Pain is your body’s means of giving you information. It’s not a very enjoyable method but it can be beneficial. When your ears start to feel the pain of a really loud megaphone next to you, you know damage is taking place and you can take measures to move further away or at least cover your ears.
But for around 8-10% of individuals, quiet sounds can be perceived as painfully loud, in spite of their measured decibel level. This condition is referred to by experts as hyperacusis. It’s a medical term for overly sensitive ears. The symptoms of hyperacusis can be managed but there’s no cure.
Elevated sensitivity to sound
Hyperacusis is a hypersensitivity to sound. Usually sounds in a distinct frequency trigger episodes of hyperacusis for individuals who suffer from it. Quiet noises will frequently sound very loud. And noises that are loud sound a lot louder than they are.
nobody’s quite sure what causes hyperacusis, although it is often related to tinnitus or other hearing problems (and, in some cases, neurological issues). There’s a noticeable degree of individual variability with the symptoms, severity, and treatment of hyperacusis.
What’s a normal hyperacusis response?
Here’s how hyperacusis, in most situations, will look and feel::
- After you hear the initial sound, you could experience pain and hear buzzing for days or even weeks.
- You will notice a particular sound, a sound that everybody else perceives as quiet, and that sound will seem very loud to you.
- The louder the sound is, the more powerful your response and discomfort will be.
- Balance issues and dizziness can also be experienced.
Hyperacusis treatment treatment
When you have hyperacusis the world can become a minefield, especially when your ears are extremely sensitive to a wide range of frequencies. Your hearing could be assaulted and you could be left with an awful headache and ringing ears whenever you go out.
That’s why it’s so important to get treatment. You’ll want to come in and speak with us about which treatments will be your best option (this all tends to be rather variable). Here are some of the most prevalent options:
Masking devices
One of the most commonly used treatments for hyperacusis is something called a masking device. 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 offending frequencies can be removed before they get to your ears. If you can’t hear the triggering sound, you won’t have a hyperacusis episode.
Earplugs
Earplugs are a less sophisticated take on the same basic approach: if all sound is blocked, there’s no possibility of a hyperacusis incident. There are undoubtedly some disadvantages to this low tech strategy. There’s some research that suggests that, over time, the earplugs can throw your hearing ecosystem even further out of whack and make your hyperacusis worse. If you’re considering using earplugs, give us a call for a consultation.
Ear retraining
One of the most comprehensive approaches to managing hyperacusis is known as ear retraining therapy. You’ll use a mix of devices, physical therapy, and emotional counseling to try to change the way you react to certain types of sounds. The concept is that you can train yourself to ignore sounds (rather like with tinnitus). Generally, this approach has a good success rate but depends heavily on your commitment to the process.
Less common methods
Less common methods, including ear tubes or medication, are also utilized to treat hyperacusis. Both of these approaches have met with only mixed results, so they aren’t as commonly used (it’ll depend on the individual and the specialist).
Treatment makes a big difference
Because hyperacusis will vary from person to person, an individual treatment plan can be developed depending on your symptoms as you encounter them. Effectively treating hyperacusis depends on determining a strategy that’s best for you.