For most individuals, the on a regular basis hum of a vacuum cleaner is background noise that is simple to tune out. It is sudden or loud sounds that seize their consideration, like a plate breaking, the barking of a canine or the sound of emergency sirens.

Nonetheless, for these with sound sensitivities, the identical background noise could be distressing and even painful. Their brains course of sure sounds extra intensely, making on a regular basis noise really feel overwhelming.

Learn on to study sound sensitivities, together with the frequent varieties, causes, signs and administration methods.

Key Takeaways

• Sound sensitivities are brought on by the way in which the mind and nervous system course of sound, resulting in the notion of on a regular basis noises as painful, threatening, or overwhelming.

• There are 5 kinds of sound sensitivity: hyperacusis, tinnitus, misophonia, phonophobia and recruitment.

• Administration methods can enhance high quality of life, they usually embody Cognitive-Behavioral Remedy, Tinnitus Retraining Remedy, and sound remedy, together with way of life adjustments and listening to support use for recruitment.

Desk of Contents

• What Are Sound Sensitivities?

• What Causes Sound Sensitivities?

• What Are the Signs of Sound Sensitivities?

• Forms of Sound Sensitivities

• What Is Dwelling With a Sound Sensitivity Like?

• Conclusion

• Continuously Requested Questions About Sound Sensitivities

What Are Sound Sensitivities?

Sound sensitivity is an umbrella time period for situations that make on a regular basis noises really feel overwhelming or painful, affecting one or each ears. You would possibly understand sounds as too loud, disagreeable, or really feel fearful or threatened by sure noises.

Noise sensitivities are extra a matter of sensory processing than of the ears themselves. An individual’s listening to could also be completely regular, however the way in which their nervous system deciphers and responds to noise is exaggerated or distorted.

Noise sensitivity will also be a symptom of migraines, autism or a sensory processing dysfunction (SPD).

What Causes Sound Sensitivities?

Neurological and mind processing points, corresponding to irregular mind connectivity and central auditory acquire, could cause sound sensitivities.

A neck or head damage or long-term or single publicity to loud noise may also result in sound sensitivity. Different culprits embody ear infections, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, Meniere’s illness and otosclerosis.

Psychological components like stress, nervousness, and trauma associated to sudden, loud noise may also set off sound sensitivities.

Sound sensitivities will also be signs of listening to loss, persistent fatigue syndrome, nervousness problems, post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD), autism and migraines.

What Are the Signs of Sound Sensitivities?

The primary symptom of sound sensitivities is a adverse response to a noise that others can simply tolerate.

Bodily signs embody ear ache and discomfort. You may additionally really feel tense, nauseated, or dizzy. Emotional signs embody anger, concern, nervousness and feeling overwhelmed. Behavioral reactions embody avoidance, self-isolation and a necessity to manage the sound atmosphere.

Examples of triggering sounds embody:

• Repetitive tapping sounds

• Burglar or fireplace alarms

• Children screaming

• The screeching brakes of a bus or truck

• Working water from a bathe or faucet

• A ticking clock

• Chewing, slurping and different consuming and consuming sounds

Forms of Sound Sensitivities

We’ll talk about 5 frequent situations associated to sound sensitivity: hyperacusis, tinnitus (which frequently co-occurs with sound sensitivities), misophonia, phonophobia and recruitment.

Hyperacusis

Hyperacusis is when folks understand regular sounds as excessively or painfully loud. It is a neurological situation, not a listening to drawback, during which the mind processes regular sounds as overly loud, even after they fall throughout the regular vary.

Causes of Hyperacusis

In accordance with analysis cited in StatPearls, excessive noise publicity is essentially the most prevalent reason for hyperacusis.⁽¹⁾ It will possibly develop from a single occasion whereby you might be uncovered to a particularly loud noise, like a gunshot. It will possibly additionally happen from long-term noise publicity, corresponding to working heavy equipment each day.

One other attainable trigger is harm to the facial nerve, which might consequence from Bell’s palsy and Lyme illness. Hyperacusis may also happen after ear surgical procedure or throughout restoration from a concussion.

Scientists additionally theorize {that a} phenomenon referred to as central auditory acquire causes hyperacusis, in keeping with a research printed in Frontiers in Neurology.⁽²⁾ When the mind detects listening to loss, it overcompensates by amplifying noise, making it loud and even painful.

Hyperacusis additionally usually impacts folks with tinnitus, Williams Syndrome or nervousness problems.

Hyperacusis Signs

The signs of hyperacusis embody ear ache (ache hyperacusis) or the sensation of fullness within the ears (like being on an airplane). You may also expertise tinnitus and a lowered dynamic vary, the place the hole narrows between the quiet noises you possibly can hear and the loud sounds you possibly can tolerate.

Whereas uncommon, analysis printed within the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology discovered that hyperacusis sufferers reported a lack of stability, mild sensitivity, complications and sensitivity to robust smells.⁽³⁾

You may also really feel continually on edge, anticipating distressing sounds earlier than they even occur. This state causes stress, nervousness and concern, which might make you keep away from sure conditions and environments.

Hyperacusis can get in the way in which of operating errands, performing easy family chores, and dealing in an workplace. It will possibly even rob you of easy pleasures, like listening to music. Given these challenges, melancholy and hopelessness aren’t far behind.

Administration for Hyperacusis Sufferers

Hyperacusis administration focuses on assuaging bodily signs and on studying to deal with them psychologically.

• Sound remedy entails retraining the mind to understand noise as tolerable fairly than insufferable. Sufferers are progressively uncovered to constant sounds, corresponding to white noise or ocean sounds, at a comfortably low stage. It will definitely teaches the mind that sound is protected.

• Cognitive behavioral remedy (CBT) works by altering the adverse thought patterns and responses linked to the sound and lowering avoidance behaviors. CBT additionally teaches rest strategies that assist sufferers handle stress and nervousness.

• Life-style adjustments may also assist, corresponding to participating in enjoyable actions like yoga or getting sufficient sleep to forestall fatigue, which might decrease tolerance to sound. You also needs to make good on a regular basis selections with out avoiding sure conditions, like selecting a quiet desk at a restaurant.

• Keep away from self-isolating by telling associates, household and work about your situation. Be a part of assist teams that can assist you cope and really feel much less alone.

• Different remedies, together with nerve treatment for ache hyperacusis, Silverstein surgical procedure, and auditory integration remedy (AIT), usually are not but supported by sufficient proof to find out their effectiveness.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a ringing in a single or each ears. You may also hear buzzing, clicking, hissing, buzzing, or roaring, which might typically be unbearably loud and result in dizziness.

Technically, tinnitus is not a sound sensitivity to exterior noise, however it usually co-occurs with sound sensitivity problems.

Causes of Tinnitus

The causes of tinnitus vary from interior ear harm to ear blockages and infections. Nonetheless, the commonest ones are noise-induced listening to loss and age-related listening to loss.

Sure medicines that harm the auditory nerve or interior ear could trigger tinnitus. A research printed within the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology discovered that contributors who had been uncovered to ototoxic medicines had been at the next threat for growing tinnitus, particularly these taking the chemotherapy medication cisplatin and carboplatin.⁽⁴⁾

Tinnitus may additionally be a symptom of underlying situations, corresponding to Meniere’s Illness, TMJ problems, neck and head accidents, and circulatory issues.

The Affect of Tinnitus on Each day Life

Tinnitus could make it tough to focus in the course of the day and sleep at night time.

The discomfort and frustration can have an effect on work, dwelling life, and social interactions. You may also really feel anxious and depressed, making you cease socializing. Additionally, think about attempting to go to sleep with a persistent ringing in your ears.

Whereas all this will sound scary, do not lose hope: tinnitus is manageable with the proper methods and coverings.

Tinnitus Administration

There are a number of methods to handle tinnitus, together with Tinnitus Retraining Remedy (TRT), CBT, bimodal remedy, safety from loud sounds, avoiding full silence and stress administration.

• Tinnitus retraining remedy combines sound remedy and counseling. TRT trains the mind to establish the tinnitus sign as impartial by listening to impartial sounds at a stage slightly below the tinnitus. The mind finally learns to filter out the ringing in a course of referred to as “habituation.”

• CBT is the best-researched psychological therapy for tinnitus. CBT makes use of counseling to alter your emotional response to tinnitus, because the situation can result in nervousness and melancholy.

• Bimodal remedy makes use of contact and sound to control irregular brainstem cell exercise. Tinnitus sufferers take heed to a particular sound whereas {an electrical} pulse is utilized to the neck, tongue or cheek. Ultimately, the timing of the sounds and pulses tips the mind into decreasing the quantity of the ringing.

• Safety from loud sounds contains sporting units, corresponding to earplugs, in noisy environments to cut back tinnitus spikes. Nonetheless, keep away from sporting earplugs unnecessarily or too usually. In any other case, you may develop decreased sound tolerance.

• Avoiding complete silence is one other approach of managing tinnitus. Whole silence can improve the perceived quantity of the ringing. Listening to pink or white noise for tinnitus on a white noise machine can masks the ringing, making it simpler to disregard. A research printed within the Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology discovered that white noise enhanced efficiency on particular consideration duties in 68% of the contributors with tinnitus.⁽⁵⁾

• Stress administration strategies, corresponding to progressive muscle rest, deep respiratory workout routines, and meditation, can calm the nervous system.

Misophonia

Misophonia is a dysfunction during which sure sounds make you are feeling intense anger, disgust, nervousness or panic.

Causes of Misophonia

A number of theories counsel that neurological and genetic components trigger misophonia.

One concept suggests a too-strong connection between the mind’s motion and listening to facilities, in keeping with analysis printed in The Journal of Neuroscience.⁽⁶⁾ When somebody with misophonia hears the set off sound, their mind prompts the motion middle, making them really feel that they’re doing the motion, creating a sense of intrusion. This sense provokes an intense emotional response.

Different research point out that misophonia may be inherited. One such research carried out by the genetic testing firm 23andMe discovered {that a} genetic marker close to the TENM2 gene differs in misophonia sufferers.⁽⁷⁾ The TENM2 gene helps the mind delete unused connections to strengthen important ones throughout childhood. This genetic variation may clarify why the mind’s listening to and motion facilities are hyper-connected in folks with misophonia.

Misophonia Signs and Triggers

The signs of misophonia are bodily, emotional and behavioral. Other than intense emotional reactions, frequent indicators embody:

• Nervousness

• Muscle pressure

• Sweating

• Elevated coronary heart fee

• Chest tightness

• Avoidance of individuals and conditions

• Overprotection with headphones or earplugs

• Mimicry

In the meantime, misophonia triggers are usually sounds or pattern-based actions. They’re usually repetitive and tender. Listed here are among the extra frequent ones:

• Consuming sounds: Chewing or slurping

• Mouth actions: Lip-smacking or throat clearing

• Speech sounds: Repetitive phrases and sharp consonants

• Nasal or respiratory sounds: Loud respiratory, snorting or loud night breathing

• Environmental sounds: Canines barking or birds chirping

• Mechanical or object sounds: Fingers tapping on a keyboard or silverware clinking on plates

Misophonia Administration

Managing misophonia focuses on dealing with the dysfunction, as there is no identified treatment.

• CBT is used to deal with misophonia. Nonetheless, it is not a treatment; fairly, a way to cut back stress and reactivity, and make it easier to handle your reactions to triggering sounds.

• Sound remedy, particularly listening to various kinds of coloured noise, corresponding to white, pink, or brown noise, helps masks sound triggers.

• Mimicry can be a coping mechanism. Individuals with misophonia would possibly copy the supply’s motion or sounds to assist them regain management. One research printed within the Journal of Medical Psychology discovered that almost half of the contributors copied the set off noises. Moreover, 80% of them stated they mimic the sound on function, whereas 68% stated it introduced them aid.⁽⁸⁾

Phonophobia

Phonophobia is a dysfunction characterised by an excessive concern of loud sounds. The concern is typically so intense that individuals with the dysfunction panic, anticipating the following loud noise.

Causes of Phonophobia

A number of components would possibly lead you to develop phonophobia, together with trauma, different well being issues, genetics and discovered conduct.

Trauma involving excessively loud, sudden noises can improve the danger of phonophobia. The mind turns into rewired to affiliate loud noises with hazard. Some folks with PTSD can develop phonophobia as a result of their mind’s startle reflex is already hypersensitive, making them panic in response to loud noises.

Phonophobia can happen alongside autism, migraines and misophonia.

You would possibly develop phonophobia if in case you have nervousness problems or sensory overload as a result of your nervous system may be pre-wired to make you extra delicate and reactive.

Phonophobia could be a discovered conduct that develops by means of statement. Children, specifically, develop phonophobia by observing their dad and mom’ or siblings’ reactions to loud sounds.

Phonophobia Administration

The administration of phonophobia is a mixture of sure therapies, way of life tweaks and medicines. A phonophobia therapy plan would possibly embody any of the next:

• Publicity remedy makes use of systematic desensitization, during which you are progressively uncovered to the set off sound in a managed atmosphere. You may’t depend on security behaviors, corresponding to overlaying your ears. This remedy trains the mind to cease perceiving the sound as a menace.

• Leisure strategies assist sufferers handle their concern and nervousness after they hear the set off sound. The strategies used for tinnitus administration additionally apply to phonophobia.

• Nervousness medicines like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and benzodiazepines are typically prescribed by medical doctors to handle nervousness.

• Sporting protecting units corresponding to earplugs or headphones in loud environments (e.g., reside live shows) will help handle phonophobia. Nonetheless, use of those units ought to be approached with warning, as overuse can improve your loudness discomfort.

Recruitment

Recruitment is a symptom of sensorineural listening to loss during which loudness grows abnormally quick. It happens when harm to the cochlea’s hair cells lowers your potential to listen to tender sounds, however the remaining wholesome hair cells nonetheless reply usually to louder ones.

Wholesome cells react all of a sudden when sound reaches their threshold. The mind acknowledges a speedy improve in loudness fairly than a easy one. Consequently, you would possibly barely hear tender sounds, but regular or barely louder sounds shortly grow to be painfully loud.

Managing recruitment entails sporting compression listening to aids, because the situation is brought on by listening to loss. These units make tender sounds extra audible and compress loud noises.

What Is Dwelling With a Sound Sensitivity Like?

Dwelling with sound sensitivity could be manageable or debilitating.

Sound sensitivity can negatively influence your sleep. It will possibly create a vicious cycle the place fatigue from sleep deprivation lowers your tolerance to sounds additional.

It is not nearly quantity; the kind of sound issues, too. For instance, softer appears like plastic baggage crinkling could be as distressing to hyperacusis sufferers as fireworks, usually inflicting a buildup of inside strain or bodily vibration.

It would trigger concern, desperation, hopelessness, and a sense of being on edge, anticipating the following triggering sound. (Misophonia sufferers would possibly expertise intense anger or disgust.) You may also really feel depressed, harassed and anxious as a result of the intrusion appears inescapable.

We will not stress sufficient how essential it’s to seek the advice of an otolaryngologist (ENT specialist) and an audiologist in case you suspect that sound sensitivity is decreasing your high quality of life.

Conclusion

Dwelling with sound sensitivity can really feel isolating, the place on a regular basis sounds set off ache, intense rage or concern. Life can grow to be tough, whether or not you may have hyperacusis, tinnitus, misophonia or phonophobia.

Do not endure in silence as a result of efficient administration is feasible. Methods like CBT, TRT, sound remedy, way of life adjustments and units like listening to aids assist retrain the mind and ease your signs.

Do you reside with sound sensitivity? If that’s the case, assist others handle their situation by sharing your expertise and ideas. Go away a remark under.

Continuously Requested Questions About Sound Sensitivities

How Frequent Are Sound Sensitivities?

Usually, sound sensitivities are frequent, with about 9 to fifteen p.c of individuals experiencing them in some unspecified time in the future of their lives.

Might My Noise Sensitivity Be a Symptom of One other Situation (Like Tinnitus, PTSD, or Sensory Processing Dysfunction)?

Sure, your noise sensitivity could possibly be a symptom of one other situation, together with tinnitus, post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) or a sensory processing dysfunction.

Hyperacusis, a kind of sound sensitivity, usually co-occurs with tinnitus, a situation characterised by ringing within the ears. In the meantime, folks with PTSD typically expertise sound sensitivity, particularly when their trauma is related to loud, sudden noises. Lastly, noise sensitivity could possibly be a symptom of a sensory processing dysfunction, which impacts how the mind processes sensory enter, together with sound.

Do White Noise Machines Truly Assist With Sound Sensitivity, or Can They Make It Worse?

Normally, there’s some proof that white noise machines will help with sound sensitivity. Nonetheless, they have to be used accurately and solely when crucial; in any other case, they may worsen the situation.

As an example, white noise machines ought to be used progressively and at a low quantity for sound remedy used to deal with hyperacusis. It should not be relied upon too usually. In any other case, it may reinforce avoidance of on a regular basis sounds, resulting in an elevated loudness discomfort stage.

Are Earplugs or Sleep Headphones Secure for Common Use?

Common use of earplugs is not really helpful for folks with noise sensitivity, as it might worsen it by decreasing tolerance to sound. Utilizing earplugs is protected and protecting in loud environments, corresponding to live shows.

In the meantime, folks with noise sensitivity can typically use sleep headphones moderately, offered they do not block exterior sounds as earplugs do. They need to even be used at very low quantity ranges. For those who wrestle with noise sensitivity, take care when utilizing sleep headphones with noise-cancelling options or earbuds that seal out sound, because it may worsen your signs in the course of the daytime.

For folks with out noise sensitivity, earplugs or sleep headphones are protected for normal use. Bear in mind to insert the earplugs accurately and to maintain the quantity of sleep headphones at a protected stage.

Can Remedy (Like CBT or Sound Desensitization Remedy) Scale back Nighttime Sensitivity to Noise?

Sure, remedy can scale back nighttime sensitivity to noise, particularly when the sensitivity is expounded to situations like hyperacusis, misophonia, PTSD, or common intolerance to sound. CBT helps scale back the concern, misery and nervousness related to noise. In the meantime, sound desensitization remedy trains your auditory system to higher tolerate on a regular basis sounds.

Can You Be Delicate to Noise With out Being Autistic?

Sure, you could be delicate to noise with out being autistic. Individuals with autism expertise sound sensitivity, however it’s not unique to them. Noise sensitivity is related to situations like hyperacusis, tinnitus, misophonia, PTSD, stress, nervousness and previous noise publicity, to call just a few.

Can Nervousness Make Me Delicate to Sound?

Sure, nervousness could make you delicate to sound. Nervousness makes your nervous system extra alert and reactive, which makes on a regular basis sounds really feel louder or extra intrusive than they need to.

Sources:  

(1) “Hyperacusis.” StatPearls, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557713/. Accessed 21 November 2025.

(2) “Central acquire management in tinnitus and hyperacusis.” Frontiers in Neurology, www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2014.00206/full. Accessed 21 November 2025.

(3) “Complaints of Individuals with Hyperacusis.” Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, www.thieme-connect.com/merchandise/ejournals/summary/10.1055/s-0040-1709447. Accessed 21 November 2025.

(4) “Tinnitus onset charges from chemotherapeutic brokers and ototoxic antibiotics: outcomes of a giant potential research.” Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20701838/. Accessed 21 November 2025.

(5) “White noise impact on listening effort amongst sufferers with persistent tinnitus and regular listening to thresholds.” Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology, www.bjorl.org/en-white-noise-effect-on-listening-articulo-S1808869423001088. Accessed 21 November 2025.

(6) “The Motor Foundation for Misophonia.” The Journal of Neuroscience, www.jneurosci.org/content material/41/26/5762. Accessed 21 November 2025.

(7) “Let’s discuss Misophonia & Genetics.” 23andMe, www.23andme.com/en-int/subjects/traits/misophonia/. Accessed 21 November 2025.

(8) “Mimicry in misophonia: A big-scale survey of prevalence and relationship with set off sounds.” Journal of Medical Psychology, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37850971/. Accessed 21 November 2025.

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