The sounds that usually cause problems for people are either very loud or very high pitched.
“Some common examples of very loud or high-frequency sounds are car alarms going off near you or an ambulance passing by on the street,” says Jodi Sasaki-Miraglia, director of professional education programs at hearing aid manufacturer Widex USA.
“Other common examples are fireworks, loud construction noises or music at a concert.”
Of course, in the case of the smoke alarm and the ambulance siren, it could be argued that their whole point is to sound loud to attract attention. In most cases, you won’t be exposed to these noises for very long. But a concert is likely to last several hours, and if you’re unlucky enough to live across from a construction site, you know all too well how painful it can be to listen to humming for days on end.
While these situations are annoying for everyone, for some people sensitivity to sound is a very real problem that affects them on a daily basis.
Why does this happen to them?
Loudness Discomfort Levels
Louder, higher-pitched sounds are generally more uncomfortable to listen to than quieter, lower-pitched sounds. But people’s tolerance to them can vary. Fortunately, there is a handy test that an audiologist can perform to determine your unique level of loudness discomfort.
“The Cox test, created by the late Dr. Robin Cox, PhD, of the University of Memphis, Hearing Aid Research Laboratory, is used frequently in audiology clinics today,” says Sasaki-Miraglia. In it, the patient listens to a series of low to high sounds and judges how loud they seem to him on a seven-point scale. Based on the results, the audiologist gets an idea of the baseline of a person’s level of discomfort and will be able to adequately adapt the hearing aid they may need.
But what are the causes of sensitivity to sound?
“Lower sensitivity values are typically seen in people with specific types of hearing loss, such as noise-induced or sensorineural [which affects the inner ear structures or auditory nerves],” explains Sasaki-Miraglia.
“People who experience ringing or tinnitus, or those who have auditory processing problems, may also have lower than expected discomfort values.”
There are also different conditions that make people sensitive to sounds differently.
One example is hyperacusis, which can sometimes be the result of other medical problems such as Lyme disease or migraines. As Sasaki-Miraglia explains, “hyperacusis is not related to loud sounds. In this condition, sounds that seem ‘normal’ in loudness to most people can be unbearably loud to sufferers.” This means that something as simple as the jingling of coins in one’s pocket can sound unbearably loud and even painful.
Other people experience irrational anger at certain noises, which is due to misophonia. Recent research has shown that this condition is more common than previously thought, affecting up to one in five people in the UK alone.
A study shows that sounds that people with misophonia find intolerable actually activate neural circuits that control facial muscle movement, and are not a problem with the brain’s auditory processing system, as might be expected. This seems to give people the feeling that these sounds are “entering” their own body, leading to feelings of anger or disgust.
Sasaki-Miraglia says common triggers are the noises of other people “chewing, breathing or clearing their throats.”
In some people, the dislike of loud noises can develop into a full-blown anxiety disorder called phonophobia. It is not necessarily related to hearing problems, but may be more common in people with sensory processing difficulties – such as can be found in autistic people – and in migraine sufferers. Like any phobia, phonophobia is an extreme, irrational fear, and sufferers may experience panic when exposed to loud noises, or even just the threat of them.
But just as one person’s trash is another’s treasure, so the sound sensitivity coin has two sides. Certain sounds that cause sensitivity and even misophonia in some people can be absolute bliss for others. A recent trend on TikTok demonstrates this in a great way: when people started rolling breakable objects – especially glass bottles – down stairs…
This symphony of banging and breaking would make many people cover their ears, but others swear it induces a joyous sensation called Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), sometimes more eloquently known as a “brain orgasm.” Those who experience this reaction often describe it as a relaxing, tingling sensation triggered by a variety of sounds—for some, it’s glass breaking, for others, whispering, tapping, even hair brushing.
Is there a way to treat sound sensitivity?
“If you have sound sensitivity, the best course of action is to seek advice from a licensed audiologist,” says Sasaki-Miraglia. “He will provide you with a comprehensive assessment, treatment options and targeted education for your individual sound sensitivity condition. It is not unusual to find several contributing factors.”
It is important to seek individual medical advice as the treatment of hyperacusis or tinnitus in one person may be very different to another.
If your sensitivity to sound is causing you anxiety, meaning you may have phonophobia, different treatments may be suggested by a mental health professional, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
We all have to deal with annoying noises from time to time, but sometimes that annoyance can turn into something much more. If sensitivity to sounds is affecting your normal life, it may be time to seek medical advice – there may be more treatment options than you think!
As Sasaki-Miraglia concludes, “No matter the cause, proper consultation and diagnosis by an audiologist can improve patient outcomes and your quality of life.”
