Hyperacusis: Definition, Causes, Symptoms And Treatments
Hearing laughter, hearing a child’s voice or the happy bark of a dog or going to a concert by our favorite band are aspects that most of us consider pleasurable.
These are more or less common sounds from our daily lives that accompany us and are part of our lives. However, For people with hyperacusis, what seems normal and even pleasant to the majority is real torture
And these people suffer a high level of discomfort from auditory stimulation. What is hyperacusis? In this article we proceed to analyze this impact.
Hyperacusis is understood to be that condition in which Those who suffer from it show a decreased tolerance threshold for sounds It is a type of hypersensitivity that causes the person to be unable to tolerate sounds that are normative for other people because they cause a variable degree of pain or discomfort. It is common for reactions to occur especially to loud and sudden sounds or to repetitive and continuous sounds, which can be torture for those who suffer from it.
It is important to take into account an aspect that is often taken for granted: hyperacusis does not imply a greater hearing capacity on the part of the person who suffers from it compared to the rest, this capacity being normal or they may even suffer from some type of hearing problem. That is, it is not that they hear more than others but that their nervous pathways respond more easily and have less capacity to resist sounds.
On a cognitive level, hyperacusis tends to cause problems when it comes to sustaining attention and concentrating It can also generate an increase in irritability due to the persistence of sounds that they cannot avoid, as well as behavioral avoidance of those sound sources that bother them. It is common for them to suffer from symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, tinnitus or physical and mental fatigue. Also sleep problems.
In addition to all this, people with hyperacusis often have social problems derived from their intolerance to sounds. This problem is usually not well understood socially, and can be very limiting. Because everyday sounds cause them suffering, they often avoid or become easily irritated by sound sources that for others are innocuous and even pleasant. In many cases they avoid places where there are crowds, which is difficult to achieve today in urban environments. In some cases they decide to isolate themselves by restricting social contact.
Causes
The causes of this type of condition, which can occur either on its own or be a symptom of another medical problem (such as Williams syndrome), are not completely known. There is speculation about the existence of damage or deterioration of the auditory pathways, especially in the cochlea
These lesions can be found at the level of the inner ear or at the brain level. The damage in question can have multiple causes, which can range from the presence of congenital alterations or malformations to acquired causes. The latter include exposure to a large amount of noise on a continuous basis, which can damage nerve connections and sensitize them. It can also arise from damage caused by a traumatic brain injury (which is why some people who have had car accidents would have this problem) or even the consumption of some substances.
At the hormonal level, serotonin seems to be involved, with alterations in serotonergic pathways being another possible cause of this problem. In some cases, stimulus deprivation is also proposed as an etiology, but this is unlikely.
Treatment
Traditionally, The advice given to those who suffer from hyperacusis is to avoid noises that bother them, or use barrier methods that muffle sounds. This prevents suffering, but in the long run it actually causes the auditory system to become more sensitive as it is not used to handling sounds. Furthermore, ultimately this makes it even more difficult to lead a normal life.
It is more advisable that the patient be exposed to environmental noise levels in a controlled manner. It is recommended that those who suffer from it have devices that help them generate a noise that is low enough so that it is not particularly harmful but that keeps them stimulated, trying to make the nervous system adapt little by little to the most common sounds. That is, it is about generating a progressive desensitization that over time can reduce the sensitivity of the system.
Another fundamental aspect to address is psychoeducation of both the subject and his or her environment. This last aspect is essential due to the great difficulty that can be involved in understanding the patient’s suffering when faced with stimuli considered “normal”, demystifying some aspects associated with this problem and contributing to generating patterns of behavior and socialization that make the subject feel socially supported. .
At a pharmacological level, benzodiazepines, SSRI antidepressants (remember that serotonin has been associated with some cases of hyperacusis) or even anticonvulsants are usually used. At a medical level, surgical methods have sometimes been used, although this is not common.
It may also be necessary to work on the possible appearance of depressive episodes or to carry out training in anxiety management and coping with stress, which can be both a product and a triggering element of these people’s sensitivity to noise.
