Our world is a noisy place, and it seems to get a little louder every day. For some of us, being subjected to noise isn't just irritating: it can cause overwhelming anxiety, physical pain, or even intense anger.
Some individuals have problems only with certain frequencies of sound. For others, the sound does not matter - anything over a certain volume is intolerable. And for still others, it is only very specific "problem" sounds (spoiler alert: chewing is the most common one) that cause the adverse reaction. All of these are examples of Acute Noise Sensitivity.
Acute Noise Sensitivity (ANS) is a condition in which a person experiences abnormal sensitivity to sounds that people with normal hearing would not ordinarily find uncomfortable or especially irritating. There can be many different causes for ANS including Autism Spectrum Disorders, Meniere's Disease, and Hyperacusis, to name just a few. ANS is a broad term, and it has a wide range of physical and psychological causes.
So what is it like to have ANS?
Short answer: it varies, but it's tough.
People with hyperacusis have an unusually low Loudness Discomfort Level (LDL), which means sounds do not have to be very loud at all to become very uncomfortable. For reference, the average person begins to experience discomfort when sound exceeds 85-90dB. You might begin to feel overwhelmed by the volume levels around big industrial machinery or at a live concert. The noise is enormous. It makes it hard to focus. It can be irritating, distressing, or even painful. Now imagine what it would be like if you could be sent into that kind of crisis by minor daily things like voices, or music, or traffic on a busy street. That's the reality for many who live with hyperacusis.
Others struggle with hypersensitive hearing, a condition that is usually present from birth. Those with hypersensitive hearing are typically only vulnerable to certain specific frequencies, and typically only starting at 70dB or so - around the volume of a living room TV. This type of hearing hypersensitivity is so common among both adults and children with autism that it is often viewed as one of the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders. Note that which frequencies are and are not distressing varies greatly from person to person. One autistic person may find a particular frequency of sound (for instance, the range of noise made by a vacuum cleaner) to be frightening and painful, while another autistic person may pay little or no attention to that same sound.
And then there's misophonia. People with misophonia experience a strong negative reaction to one particular sound. This is an intense emotional response to only that specific noise - most commonly the sound of eating, lip-smacking, or breathing. Hearing that trigger noise makes misophonia sufferers feel anger and a need to escape the sound. It may seem a bit unusual, and the term is still somewhat new, but misophonia is a real disorder. A recent Harvard study of misophonia found that those eating, smacking, breathing sounds actually caused increased heart rate and sweating in people with the condition.
So what should you do if you think you have ANS?
Because ANS can have so many different underlying causes, there is no one cure for the condition. If you believe you may suffer from ANS, you should consult with your physician to understand the cause and to determine the best course of treatment. For instance, people with hyperacusis may have no simple treatment available to them, but they can sometimes increase their tolerance for noise through auditory retraining therapy from a hearing health professional. Similarly, some people with hypersensitive hearing can benefit from auditory integration therapy, which uses a machine called an audiokinetron to normalize hearing tolerance, effectively "re-tuning" the ears. Unfortunately, not all forms of ANS can be treated. Seeking out the advice of a medical professional is the only way to be sure you can find the right ANS treatment, if one is available.
When it comes to day-to-day mitigation of the symptoms, hearing protection can provide some serious relief.
For children with ANS, we highly recommend child earmuffs. These are safe and easy to use, comfortable, reusable for years, and are less likely to cause problems for kids (especially kids who also have tactile sensitivity issues) than ear plugs. Child earmuffs with moderate or low noise protection will still allow for some hearing, just at a greatly reduced volume. Parents have told us stories about how their children completely adore their earmuffs, and even look forward to wearing them. For kids with noise hypersensitivity issues, the relief is a big deal.
For older kids who may feel self-conscious wearing ear muffs, and for most adults, musician's ear plugs are the best solution. Originally designed for listening to live music safely, these ear plugs are equipped with acoustic filters that block noise evenly across the frequencies. Unlike regular ear plugs, they allow for clear hearing. Wearing this type of ear plug is a lot like just being able to turn the volume on the world down. For people who struggle with ANS every day, that can be a huge game-changer.
There are no simple answers with ANS. But with guidance from a medical professional and a little hearing protection, ANS can get a whole lot easier to live with.
Do you suffer from ANS? Tell us about it! We'd love to hear more about you and your stories about acute noise sensitivity. What is it like for you? What have you tried in the past? Leave a comment to share your story, or stop by our Facebook or Twitter and tell us about it. And if you have any questions about Acute Noise Sensitivity or how to cope with noise, we are here to help!
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore
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