Noise sensitivity (hyperacusis) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between sound sensitivity and hyperacusis? ›

Hyperacusis is a hearing disorder that makes it hard to deal with everyday sounds. You might also hear it called sound or noise sensitivity. If you have it, certain sounds may seem unbearably loud even though people around you don't seem to notice them.

The reason hyperacusis does not typically “go away” on its own because of the underlying damage that is typically associated with it; however, each case is unique and a professional trained in decreased sound tolerance (i.e., an Audiologist) is best to seek advice and treatment from once any underlying medical ...

Treatment for hyperacusis

If there's no clear cause, you may be offered treatment to help make you less sensitive to everyday sounds. This could be: sound therapy to get you used to everyday sounds again, and may involve wearing ear pieces that make white noise.

Hyperacusis and phonophobia are two subjective phenomena that sometimes are indistinguishable, as their descriptions very much rely on information from the patient. The definition of both can also be confusing, and in many medical publications, the terms hyperacusis and phonophobia have been used in the same context.

While more research is needed to fully understand the link between magnesium, vitamin B6, and noise sensitivity in neurodiverse individuals, these studies suggest that increasing magnesium and vitamin B6 levels may be a potential treatment option for noise sensitivity for some people.

The pace and degree of recovery varies from person to person. Recovery may happen over weeks or months. It may improve with “auditory rest” or may require specific intervention. Hyperacusis may resolve completely or there may be lingering sensitivities that require modifications to lifestyle or work.

There isn't a cure for hyperacusis, but depending on what's causing it, your symptoms may improve in time. For example, hyperacusis following surgery may go away once you heal from the procedure. People with Ménière's disease may notice an improvement if the disease goes into remission.

Wearing earplugs or earmuffs may provide immediate relief from an environment that seems uncomfortably loud, but when the individual eventually removes the earplugs or muffs, that environment will seem even louder than it might have otherwise.

Signs and symptoms. Hyperacusis symptoms can include an increased perception of the loudness of sounds (loudness hyperacusis), pain (noxacusis/pain hyperacusis/sound-induced otalgia), annoyance, and/or fear in response to sounds by which most people are unaffected. It may affect one or both ears.

Can ear wax cause hyperacusis? ›

Patients with long-term obstructive earwax have reported hyperacusis after its removal.

You may experience physical pain in your ear or a feeling of fullness (pressure) that is especially irritating. In addition, many people find that tinnitus (ringing in the ears) accompanies their sensitivity to sound, and some also lose their dynamic range of hearing (the ability to deal with sudden changes in volume).

There are a variety of neurologic conditions that may be associated with hyperacusis, including: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Chronic fatigue syndrome. Tay-Sach's disease (a rare, inherited disorder that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord)

Loud noise is a major cause of hyperacusis. Exposure can happen over time (like playing loud music for many years) or a single occurrence (like hearing a gunshot). Head injury. An injury involving the head, jaw, or ear can lead to hyperacusis.

Hyperacusis is a disorder in loudness perception. Patients suffering from hyperacusis may appear overly sensitive to a range of sounds, finding many noises unbearable and painfully loud.