If you are one of the millions of people in the world who suffer from hyperacusis, this site may be helpful for you.  

Hyperacusis is defined as an inability to tolerate everyday sounds. 

It is also defined as a collapse of the normal range of tolerance that is present in otherwise normally functioning ears.  There are many more people who are affected by hyperacusis than has been previously suspected.  This is probably related to the fact that many people with hyperacusis, especially children, are misdiagnosed or experience the difficulty that comes with having your perceptions and concerns dismissed.. 

People with hyperacusis may find that certain sounds are more difficult to listen to than others, and some sounds may cause pain in the ears, even when those sounds don't bother others.  Often, the most disturbing or painful sounds can be sudden high pitched noises like alarms, bus brakes, silverware and dishes, children's screams, and clapping. 

Hyperacusis can also fluctuate and manifest in cycles or unpredictible sequences.  The condition does not have a physical appearance that can be seen with some type of visual inspection, imaging with a machine, or other medical testing.

Sometimes, hyperacusis can be so severe that people begin to avoid any public or social setting in a vain attempt to protect their ears from any sounds.  It can be very difficult for family members or medical providers to understand and support the person with hyperacusis, which cannot be seen in images, like a broken bone.The fact is that hyperacusis does drive the sufferer into isolation and retreat, thus creating more of a problem for the individual and family.

Hyperacusis can come on suddenly or gradually.  It can initially affect only one ear but generally speaking, within a short time, the condition is almost always bilateral. It can be mild or severe. Often, people who have hyperacusis also have tinnitus, or phantom noises in their auditory system (ringing, buzzing, chirping, humming, or beating).  Sometimes it seems to patients that the tinnitus and hyperacusis are connected, and this impression has been supported by the fact that nearly half of all people with tinnitus will display some degree of hyperacusis when tested in the audiology clinic.

Adults and children can develop hyperacusis: certain birth conditions are associated with hyperacusis, including Williams Syndrome, Asberger's Syndrome and autism.  Since the auditory system connects the outer organs of hearing with the central nervous system, through a complex series of neural pathways, that literally pass through or coordinate with many diverse areas of the brain, there are endless possibilities for dysfunction that may contribute to hyperacusis.  In other words, diagnosis is often extremely challenging and difficult to specifically locate a single structural change that is responsible for hyperacusis.  There is no objective test for hyperacusis.  Careful case history and the use of Audiological Tests can help diagnose the condition.

There is a test for hyperacusis that is frequently offered in audiology clinics by the professionals that can help identify the level of sound sensitivity and distinguish true hyperacusis from other auditory conditions such as phonophobia (fear of sounds) and misophonia (hatred of sounds) or Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome (4S).  This test is called the Loudness Discomfort Level (LDL) test, and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete in a sound booth using an audiometer and headphones.  The test, if performed properly, will not further injure or inflame a sensitive auditory system.

The billions of electrical signals that are processed by our central nervous system must be ordered and prioritized for our practical use.  If you are reading a good book, and a bee stings you, the effect is dramatic and the primary activity instantaneously shifts!  In the case of hyperacusis, detecting which of these billions of electrical or biochemical processes has changed is still impossible.  But with proper, experienced, thorough investigation, coordination with all the medical providers, often a reasonable conclusion can be established for a particular patient as to the cause of the symptom and to discover a reasonable treatment approach.

The most common causes of hyperacusis are

          Hearing Loss, Noise Injury

          Head Injury or Whiplash type injury

          Acoustic Trauma

          Adverse reaction to medication or surgeries

          Chronic ear infections

          Auto immune disorders

             Genetic Predisposition

          Unknown

By far, the most common causes of hyperacusis are noise injuries or head injuries.  Neck injuries can also contribute, i.e., whiplash.  There remains huge areas of medical scientific research and data accumulation that must be explored before we can really begin to define and understand the different types of hyperacusis, and the origins of this troubling disorder. 

Dr. Marsha Johnson, audiologist, began to specialize in hyperacusis in July 1997 at her state of the art clinic in Portland, Oregon.  Her primary in her clinical practice has been limited to the conditions of hyperacusis and tinnitus.  She conducts research, publishes, presents, and enjoys direct clinical delivery with patients from all over the globe. Her pioneering and innovative-creative approach to problem solving has led to several important advances in the field of auditory clinical science.

Good Links:

www.tinnitus-audiology.com  Dr. Marsha Johnson's main website, full of articles, links, research, and more

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 SELECTIVE SOUND SENSITIVITY (4S) ISSUES--a special form of hyperacusis where people find very soft sounds objectionable such as eating, lip noises, smacking, breathing, speech sounds, pencil scratching, or other soft specific sounds.