{"id":2968,"date":"2024-06-27T10:06:13","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T10:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/?p=2968"},"modified":"2024-06-27T10:06:16","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T10:06:16","slug":"chorus-or-cacophony-cicada-song-hits-some-ears-harder-than-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/?p=2968","title":{"rendered":"Chorus or Cacophony? Cicada Song Hits Some Ears Harder Than Others"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>\n\t<iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"fullscreen\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/nx-s1-5010406\/nx-s1-bd6a4234-6c10-423b-b439-ff2d08e2833d\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<p>ST. LOUIS \u2014 <em>Shhhooo. Wee-uuu. Chick, chick, chick.<\/em> That\u2019s the sound of three different cicada species. For some people, those sounds are the song of the summer. Others wish the insects would turn it down. The cacophony can be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity.<\/p>\n<p>Warren Rickly, 14, lives in suburban south St. Louis County, Missouri. Warren, who has autism, was at the bus stop recently waiting for his younger brother when the sound of cicadas became too much to bear.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said it sounds like there\u2019s always a train running next to him,\u201d his mother, Jamie Reed, said.<\/p>\n<p>Warren told her the noise hurt.<\/p>\n<p>Starting this spring, trillions of the red-eyed insects <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/features\/here-come-cicadas\">crawled their way<\/a> out of the ground <a href=\"https:\/\/cicadas.uconn.edu\/\">across the Midwest and Southeast<\/a>. It\u2019s part of a rare simultaneous emergence of two broods \u2014 one that appears every 13 years, the other every 17.<\/p>\n<p>The noisy insects can be stressful. People with autism can have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.autismspeaks.org\/sensory-issues#:~:text=Many%20autistic%20people%20experience%20hypersensitivity,people%20can%20easily%20tune%20out.\">sensitivity to<\/a> texture, brightness, and sound.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the difference for individuals with autism is the level of intensity or how upsetting some of these sensory differences are,\u201d said Rachel Follmer, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician at Lurie Children\u2019s Hospital in Chicago.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt can get to the extreme where it can cause physical discomfort,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>When a large group of cicadas starts to sing, the chorus can be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/features\/here-come-cicadas\">as loud as a motorcycle<\/a>. Researchers at the University of Missouri-St. Louis this year crowdsourced cicada noise levels as high as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialinsectdiversitylab.com\/cicada-sounds\">86 decibels<\/a>, about as loud as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chem.purdue.edu\/chemsafety\/Training\/PPETrain\/dblevels.htm\">food blender<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That can be stressful, not melodic, Follmer said.<\/p>\n<p>To help children cope, she suggests giving them a primer before they encounter a noisy situation. For cicadas, that could mean explaining what they are, that they don\u2019t bite or sting, and that they\u2019ll be here for just a short time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen something is uncomfortable, not having power in that situation can be very scary for a lot of individuals, whether you\u2019re on the spectrum or not,\u201d Follmer said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Before they can sing, periodical cicada nymphs molt and leave behind exoskeletons like these. The U.S. Forest Service projected that trillions of cicadas would emerge this year across the Midwestern and Southeastern United States.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Zach Dyer\/KFF Health News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Jamie Reed\u2019s family has been using this and other strategies to help her son. Warren wears noise-canceling headphones, listens to music, and has been teaching himself about cicadas.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor him, researching it and looking into it I think grounds him a little bit,\u201d Reed said.<\/p>\n<p>Fatima Husain is a professor and neuroscientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and studies how the brain processes sound. She said people with tinnitus may also struggle with cicada song.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block block--newsletter  \" data-type=\"kaiser-health-news\/newsletter\" data-align=\"center\" style=\"\">\n<h4 class=\"newsletter__title\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/email\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail Sign-Up\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t<\/h4>\n<p class=\"newsletter__description\">\n\t\tSubscribe to KFF Health News&#8217; free Morning Briefing.\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tinnitus, a ringing or other noise in the ears, is a person\u2019s perception of sound without an external source.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people say it sounds like buzzing, like wind blowing through trees, and ironically, quite a few people say it sounds like cicadas,\u201d Husain said.<\/p>\n<p>For most people with tinnitus the cicada\u2019s song is harmless background noise, according to Husain, but for others the ringing can prevent easy conversation or sleep. Those with tinnitus are also more likely to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9917824\/\">anxiety or depression<\/a>. A loud persistent sound, like singing cicadas, can make someone\u2019s tinnitus worse, Husain said.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not always bad, though. The cicada\u2019s song can also be a relief.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"3520\" src=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg\" alt=\"Kasey Fowler-Finn holds a periodical red-eyed cicada between their thumb and the end of their fingers.\" class=\"wp-image-1873391\" style=\"width:392px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg 1980w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=84,150 84w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=281,500 281w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=768,1365 768w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=714,1270 714w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=864,1536 864w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=1152,2048 1152w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=120,213 120w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=170,302 170w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=300,533 300w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=500,889 500w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=315,560 315w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=630,1120 630w, https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/Red-eyed-Periodical-Cicada-04-rotated.jpg?resize=1200,2133 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kasey Fowler-Finn holds a red-eyed periodical cicada outside St. Louis on May 31.<span class=\"photo-credit\">(Zach Dyer\/KFF Health News)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For some, tinnitus gets worse in a quiet environment. Husain said she\u2019s seen reports this year of patients saying the cicadas\u2019 song has been like soothing white noise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe sound is loud enough that in some ways it\u2019s drowning their internal tinnitus,\u201d Husain said.<\/p>\n<p>As loud as the cicadas can be, they <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/niosh-science-blog\/2021\/07\/20\/noise-myths-cicada\/\">won\u2019t necessarily damage<\/a> anyone\u2019s hearing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hearing loss builds up over time from repeated exposure to loud sounds. Cicadas aren\u2019t loud enough for long enough to do lasting damage, Husain said.<\/p>\n<p>Everyday sources of noise come with a higher risk. Husain said constant exposure to loud highways, an airport, industrial sites, or household appliances like blenders and hair dryers can be a concern. And they can take a toll on someone\u2019s emotional well-being.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you are being exposed to very loud sounds for a part of your school day or your working day, it may make you more stressed out; it may make you more angry about things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the highway or an airport, cicadas won\u2019t be around long. Most of the current brood will be gone in the next few weeks. Just in time for another noisy summer event: the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"meta-authors meta\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"author-name\">Zach Dyer: <\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/news\/article\/chorus-cacophony-cicada-song-noise-hearing-sensitivity-autism\/mailto:zdyer@kff.org\">zdyer@kff.org<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<section class=\"block--category-tag-list \">\n<div class=\"category-tag-list__content-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"block--category-tag-list__title\">\n\t\t\t\tRelated Topics\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<a class=\"category-tag-list__contact-link\" href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/contact-us\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tContact Us\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t<a class=\"category-tag-list__tip-link\" href=\"https:\/\/kffhealthnews.org\/tips\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tSubmit a Story Tip\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ST. LOUIS \u2014 Shhhooo. Wee-uuu. Chick, chick, chick. That\u2019s the sound of three different cicada species. For some people, those sounds are the song of the summer. Others wish the insects would turn it down. The cacophony can be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity. Warren Rickly, 14, lives [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2968"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2970,"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968\/revisions\/2970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthynewsusa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}