Sound Sensitivity

What Is Misophonia?

Misophonia is an abnormally strong and negative reaction to specific sounds like eating, chewing, lip-smacking, licking, breathing, whistling, or the sound of certain speech sounds. It can also include sounds such as clicking or tapping. This negative reaction often results in anger, distress, and even rage. Body sounds can also trigger misophonia.

Usually, misophonia develops in childhood or early adolescence but can also occur in adulthood. It routinely begins suddenly after an emotionally significant incident associated with a first “trigger” sound. It can also occur due to an environmental situation accompanied by a strong emotional event.

Additionally, misophonia can occur as a secondary symptom that accompanies tinnitus or hyperacusis, which is often associated with auditory damage or head trauma. Misophonia symptoms can also exist as secondary to multi-sensory sensitivity problems displayed in early childhood in more complex neurological conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder.

What Is Hyperacusis?

Hyperacusis is an abnormally strong and negative reaction to sound, or an inordinate loudness of sound that other people tolerate well. The sounds can be soft, medium, or loud. It may cause distress, fear, or even pain to the person experiencing it. ​

It is believed that hyperacusis occurs because of hyperactivity within the hearing system.

The auditory system provides an automatic gain or volume control, modifying its sensitivity at both peripheral and central levels. Consequently, when a person is normally exposed to even a low level of sound, the signal is amplified by the outer hair cell system by up to 60 dB. If mechanisms controlling this gain modification are producing higher levels of amplification when it is not needed, then overstimulation occurs within the auditory system, resulting in a perception of sound as abnormally loud, even painful.