One way your body offers information to you is through pain response. It’s not a very enjoyable method but it can be beneficial. When that megaphone you’re standing next to goes too loud, the pain allows you to know that severe ear damage is occurring and you immediately (if you’re smart) cover your ears or remove yourself from that rather loud environment.
But for around 8-10% of individuals, quiet sounds can be detected as painfully loud, despite their measured decibel level. This affliction is known by experts as hyperacusis. This is the medical name for overly sensitive ears. The symptoms of hyperacusis can be managed but there’s no cure.
Heightened sound sensitivity
Hypersensitivity to sound is known as hyperacusis. Usually sounds in a particular frequency trigger episodes of hyperacusis for people who suffer from it. Quiet noises will frequently sound extremely loud. And loud noises seem even louder.
Hyperacusis is often associated with tinnitus, hearing problems, and even neurological difficulties, although no one really knows what actually causes it. There’s a noticeable degree of personal variability when it comes to the symptoms, severity, and treatment of hyperacusis.
What kind of response is normal for hyperacusis?
In most instances, hyperacusis will look and feel something like this:
- Balance problems and dizziness can also be experienced.
- Everybody else will think a particular sound is quiet but it will sound very loud to you.
- You might experience pain and buzzing in your ears (this pain and buzzing may last for days or weeks after you hear the original sound).
- The louder the sound is, the more intense your response and pain will be.
Hyperacusis treatment treatment
When your hyperacusis makes you vulnerable to a wide variety of frequencies, the world can seem like a minefield. You never know when a wonderful night out will suddenly turn into an audio onslaught that will leave you with ringing ears and an intense migraine.
That’s why it’s so crucial to get treatment. There are a variety of treatments available depending on your specific situation and we can help you pick one that’s best for you. The most common options include the following.
Masking devices
A device called a masking device is one of the most common treatments for hyperacusis. While it may sound ideal for Halloween (sorry), actually though, a masking device is a piece of technology that cancels out certain wavelengths of sounds. So those offensive frequencies can be eliminated before they make it to your ears. You can’t have a hyperacusis episode if you can’t hear the triggering sound!
Earplugs
Earplugs are a less sophisticated play on the same general approach: if all sound is stopped, there’s no possibility of a hyperacusis episode. It’s undoubtedly a low-tech strategy, and there are some disadvantages. There’s some research that suggests that, over time, the earplugs can throw your hearing ecosystem even further off and make your hyperacusis worse. Consult us if you’re thinking about wearing earplugs.
Ear retraining
An approach, called ear retraining therapy, is one of the most extensive hyperacusis treatments. You’ll attempt to change how you respond to certain kinds of sounds by employing physical therapy, emotional counseling, and a combination of devices. The idea is that you can train yourself to disregard sounds (rather like with tinnitus). Normally, this approach has a good rate of success but depends a great deal on your dedication to the process.
Less prevalent strategies
Less prevalent strategies, including ear tubes or medication, are also utilized to manage hyperacusis. These approaches are less commonly used, depending on the specialist and the person, because they have met with mixed success.
A huge difference can come from treatment
Because hyperacusis will differ from person to person, a specialized treatment plan can be formulated depending on your symptoms as you encounter them. Effectively treating hyperacusis depends on determining a strategy that’s best for you.