The Daily Decibel

How Can You Live with noise and be healthy

Coping with noise / living with noise

Last updated February 8, 2012

Treat yourself right.

Eat balanced meals. Don't eat too much, nor too little. Eat healthy foods.
Water is very important to your body. Make sure you drink plenty of water. The general recommendation is at least eight (8) glasses each day. If you live in a hot or dry area, make sure you drink cold water. It can bring your body temperature down and help you to feel better. Dehydration (lack of water and fluids) has been linked to depression.
Avoid caffeine in excess.

Avoid drinking alcohol in excess, or on an empty stomach.

Don't drink alcohol in excess. Avoid red wine. Red wine is considered ototoxic. This means it can worsen your auditory responses to noise. Alchohol can raise your sensitivities, especially if you drink too much at one time, or if you drink on an empty stomach.

Avoid drinking coffee by itself.

You can use milk, cream, or a non-dairy creamer such as "Coffee Mate". Too much acid can affect the gastrointestinal tract. Adding a creamy substance can lower the acidic effects of coffee.
Avoid espresso drinks. They are very strong and acidic and can damage the gastrointestinal tract. And this can cause anxiety, high tension, and other adverse reactions.
Consider drinking De-caf instead. You could try this gradually, over a few weeks or a few months, by starting 1/2 regular and 1/2 de-caf.

Avoid loud noise.

If you can migrate inside or outside, it might be a good idea. Perhaps you could walk to a different area of your home. If riding next to a noisy person on a crowded bus, consider asking the bus driver if you can trade seats and sit away from noisy persons.

If someone is making loud noise, politely very politely ask them to turn it down.

Be as polite as possible. Perhaps the person is having a bad day and is making noise as an outlet for his or her frustration. Be polite and neighborly. Be gentle with them, and tell them you need your sleep.

Do you have a lot of pressure at work? Are you being pushed really hard?

Consider your work environment. Are you being pushed really hard? Are you being over-stressed with your company business? Could work pressure be affecting your health and wellness? Do you need to take some time off from work?

Get a check-up with your doctor.

Talk with your doctor. Maybe you need a physical exam. It is generally recommended to get a physical exam once every couple of years.
Also, it's important to have a good friend who you can trust and confide in. Don't always be holding everything in; it can be good to talk with someone. "Letting it out" can give you a "release" and put you at ease. If you have a spouse, talk with your spouse about how you can spend more healthy time together.

Wear foam ear plugs.

You can buy a good set of soft foam earplugs for only a few dollars. We use earplugs "NRR 32". This means they have a "noise reduction rating" of 33 decibels of loudness. You want a very high number, like NRR 32 or NRR 33. The higher the rating, the better the protection.

Two great kinds of earplugs are Mack's Ultra SafeSound (NRR 32) and Hearos Xtreme Protection (NRR 33).

NRR means "Noise Reduction Rating". You want a high rating for your earplugs. The higher the NRR, the stronger your defense against loud noises.

For advice on how to wear (fit) your earplugs, see the Hearos instruction page and this Hearos page on using ear plugs.

Fitting an ear plug into the ear canal

Get plenty of rest.

Get plenty of rest. Sleep is very important for the body.
If you are not sleeping well, talk with your doctor. Sometimes, inability to sleep is called insomnia.

Sleep problems - some possible causes

an uncomfortable bed
an undesirable bedroom environment
too cold or too hot in your bedroom
depression or anxiety or OCD
dehydration
lack of exercise during the daytime
an unhealthy diet ( lack of nutrition )
drinking too much coffee, or too much red wine
drinking espresso drinks, or too much caffeine
smoking cigarettes
exposing yourself to loud noises
worry, fear, anxiety
being afraid about a situation in your life
not taking your medication
a stressful work environment
an unhealthy lifestyle

Your bed and your bedroom.

Do you sleep in an uncomfortable bed? How about your pillow? For better posture, try a large, comfortable pillow.

Consider using foam earplugs to block sound.

You can buy a good set of soft foam earplugs for only a few dollars. We use earplugs "NRR 32". This means they have a "noise reduction rating" of 33 decibels of loudness. You want a very high number, like NRR 32 or NRR 33. The higher the rating, the better the protection.

Two great kinds of earplugs are Mack's Ultra SafeSound (NRR 32) and Hearos Xtreme Protection (NRR 33).

NRR means "Noise Reduction Rating". You want a high rating for your earplugs. The higher the NRR, the stronger your defense against noises.

Mack's Ultra SafeSound foam ear plugs

HEAROS Xtreme Protection ear plugs

HEAROS Ultimate Soft - NRR 32

The Hearos website gives helpful instructions on how to wear their ear plugs.

headphones

You could also try noise cancelling headphones. Caution: they can be expensive. They can range from about $50 to about $400. Bose is a popular brand, but their top-of-the-line models are about $400. (I normally use foam earplugs because they are much more affordable.)

Consider installing soundproof windows, like double-pane or triple-pane windows.

If there is noise outside your windows, try shutting your windows tightly.

If your windows still don't block the noise, consider installing double-pane or triple-pane soundproof windows. (Triple-paned windows are available from many sources. Click here for some companies that install soundproof materials.)

Consider installing soundproof material inside the walls of your home.

Could you add extra fiberglass? Or could you use extra Mass-Loaded Vinyl? (MLV) Click here for some companies that install Mass-Loaded Vinyl or other soundproof materials.

Try using "White Noise".

White noise is sound that can "mask", or sort of "drown out" other sounds. For example, we used to live in an apartment unit where the walls between adjacent apartment units were not soundproof. The person's music in the adjacent unit was always audible, and he kept it on late at night.

I've been able to "drown out" noise and get to sleep by using an upright oscillating fan. (See pictures below). The fan whirls and whirls. If you adjust the fan propellers, they can make a clicking sound when the fan spins. The fan, by spinning around its fan propellers, made a white noise, drowning out the noise of my neighbor's music and helping me sleep.

See below, for pictures of oscillating fans. They can make "white noise".

To make "white noise", you could also use your radio dial. Set your radio dial to a "static" (fuzzy) number. For instance, if I tune my A.M. radio dial to 840 AM, I can generate a "static" or "fuzzy" sound.

Pray to God for relief from the noise. Pray to God to restore you to health.

Pray to God for relief from the noise. "Ask, and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." - The words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, Chapter 16, verse 24.

Talk to your doctor about sleep medications or anti-anxiety medications.

Unisom is available over the counter at pharmacies such as CVS, Rite-Aid, Target, Wallgreens, and Walmart pharmacies. Unisom is an inexpensive sleep aid.
Unisom is often recommended by doctors.

Unisom tablets

Clomipramine is a tricyclic medication. It is available by prescription only.
Clomipramine is often used to treat anxiety and OCD.
Clomipramine also called "Anafranil" and is also known as a "Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor" (SRI). You need a doctor's prescription to take Clomipramine.

Some health insurance plans cover prescriptions of Clomipramine and similar medications.

A bottle of Clomipramine Hydrochloride capsules

Melatonin is a sleep aid used by many people. Melatonin is a natural product and can be taken to help you get to sleep. You can get Melatonin over-the-counter.