How to reduce sensitivity to street noise?

[Davsey27]

Hello

I was curious how one can reduce the stressful effects of street noise?

I was looking to relocate somewhere in mexico near the beach that I visited for 3 days a month ago and although the grounding in the sand helps with free radicals the loudness of the motorcycles and being able to smell the fuel on the streets is a factor.

Thanks

 

[Pearshaped]

I use Earmuffs/hearing protection like the ones used by shooting athletes.
Its not comfortable but has "saved"me quite a few times.And with time you get used to it wearing it.
I live in between two church towers and am not able to relocate.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I was looking to relocate somewhere in mexico near the beach that I visited for 3 days a month ago and although the grounding in the sand helps with free radicals the loudness of the motorcycles and being able to smell the fuel on the streets is a factor.

Heh Dave! Sounds like you arrived in Mexico!!

Hah.

yes- they are louder and more exuberant. And the diesel. Its a problem.

The minute you drive into the state of Oregon, one starts to breathe the diesel not used/banned in California. Choke. We have the strictest emissions in the country and you sure notice when you leave here.

In Mexico, The churches shoot off fire works on any excuse. The parades also. Oddly- I'm very sensitive to loud noises but found myself more tolerant of their loud noises than I expected.

The diesel is just: a problem that needs to be seriously fixed. About all I can figure on that one is- avoid times of day when the traffic is the worst. Its less- intense then.

 

[xebex]

i find noise canceling headphones helpful, I also find that ritalin helps, but it also stops working after 3 days and causes withdrawl so not really the best answer. Sugar free plaeo"ish" diet has been helpful too and maybe look into amino acids like tyrosine or phenylalanine - theanine, possibly too as they all help with neurotransmitters that in my opinion are part of the noise and touch sensitivities that I experience.

 

[Davsey27]

Heh Dave! Sounds like you arrived in Mexico!!

Hah.

yes- they are louder and more exuberant. And the diesel. Its a problem.

The minute you drive into the state of Oregon, one starts to breathe the diesel not used/banned in California. Choke. We have the strictest emissions in the country and you sure notice when you leave here.

In Mexico, The churches shoot off fire works on any excuse. The parades also. Oddly- I'm very sensitive to loud noises but found myself more tolerant of their loud noises than I expected.

The diesel is just: a problem that needs to be seriously fixed. About all I can figure on that one is- avoid times of day when the traffic is the worst. Its less- intense then.

Appreciate it Mrs Rufous

On one hand I am considering staying in Isla Muajeres.You have the beach that is good for inflammation.Adapting to the heat is one concern as the UV index.I hear that grounding in the ocean for several hours a day reduces free radicals and oxidative stress that is common of ME/CFS.

I have had moments where I have felt better after grounding in the beach then after using cell phone or wifi for some time the body starts feeling unwell again

This is one of the reasons I wanted to go to this island.I have only been hear january/febuary and I hear the UV index goes up and it's very humid.

My Us passport expires in May and I am not sure where a good location to be with these sensitivities are.

I know emf in the US can be a issue with rollout of 5g.Air pollution,extreme humidity,and street noises brings it's own issues.Still trying tofigure out a good location for healing.Maybe I'm to Utopian in my thinking.

Appreciate it Mrs. Rufous

 

[Davsey27]

How about basic earplugs?

 

[xebex]

they do work but they end up hurting my ears after a couple of hours and then i get ear fatigue which overall makes it worse. You could look into musicians ear plugs which are quite expensive but more comfortable and designed to block out harmful frequencies rather than all noise, so might be intersting. Honestly the simplest method is probably noise cancelling headphones. I have the MXCD ones which are comfortable and light, though i did have to let them off gas for a few hours!

 

[Davsey27]

they do work but they end up hurting my ears after a couple of hours and then i get ear fatigue which overall makes it worse. You could look into musicians ear plugs which are quite expensive but more comfortable and designed to block out harmful frequencies rather than all noise, so might be intersting. Honestly the simplest method is probably noise cancelling headphones. I have the MXCD ones which are comfortable and light, though i did have to let them off gas for a few hours!

Is there a particular noise cancelling headphone that you reccomend that can be found on amazon?

I am in Mexico so it seems hard to find these in stores.
Thank you

 

[xebex]

these are the ones i have, i like them cos they are lightweight but as i said they needed to off gas!

https://www.amazon.ca/Mixcder-E9-Cancelling-Headphones-Comfortable/dp/B07HH9Q8ZL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3O05RY3TRAV2B&keywords=mixcder+e9+active+noise+cancelling+headphones&qid=1581986741&sprefix=MIXCDER+noise+cancelling+headphones,aps,267&sr=8-3

sony and seinheiser do some that might be nicer build quality.

No need to pay much more than $100 for them, make sure they are active noise cancelling, passive ones are basically those ear muffs that construction workers use, they might be a cheaper option, (we had some baby ones when my daughter was little and we went to concerts and they worked great for her) but i don't imagine they feel as nice!

they don't block all the sound but it just makes trying to deal with it a lot easier, i find it instantly calming when i put them on.

 

[Rebeccare]

There was a good thread on this a year or two back...I found it! https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/my-cure-for-sound-sensitivity.60645/

@bctjr1993 suggested a technique for re-training your brain to become less sensitive to sound. It could be worthwhile to see if you think that's something which might work for you. It looks like it's been very effective for some people, and not so effective for others.

 

[Wayne]

Is there a particular noise cancelling headphone that you reccomend that can be found on amazon?

@Davsey27 -- When I first tried noise cancelling headphones, I thought they were a miracle. But after just a handful of times of using them, I noticed they seemed to increase my tinnitus. I've since read several testimonials on a tinnitus forum of people believing they got or exacerbated their tinnitus by using them. If you do try them, be very careful. As I recall, one guy got permanent tinnitus after using them for only a few days at work.

Obviously, I don't know how commonly this occurs, and there may be a thousand people who do fine with them vs. a single person who has problem. Just want to offer a cautionary note however. For perspective, tinnitus is my most difficult health problem I'm dealing with these days (from only a single dose of an anti-nausea medication). And with ME/CFS, I've got a lot of health issues.

 

[xebex]

Obviously, I don't know how commonly this occurs, and there may be a thousand people who do fine with them vs. a single person who has problem. Just want to offer a cautionary note however. For perspective, tinnitus is my most difficult health problem I'm dealing with these days (from only a single dose of an anti-nausea medication). And with ME/CFS, I've got a lot of health issues.

Oh wow! That’s shocking! I have two types of tinnitus, one I suffered from ear damage to my left ear 20 years ago and the other is I’m guessing an inflammation type tinnitus as a result of the me/cfs. I have not noticed any worsening of either from using noise cancelling headphones in fact sometimes it seems to help! I do not use them all the time though.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

For perspective, tinnitus is my most difficult health problem I'm dealing with these days (from only a single dose of an anti-nausea medication). And with ME/CFS, I've got a lot of health issues.

Seems like if you were to cancel all background sound- you'd end up with reallhy loud internal sounding tinnitus.

Mine is not loud. Mine comes on-daily-as an initial early symptom...of the daily deficiency. So I may be sitting in my chair in the early afternoon, this mild...tinnitis is starting but its also something in my brain and it makes me make faces, squench up my eyeballs and shake my head- like there is cellophane crunching in my brain and I want it out of there.

 

[Judee]

I wonder if the the chemical smells may actually be making you more sensitive to the noises. Also could it be that using those devices, since many are made of plastics from petroleum products are what is causing your weakness after using them rather than just the EMFs? It's just an idea. Maybe you are super chemical sensitive.

 

[PatJ]

I was curious how one can reduce the stressful effects of street noise?

How you deal with noise can depend on what types of noise you are sensitive to. I've used ear plugs or ear plugs and ear muffs to block out even more noise. Some people can tolerate using white noise (like a constant hissing noise) to mask out other noises. White noise devices can be purchased, or white noise sound files can be downloaded for use on a music player.

I'm especially sensitive to noise that has a rapid, repeating character, such as white noise, fans, lawn mowers, and sometimes even the sound of a fridge compressor. Taurine helps to reduce my sensitivity to those noises. I take 500mg 3 times per day.

When I'm feeling especially low energy then any type of noise can be draining, including hearing someone talking. It's like I'm more sensitive to pressure from sound waves and that pressure builds in my head the longer I can hear a particular sound. The only thing that helps is earplugs or stopping the sound if possible.

 

[Hipsman]

Good lifehack