A very common fear among people with hyperacusis is the need to go to the dentist for tooth removal or repair, since the dental drill dentists use for this task reaches between 85 and 95 dB, an intensity that can be problematic for those with moderate to severe hyperacusis. Here are some tips on how to handle this situation so that the impact on our ears is minimal or even negligible.
It is very common that, when faced with hyperacusis symptoms, doctors order an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to try to detect a cause that could explain these symptoms. The noise produced by an MRI is very intense, reaching up to 130 dB, and the duration of the scan can last up to an hour and a half, which can cause irreversible damage to the inner ear without proper hearing protection.
On several websites, hyperacusis is defined as the “loss of the ear’s dynamic range, understood as the auditory system’s ability to handle rapid increases in sound volume.” At first, I didn’t take this definition very seriously because hyperacusis is, above all, a reduction of the maximum tolerable intensity. Clearly, my problem was excessively loud sounds, which previously were no issue and now were intolerable, and I didn’t notice any particular difficulty with rapid volume changes.
However, over time I realized that this definition is incomplete. In hyperacusis, the limitation is not only the maximum tolerable sound intensity but also sudden variations in volume. This means that sounds with an intensity clearly within our comfortable range can still be incomprehensibly difficult to tolerate. For example, a person with hyperacusis might tolerate the noise of a bus at 75–80 dB without difficulty, yet a door slamming at only 65 dB—if heard in a very quiet environment—can leave the ear somewhat sore and more sensitive.
When hyperacusis is bilateral, holding the phone receiver close to the ear for a several-minute conversation can be challenging. If the hyperacusis is severe, it may be impossible without causing increased sensitivity, pain, or a relapse. Small speakers (or micro-speakers), such as those in phones, laptops, some TVs, or other electronic devices, are extremely uncomfortable for many people with hyperacusis even at very low volumes.
I am going to explain the basic concepts of an audiogram so that beginners can interpret it correctly. For this, I will use an audiogram kindly provided by a user from the APAT forum.
There are different types of hearing tests. I will explain the pure-tone audiometry, which is the most common, as well as the test used to determine the presence of hyperacusis.
One way to treat hyperacusis is through music, either as the tool for conducting sound therapy or as part of sound enrichment. However, for it to be effective, a wide variety of works (and styles) must be listened to, because if we limit ourselves to a small number of pieces, we will not be adequately stimulating the full frequency spectrum.
Reading messages on the Hyperacusis Network forum, I came across the case of Rob, who, lacking disability benefits in his country (USA) and needing to keep paying bills, was forced to cope with very severe hyperacusis, having to expose himself to numerous sounds that caused him pain and setbacks.
