Hearing problems are more frequent than we think. Many times there is an adequate treatment that solves the hearing problem, but other times, especially when it is a hypersensitivity to sound, it is more difficult to establish an effective treatment, since the physical and psychological factors are interrelated in this type of ailments. Added to this is the problem that these are conditions that are very difficult to diagnose.
Extreme sensitivity to sounds
- Sound hypersensitivity shows different conditions, but in all cases it is an abnormal perception of the sounds that are produced around us. It can manifest in the form of hyperacusis, which is when the person perceives the sound at a louder volume than what is actually being produced. Phonophobia is another variant of hypersensitivity to sound that has a psychological cause. In cases of phonophobia, the problem is the uncontrolled fear produced by certain sounds such as the voice, both that of other people and that of the person who suffers from it.
- Other hearing problems are difficult to bear, such as tinnitus, when repetitive knocks or sounds are perceived in the ear without actually being produced. But one of the hearing ailments that presents the most complications in its treatment is misophonia.
Misophonia problems
- Misophonia produces a feeling of disgust in the person who suffers from it when hearing certain sounds produced by others. Sounds such as chewing, swallowing, slurping or eating become unbearable for those with misophonia, and in the most severe cases the situation becomes so unbearable that angry or violent behavior may occur.
- Misophonia is not a phobia, so it does not have a psychological cause, but a neurological one, but psychological or even hypnotic therapies can help in its treatment. The problem with this disease, which appears at the end of childhood but worsens over time, is its difficult diagnosis and the lack of adequate treatment. In fact, until recently it had not been classified as a disease.
- People who present with misophonia generally trigger serious psychological problems. Due to their sometimes aggressive behavior towards others, they can make the decision to avoid all those situations that cause their discomfort, which is why in most cases it ends with a social isolation of the affected person. The scarce resources they have to alleviate their ailment do not help to favor their social integration either, since they only have the option of using earplugs or headphones that play music. In any case, they are intended to not hear the sounds that cause discomfort, but not to solve the problem.
- While waiting for a more appropriate treatment, those affected by misophonia are still condemned to live in a state of either anxiety, if they decide to deal with annoying noises, or isolation, if they decide to avoid them.