One way your body offers information to you is through pain response. It’s an effective strategy though not a really enjoyable one. When your ears start to feel the pain of a very loud megaphone near 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 detected as painfully loud, in spite of their measured decibel level. This condition is referred to by experts as hyperacusis. This is the medical label for excessively sensitive ears. The symptoms of hyperacusis can be managed but there’s no cure.
Increased sensitivity to sound
Hyperacusis is a hypersensitivity to sound. The majority of people with hyperacusis have episodes that are activated by a specific group of sounds (usually sounds within a range of frequencies). Typically, quiet noises sound loud. And loud noises sound even louder.
No one’s quite certain what causes hyperacusis, though it is frequently associated with tinnitus or other hearing issues (and, in some situations, neurological issues). There’s a significant degree of individual variability with the symptoms, intensity, and treatment of hyperacusis.
What type of response is normal for hyperacusis?
In most cases, hyperacusis will look and feel something like this:
- Balance problems and dizziness can also be experienced.
- Your response and discomfort will be worse the louder the sound is.
- You may notice pain and buzzing in your ears (this pain and buzzing could last for days or weeks after you hear the original sound).
- Everyone else will think a specific sound is quiet but it will sound extremely loud to you.
Treatments for hyperacusis
When you have hyperacusis the world can become a minefield, especially when your ears are very sensitive to a wide range of frequencies. You never know when a lovely night out will suddenly become an audio onslaught that will leave you with ringing ears and an intense migraine.
That’s why it’s so crucial to get treatment. You’ll want to come in and consult with us about which treatments will be your best option (this all tends to be rather variable). The most popular options include the following.
Masking devices
One of the most frequently implemented treatments for hyperacusis is something called a masking device. This is technology that can cancel out certain frequencies. These devices, then, have the ability to selectively mask those triggering wavelengths of sound before they ever get to your ear. You can’t have a hyperacusis episode if you can’t hear the offending sound!
Earplugs
A less sophisticated strategy to this general method is earplugs: you can’t have a hyperacusis attack if you can’t hear… well, anything. It’s undoubtedly a low-tech strategy, and there are some drawbacks. There’s some research that suggests that, over the long run, the earplugs can throw your hearing ecosystem even further off and make your hyperacusis worse. If you’re considering using earplugs, contact us for a consultation.
Ear retraining
One of the most comprehensive approaches to treating hyperacusis is called ear retraining therapy. You’ll use a combination of devices, physical therapy, and emotional counseling to try to change the way you react to certain kinds of sounds. Training yourself to ignore sounds is the basic idea. Normally, this approach has a good rate of success but depends a great deal on your dedication to the process.
Methods that are less prevalent
Less prevalent methods, including ear tubes or medication, are also used to manage hyperacusis. These approaches are less commonly used, depending on the specialist and the individual, because they have met with mixed results.
A huge difference can come from treatment
Depending on how you experience your symptoms, which differ from person to person, a unique treatment plan can be developed. Effectively treating hyperacusis depends on finding a strategy that’s best for you.