[shezbut]

I have an extreme sensitivity to sounds ~ and most are amplified a heck of a lot. People simply talking to me, in a so-called regular volume, and I have to plug my ears because it's very uncomfortable! Physically and emotionally.... though I really can't explain why it bothers me emotionally.

In a large room of people talking, I am often unable to make out who's saying what and where. I just hear lots of words ~ extremely loudly.

Does anyone else here have this problem? If so, do you work with a hearing doctor??

[AngelWolf3]

This is going to be a weird question, but have you hit your head recently? (even small impacts can accumulate over time, people have "sub-concussive" impacts without even realizing it) I know that this is a very common symptom of those of us with Post-Concussive Syndrome. I avoid social settings for this (along with other) reasons, it is so overwhelming because I can't sort through anything anyone is saying, like in a restaurant, or a crowded room, etc.

But if you haven't, then I am not sure? It could be a form of that "hypervigilance" we get told we have...(just a hypothesis, I have NO medical basis for that guess).

I did see an Ear Nose and Throat doctor, but everything is fine with me physiologically as far as my ears are concerned. No harm in seeing one if you feel that this might help?

My solution for my ongoing issue is to wear earplugs. You can get the little white waxy ones that aren't too obvious, and no one sees them on me since I have longer hair.

I hope this helps? If not, I am sorry! I am curious to see what others have to say!

I have recently heard (No pun intended) about the sensitivity to sound and can totally relate. If I sit in an extremely quiet environment, like a library or accounting department, the silence can be deafening. The lack of noise makes every little thing I hear seem 10X louder and I hear EVERYTHING.

I need acoustic buffers, like music or at least the white noise of a fan to keep all the little distracting sounds from killing my focus. In a noisy restaurant or bar/club environment there are simply TOO Many chanels of audio coming at me at the same time, then net effect is I hear Nothing. I can't hear the person sitting across the table from me.

I used to think I had some type of hearing loss, until I had my ears checked and found that my ears are perfectly normal for my age. What I did not know was that I had ADD. After my ADD diagnosis I began taking Adderall which slowed all the racing thoughts down and allowed me to process more chanels at the same time. Libraries and Accounting Departments are more bearable now. I can hear better in noisy bar/restaurant places too.

I still have sensitivity to sounds, the ADD never goes away, but for me sound/hearing issues have improved. You should definitely ask your doctor about this issue

[shezbut]

Hi Wolfin3,

I have had a couple of TBI's (traumatic brain injuries). The last one was 5 years ago, one year after brain surgery for uncontrollable seizures in my left temporal lobe. My memory really stinks, so I'm unable to say how long this has been bothering me. It has been at least one year, as I recall it always being a big issue at my job. I also clearly recall the hypersensitivity to sound after my LTL surgery.

Thanks for your feedback! I'm curious how many others here struggle with this issue, as the site I checked out specifically mentioned PTSD being a big trigger; as well as epilepsy, TBI, depression, and a couple other causes that don't apply to me. Curious!