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What A Racket! What you really need to know.

By Julie B. Davis

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Barking dogs. Screaming kids. Those now-infamous leaf blowers.Your neighbor's blaring radio.

What do the above have in common? That's right--noise. Andunfortunately, noise seems to be an inescapable part of our dailylives. Hearing loss is on the rise, and according to Newsweek, morethan 20 million Americans are regularly exposed to dangerous noiselevels. From street traffic to airplanes to lawn mowers, noisesurrounds us day in and day out. And urban areas--home to countlesshomebased businesses--are most at risk. Consider this: The ambientnoise level in our big cities increases one decibel every decade,says acoustical scientist David Lubman.

Noise affects more than just your ears: Think high bloodpressure, a faster heart rate and sleep disturbances, all of whichcan hurt you and your business. "It's more of a problemthan has been recognized, and it's growing," says Lubman,founder of Westminster, California, acoustical consulting firmDavid Lubman & Associates.