I spent months recovering from a January noise exposure that magnified my tinnitus past what seemed tolerable. Leaf blowers are banned in my town in the summer, but this morning someone in my neighborhood used them. I was trapped because going outside to flee would have been a louder exposure, but staying inside was a longer one. My tinnitus is now back to what it was in January, and my whole head hurts. Some of us just cannot tolerate noises like this in the short term.
I value silence. When I trained for my races, I ran without any headphones… I just enjoyed the experience and just had some meditation like thoughts (until my brain would get out of whack after 15 miles 
).
The neighbors’ tree trimming project last weekend was a thing from hell. I detest gas powered yard machinery. All of ours is battery operated. Thank you, Greenworks! 
We watch TV sparingly. We eat out breakfasts on the deck whenever we can. Mr. turns the TV in the kitchen on, and off on the deck we go. Last weekend, I had a misfortune popping into the house to get extra coffee etc. - twice, when a certain CNN interview on the TV was on. 
I’m a fan of nature’s “white noise.”
@BunsenBurner it’s hard to find and yard machinery is a big part of that!
“I value silence”
Yes!
I feel both vindicated and highly concerned after reading this article. My neighbor’s house is very close to ours. He is obsessed with his keeping his lawn looking pristine, mowing it 3x per week. It takes him 1.5 hours to mow - with 2 different mowers - then trim/weedwack, then blow with the gas-powered blower. It drives me INSANE. He also uses the blower frequently to blow leaves, rain and snow off the front yard. And by leaves, I mean a couple of stray leaves or other detriment that may be on the lawn. This all happens between the hours of 4-7, when we like to be relaxing on our deck, which makes it even worse. I have told my husband that this constant noise is bad for my mental health, but now I see how it can be bad for my physical health too!
I still remember being staffed on a project in the ‘90s when we rented a nearby house for crunch time (2 12-hr shifts, 7 days/wk for a month) was right up against a state highway that heavy trucks regularly used, passing about 20 feet from the front door. I can’t imagine living in that type of an environment. Our house hunting always included dead-end/cul-de-sac locations in quiet neighborhoods.
Early in her career, my wife managed a line of safety equipment, including hearing protection. I got to be a guinea pig and learned what a difference it can make. This article just reinforces how important it is to be aware, and not just to protect your ears.
Fwiw, Leight Max plugs and 3M Peltor X5 muffs are my go-to’s, with EarFun Air Pro 3’s for music while out in public. Ignore the “40 dB noise reduction” junk you find on Amazon and EBay.
I was in Mexico City in an Airbnb above a busy intersection for a few days last winter. Awful noise. Coming home to my peaceful Midwest neighborhood was a heaven not fully appreciated till that time. As that neighborhood tends to be populated by old and younger alternative types that care about the environment, there are no leaf blowers or other noisemakers around. Lawnmowers are electric or like mine, old push reels. I do use a string trimmer on rare occasion.
But S and his family live in one of those San Diego neighborhoods mentioned. Conversation does pause for the planes. And now I am concerned for them.
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