The Knowles Hearing Center is excited to announce our upcoming symposium dedicated to exploring the topic of hypersensitivity to sound. This event will bring together leading experts, researchers, and practitioners in the field to discuss the latest findings, share insights, and foster collaborations.
Whether you are a researcher, clinician, audiologist, or someone affected by hypersensitivity to sound, this symposium will provide valuable information and connections.
Good information here. Maybe I should go! I’ve been plagued by tinnitus in my right ear for 4 1/2 years. It was almost gone, and then a few weeks ago we had an unusual thunderstorm in Seattle, and a lightening strike so close, we swore it hit our house. It was so very loud, and my tinnitus came back in full force. Tinnitus seems impossible to fix, seems like the best you can do is mask it.
@busdriver11 that symposium is about misophonia, which is very different from what you and I are experiencing. My tinnitus and hyperacusis are related. It sounds like you have similar issues though without triggering facial pain and numbness. Research is ongoing but as you know there is no treatment as yet. They always thought it was the brain alone causing these disorders but recently auditory nerve involvement was discovere.
Back to the original program. Up at 3 Thursday morning and 5 this morning. Long days!
I just looked up what misophonia is. Hmm, wait a second, my irritated reaction to annoying sounds like people smacking their gum, loud shuffling of cards, my husband’s need to slurp and inhale his food even if it isn’t hot is MY problem? I don’t think so! People need to stop being obnoxious, I think!
Wow me too. Never knew it had a name. Even when I was tiny, I’d freak out at buzzing insects, even flies. I had never been stung. I still do freak out and have a huge urge to just run. I have to practice all my deep calming breathing techniques.
The blender also does it for me. Just can’t be in the same room.
And also coughing, and to a lesser extent, sniffling. I’ve long had this issue. Raising kids was hard! Illnesses drove me insane. But covid has magnified it tenfold. I know everyone in my office’s usual sounds and know on an instant if something is off. And if they are really sick, just no. I can’t handle it. I left last Friday early because my coworker was sick. I just couldn’t sit across from him anymore when I was getting ready to travel overseas.
For me, it’s chewing. It makes me angry. I can’t stand the sound of other people’s chewing and have to leave the table/room if I hear it. It’s not a problem at parties or restaurants because I can’t hear the chewing/crunching over talking and other background noise, but I often have music playing during meals at home so I can’t hear DH chewing. I don’t hear my own chewing the same way. This is not about manners or comparison chewing. I would never, ever tell anyone else to try to chew more quietly when they are eating normally and I’m making the same sounds. I just can’t tolerate it. It’s a dysfunction I’ve lived with forever.
@jym I saw that. I think tinnitus has become a bigger issue with baby boomers aging, after youths spent at loud concerts! I need to go back to evaluation of acoustic neuroma for my symptoms though. Hyperacusis with facial pain and numbness caused a suspicion of that and it has continued for 3 years. I cannot do contrast to they could not do an adequate scan.
My kid got a PhD and had to defend before a panel, as is usually done. The tradition was that the candidate provide snacks for the panel. My kid had to break that tradition due to misophonia. If the panel started chewing the defense would have been over quickly.
Again, this is a different problem from hyperacusis and not all hyperacusis causes pain.
Two nights with the AC condenser, sleeping even less than normal. I wear noise cancelling ear muffs to use the bathroom where the noise is the worst. Praying for cold weather.
My minor nocturnal challenge this month was due to seasonal allergies. But yikes, I was up one night with sinus congestion worried that I might have an infected ear.
I think many people read posts and never actually post themselves. I assume when I post a question that things may wander a bit but even if the info doesn’t help me personally it helps someone else. Isn’t that part of why we are here?
Believe me, I eat as quietly as is humanly possible and my middle child still can literally hardly stand to eat meals with me or anyone else for that matter. He plugs one ear with his finger and holds his other ear down to his shoulder as he eats. It started when he was a teenager. He would get so mad at us! At first his reaction made me furious but then someone told me about it being a real condition and that helped me understand.
People need to stop being obnoxious, I think!