Are You Exposed to Too Much Noise? Heres How to Check.

Noise can damage your heart as well as your hearing, but there are ways to measure your exposure and reduce your risk.

Chronic noise exposure is not just a nuisance, scientists say. Its a health risk.

In fact, mounting research suggests that, as average noise levels climb, so do the risks of overreactions in your body that contribute to cardiovascular disease and other health issues.

For a project on the harmful effects of noise, New York Times journalists used a Larson Davis Sound Level Meter, a professional sound measurement device, to assess noise exposure in communities around the United States. But you dont need a fancy device to get a sense of your own noise exposure.

Try this website

You can search your ZIP code in an online noise map developed by the Transportation Department. But keep in mind that the map uses 2018 data and accounts only for transport-related noise and, like all modeled data, it is based on approximations so it pales in comparison with on-the-ground measurements.