Hypersensitive to Sound? Here’s What Your Body’s Trying to Tell You

Nails on a chalkboard or squealing car brakes are universally unpleasant. But if everyday noises seem to cause you extraordinary stress, you could have a condition that makes you hypersensitive to sounds.

There are no tests for sound hypersensitivity, "so it is a subjective experience," says Amy Sarow, AuD, a clinical audiologist and Audiology Lead at Soundly.

But you might be more sensitive to sound than most if certain everyday sounds make you feel agitated, uncomfortable or angry, or even cause you physical pain, she notes.

Though sound sensitivities can't usually be cured, there are ways to manage them. The best strategy starts with figuring out what's driving your discomfort.

Here's a look at some of the most common culprits and what you can do about them.

Hyperacusis is a rare hearing disorder where normal, everyday sounds like water running or the hum of a car engine are perceived as unbearably loud, frightening or even physically uncomfortable.

"For example, an individual may experience any sound at average conversational volume as intolerable," Sarow says.

The noises are often accompanied by ear ringing, ear pain or feeling like your ears are about to pop.

Anyone can get hyperacusis, but it's most commonly triggered by long-term exposure to loud noises (like construction or loud music) or a sudden exposure to loud noise (like fireworks), per the Cleveland Clinic.

Some people also develop it after surgery or a head injury, as a reaction to a medication or after certain infections, including ear infections and Lyme disease.

Hyperacusis is also linked to several other conditions — you may be more at risk for it if you have:

• Anxiety
• Autism
• Depression
• Down syndrome
• Migraines
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Tempromandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
• Tinnitus

People with misophonia — another type of hearing disorder — experience rage or disgust when they hear certain noises. Common culprits include the sound of someone else eating, drinking or breathing, according to a June 2021 paper in ‌The Journal of Neuroscience‌.

Unlike hyperacusis, it's the specific sound rather than the volume that triggers a reaction, Sarow says.

Tinnitus, a condition marked by ringing or pulse in your ears when no sound is present, is more common in older adults, and it doesn't always cause sound hypersensitivity. But nearly half of people with tinnitus have some degree of hyperacusis, according to a November 2020 paper in ‌Current Opinion in Physiology‌.

Though experts don't fully understand the connection, "both involve a functional connection between the auditory and limbic systems that result in reactivity to sound," Sarow says.

Some evidence shows that having anxiety or OCD might make you more prone to misophonia, Sarow notes.

According to the International OCD Foundation, the brains of people with anxiety or OCD might be more sensitive to all kinds of sensory stimuli, which could cause certain sounds to be irritating or tough to tolerate.

People with ADHD, a condition marked by impulsivity and trouble focusing, are more sensitive to sensory information, including sounds, according to Sarow.

Certain sounds might cause you to feel overstimulated, distracted or anxious, to the point where you experience physical symptoms like a headache, dizziness or nausea, notes the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA).

Having extreme sensitivity to sounds can be stressful and make it harder to work, go to school and do the things you enjoy.

If this sound sensitivity is causing you emotional distress, interfering with your daily life or work activities, or causing difficulty in your relationships, you should see a professional for help, Sarow says.

"An evaluation from a neurologist, an ENT or a psychologist can help determine the cause and best treatment procedure," she notes.