Causes of hyperacusis

The most common cause of hyperacusis is acoustic trauma, either acute (a single exposure to a very intense level) or chronic (sustained exposure over time to high levels). However, there are many causes that can lead to hyperacusis which, as we see in the following table, are not directly related to the inner ear as one might initially think.

Symptoms of hyperacusis

The main symptom of someone suffering from hyperacusis is intolerance to moderate or even mild sounds. Exposure to sounds causes discomfort and pain, and sounds are perceived as louder than they really are. It can occur in one or both ears.

Hyperacusis and Qigong

 Recently, I came across a successful case of recovery from severe hyperacusis and tinnitus that, due to its characteristics, I believe is worth sharing, as it may open a new avenue of treatment and hope for those suffering from this difficult auditory disorder.

How to treat phonophobia

As we saw in the article Misophonia and Phonophobia, the treatment typically used to address these types of auditory disorders is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy is used to treat problems arising from certain experiences, emotions, and false beliefs, and is based on the association between thought and behavior. Although it is always best to consult a professional for your particular case, some people may manage with the advice to identify, prevent, and treat phonophobia that I will provide below. Although I focus on phonophobia, these same tips can also be useful for treating misophonia, since, as discussed in the aforementioned article, the mechanisms explaining misophonia and phonophobia are identical.

Misophonia and phonophobia

Although I have already briefly explained what misophonia and phonophobia consist of in Basic Concepts of Hyperacusis, the importance of these auditory disorders in conjunction with hyperacusis can be such that it is worth delving deeper into them.

Among the different auditory disorders in which the patient shows sound intolerance, misophonia and phonophobia are those in which, according to Dr. Jonathan Hazell, “the auditory pathways may function normally, but there is a strong abnormal reaction of the limbic system and the autonomic nervous system, to which the auditory system is closely connected.” Thus, unlike hyperacusis or recruitment, where there is a physiological problem, misophonia and phonophobia are psychological disorders caused by previous negative experiences with certain sounds. However, in the case of misophonia, not all cases are attributed to negative experiences with sounds. Some specialists, such as neuroscientist Aage R. Moller, consider that this condition is not learned but innate, and responds to some “physiological anomaly” in the areas of the brain activated by sound processing. On the other hand, audiologist Marsha Johnson points out that there seems to be a genetic component, as often members of the same family share this problem.

The sound level meter on your phone

The sound level meter is the instrument used to measure the intensity of sounds, and it performs that measurement in decibels (dB SPL). Its most widespread use is to measure noise pollution, but for those of us with hyperacusis it can be an excellent tool to more accurately know the noise level to which we are being exposed, or as an indicator of when we should use hearing protection. It is even more useful for those who have developed phonophobia and are afraid even of sounds that cannot cause them any harm, since it provides us with an objective value of intensity that helps to calm the negative response to sound.

Glossary

When talking about hyperacusis, it becomes inevitable to use certain terms related to acoustic physics or simply auditory medicine. For those who are unfamiliar with the meaning of words such as frequency, bandwidth, octave, etc., I will explain here exactly what all those terms mean in order to facilitate the understanding of the articles hosted on this blog.