolerate loud noises like thunder, road work, renovation in the building (at reasonable hours, of course) without much of an issue.

However, stuff like

- Modified motorcycle that makes an insane amount of noise for no intelligent reasons

- People playing bassy music that resonate across the walls of the entire building (low frequencies)

- Constant pop music everywhere you go

Are seriously getting on my nerves.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#233

Post by avidiax »

0_____0 wrote: post #218
x3iv130f wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was a culture shock for me as a Californian to visit Tokyo. In my mind cities are dirty, loud, and dangerous. Tokyo despite being one of the densest and busiest cities in first world countries is incredibly clean, quiet, and safe.

Can you say a little bit more about this? What's the difference in how the cities are structured that makes this so?

Very strong mass transit systems, so there are fewer cars on the road.

The cars that are on the road tend to be quite new, which is a result of a stringent mandatory inspection after a car gets older that makes it more economical to export the car and buy a new one. So cars are typically in excellent repair, with a small economical engine. The driving culture is generally conservative. People don't race each other, compete for the loudest exhaust, roll coal, etc.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#234

Post by xapata »

FooHentai wrote: post #187
TheCapn wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you experienced it? I live rural and actually close to railway/highway but the comparison to urban noise is not even close.

Lol yes. I'm currently avoiding opening up doors/windows because the cicadas are sufficiently loud that I've had ringing in my ears every night for the past week. Then I see the downvotes on my earlier comment and wonder just what image people have of rural living. Last year I didn't get a wink of sleep on an overnight camp because bullfrogs went hard out the entire night. Also I'm not sure how this became a binary c…

Single examples don't refute the statement that many poor rural areas are quiet. However, if many poor rural areas are quiet, then the assertion that quiet is a luxury is contradicted.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#235

Post by avidiax »

pharmakom wrote: post #220
belly_joe wrote: post #2

I feel the sound -> stress connection palpably. Especially sudden loud noises like a horn honking cause me to feel upset for a long while after being startled. Seems like a convincing argument to me for car-free spaces, although honestly I just wish we had stronger social norms against unnecessarily using a car's horn.

A simple solution would be to require car companies to make the horn as loud inside the vehicle as it is outside. However, general motor traffic noise - tyres, engines, displaced air - is loud enough to be a serious problem anyway. I don't know how we solve this. Car dependency is so ingrained in our collective consciousness; is it politically feasible to find a way out?

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-noise-camera-trial-to...

Noise cameras. Just like a speed camera, but it measures noise levels and issues a ticket in the mail. There's unfortunately a regressive element (some people can't afford to fix their noisy exhaust), but I see no reason not to issue tickets for noise outside of normal hours, e.g. 7am-10pm.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#236

Post by defterGoose »

belly_joe wrote: post #2

I feel the sound -> stress connection palpably. Especially sudden loud noises like a horn honking cause me to feel upset for a long while after being startled. Seems like a convincing argument to me for car-free spaces, although honestly I just wish we had stronger social norms against unnecessarily using a car's horn.

That's all well and good, but the horn is, at its core, a safety device. What we really need is for law enforcement to start actually enforcing the laws we have on the books against things like loud stereos and mufflers. These are far more disruptive, especially at night when most people are trying to sleep. I'd even go so far as to posit that the link discussed between noise and heart health is actually via psychological stress, rather than physiological stress.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#237

Post by FooHentai »

xapata wrote: post #234
FooHentai wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lol yes. I'm currently avoiding opening up doors/windows because the cicadas are sufficiently loud that I've had ringing in my ears every night for the past week. Then I see the downvotes on my earlier comment and wonder just what image people have of rural living. Last year I didn't get a wink of sleep on an overnight camp because bullfrogs went hard out the entire night. Also I'm not sure how this became a binary c…

Single examples don't refute the statement that many poor rural areas are quiet. However, if many poor rural areas are quiet, then the assertion that quiet is a luxury is contradicted.

I agree with that take

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#238

Post by defterGoose »

ricardobayes wrote: post #169
pims wrote: post #71

I've been suffering from tinnitus and hyperacusis for over three years. It led me to read a bit about hearing in general, and more and more studies show that most of the hearing loss we experience as we grow old is nothing natural but the result of the years of abuse we inflict upon our ears in our everyday lives ( https://www.jneurosci.org/content/40/33/6357 ). Even though my situation is specific, this article does…

Some European countries like Austria have been doing this for many years. Roadside noise level measurements with harsh penalties. If you exceed the limits, they take the licence plate off.

OMFG Los Angeles neeeeeds this. 'Course we need the more stringent European licensing requirements too, but....I can make do without that.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#239

Post by defterGoose »

pims wrote: post #71

I've been suffering from tinnitus and hyperacusis for over three years. It led me to read a bit about hearing in general, and more and more studies show that most of the hearing loss we experience as we grow old is nothing natural but the result of the years of abuse we inflict upon our ears in our everyday lives ( https://www.jneurosci.org/content/40/33/6357 ). Even though my situation is specific, this article does…

Ive been wondering about my hearing issues lately, too. I have occasional "bursts" of tinnitus, i assume from my hypertension, but ive also been looking for answers regarding a weirder phenomenon ive started noticing in recent years. Hyperacusis seems to be the closest word for it, but for me it manifests as isolated spurious noises seeming louder than they are. It sounds like someone turned up the gain on my ears for a split second before the sound occured, and then right after, returned it to its normal volume envelope. Its startling and unsettling, but i dont have the "conversational voices are too loud" type of symptom. Anything similar for you?

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#240

Post by eyelidlessness »

defterGoose wrote: post #236
belly_joe wrote: post #2

I feel the sound -> stress connection palpably. Especially sudden loud noises like a horn honking cause me to feel upset for a long while after being startled. Seems like a convincing argument to me for car-free spaces, although honestly I just wish we had stronger social norms against unnecessarily using a car's horn.

That's all well and good, but the horn is, at its core, a safety device. What we really need is for law enforcement to start actually enforcing the laws we have on the books against things like loud stereos and mufflers. These are far more disruptive, especially at night when most people are trying to sleep. I'd even go so far as to posit that the link discussed between noise and heart health is actually via psycholo…

This seems very location specific. Where I grew up (DC suburbs) sound systems and loud engine noise were common and I’d agree with you that was the problem.

Where I live now (Seattle) neither are common but traffic congestion and impatient drivers are. Horns aren’t used for safety, they’re used to communicate crowded aggressive driving.

I agree with GP that for this scenario restricting cars overall is a better solution. The laws on the books certainly apply but they’re only enforceable in a meaningful way if you have traffic cops on every arterial. And that’s not something I think anyone wants.

> I'd even go so far as to posit that the link discussed between noise and heart health is actually via psychological stress, rather than physiological stress.

Why is this even a distinction? The psychological stress leads to the physiological stress impact on heart health.

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