The Bristol hum has blighted sufferers in the city for decades - but what is behind the elusive buzzing noise? Hearing gone wrong or could sinister forces be to blame?
The hum is a phenomenon that has been reported in towns and cities across the world from Canada to New Zealand. In Britain, the most famous example was the Bristol hum that made headlines in the late 1970s. One newspaper asked readers in the city: "Have you heard the Hum?" - now we want to know if you can still hear it. The problem has persisted for years with residents complaining of sleep loss and headaches with experts claiming traffic and factories were to blame. But, according to the Low Frequency Noise Sufferers' Association the problem is on the increase with 2,000 people so far contacting its helpline. It says it receives several new cases every week. What could be behind the noise? Everything from gas pipes, power lines, mobile phone masts, wind farms, nuclear waste and even low-frequency submarine communications have been blamed. Dr David Baguley, who's Head of Audiology at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge says over-sensitive hearing may be to blame. "It becomes a vicious cycle," he explains. "The more people focus on the noise, the more anxious and fearful they get, the more the body responds by amplifying the sound, and that causes even more upset and distress." http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bristol/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8055000/8055907.stm --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Hum Sufferers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hum-sufferers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
