Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis is a hypersensitivity to everyday sounds which may be perceived as painfully loud. In extreme cases it may lead to complete social isolation as a way of avoiding any contact with sound. It may present as a single entity not associated with any other hearing symptoms.
The diminished tolerance to normal environmental sounds may vary from mild to very severe discomfort with levels of sound not perceived as loud by other people.
Hyperacusis can also be accompanied by ear pain and tinnitus. In extreme cases of hyperacusis, individuals isolate themselves into confined, quiet environments, away from social interaction.
Individuals with hyperacusis do not necessarily have a hearing loss, and it is also a fallacy that they may have supernormal hearing.
Hyperacusis can be caused by trauma or insult to the brain causing an alteration in the central processing of sounds. This alteration may be chemically induced by toxic drugs, or mechanically induced by head injuries. It can also be caused by psychological trauma.
Our perception of loudness is not dictated solely by the strength or intensity of the sound entering our ears. It is also influenced by the meaning of the sounds and the learned association in the central areas of the brain.
Our audiologists can help you to understand how the brain is dynamically changing in response to the environment and understand the pathological conditions in the ear.
Further Reading
Tonic tensor tympani syndrome in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients: a multi-clinic prevalence study can be found here.
Scientific studies by Dr Celene McNeill and her colleagues can be found on our Scientific Publications page.
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