What is hyperacusis?
Hyperacusis is a hearing condition that makes everyday sounds difficult to tolerate. It is also called sound sensitivity or noise sensitivity. If you have hyperacusis, some sounds may seem unbearably loud even when the people around you do not appear to notice them.
Hyperacusis is uncommon. It affects around one in 50,000 people. Many people with hyperacusis also have tinnitus, which is a ringing or buzzing sound in the ear.
Hyperacusis is a hearing condition, but many people who have it still have normal hearing.
Symptoms of hyperacusis
Symptoms can affect everyday life. They may include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Ear pain
- Relationship difficulties
- Difficulty connecting with other people, including social isolation or avoidance
Some sounds may seem louder than they should, including:
- A dripping tap
- A kitchen appliance, such as a fridge or dishwasher
- A car engine
- A loud conversation
Some people are only slightly bothered by these sounds. Others have severe symptoms, such as loss of balance or seizures.
Causes and risk factors
The ears detect sound as vibrations. With hyperacusis, the brain may misinterpret or exaggerate certain vibrations. As a result, the brain reacts differently to the same signals that another person hears, which can cause discomfort.
People are not generally born with hyperacusis. It is often associated with certain illnesses or health conditions, including:
- A head injury, such as an injury caused by an airbag
- Damage to one or both ears from drugs or toxins
- A viral infection affecting the inner ear or facial nerve, such as Bell’s palsy
- Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
- Lyme disease
- Tay-Sachs disease
- Migraine
- Regular use of Valium
- Some types of epilepsy
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Ménière’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Autism
- Facial or jaw surgery
- Williams syndrome
Loud noise can also trigger hyperacusis. Ongoing exposure to loud noise is one of the factors associated with developing this condition.
Diagnosis
If you think you may have hyperacusis, speak to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. They may ask about your medical history, examine your ears and carry out a hearing test.
Treatment and self-care
Treatment depends on the cause. In some cases, such as after an injury to the brain or ear, sound sensitivity may improve on its own.
If it does not, a doctor may suggest sound desensitisation. You work with a specialist and listen to very quiet sounds for a period each day, gradually moving on to louder sounds.
A device worn in one or both ears may produce a soft sound similar to static. It should not be uncomfortable or painful. Treatment may take six months to a year or longer to achieve its full benefits.
There is not enough research to know whether other treatments, including acupuncture and relaxation exercises, are helpful for hyperacusis. Auditory integration therapy (AIT), which involves listening to music at different volumes over time, is sometimes used in autism treatment.
A doctor may also prescribe medicine to help manage stress associated with the condition.
You may feel tempted to use earplugs to reduce sounds or avoid social situations that may be uncomfortable. These steps can help in the short term, but may make symptoms worse over time. Sounds may seem even louder when you remove the earplugs or return to a social setting.