Noise Sensitivity Anxiety – All You Need To Know About

Have you ever heard of a disorder that causes intense reactions to sounds? We all can mostly tolerate different sounds, but noise sensitivity anxiety can make you anxious or run even after listening to the chirping sound of birds outside the room. The inability to tolerate the noise of crowds, dripping taps, moving chairs, or anything can develop into noise sensitivity anxiety.

Hyperacusis, phonophobia, and misophonia are the three different types of noise sensitivity anxiety that cause people to show intense reactions to sounds. In this blog, we will take a deep look at noise sensitivity anxiety, its types, differences, examples, and more.

Noise Sensitivity Anxiety: Taking a Look at the Basics

• Noise sensitivity anxiety causes intense reactions to sounds. The diagnostic criteria of noise sensitivity anxiety are still blurred. Noise sensitivity can cause irritation to certain noises resulting in heightened or excessive reactions and intense distress.
• People struggling with noise sensitivity anxiety avoid social situations and isolate themselves which directly impacts their overall wellbeing.
• Due to a lack of accurate data, we are not able to find studies supporting the prevalence of noise sensitivity anxiety.
• Phonophobia is a rare type of noise sensitivity anxiety or specific phobias.
• Mental health-related symptoms of noise sensitivity anxiety may include irritation, anger, anxiety, fear, and distress.
• Physical health-related symptoms of noise sensitivity anxiety may include shortness of breath, muscle tension, racing heart, and sweating.

Three Types of Noise-Sensitivity Anxiety

There are three types of noise sensitivity anxiety, misophonia, hyperacusis, and phonophobia. In order to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatment options, it’s important to know how to differentiate between them.

Phonophobia

Phonophobia is a result of sensitivity caused by migraine, it can also be referred to as sonophobia or gynophobia. It is generally caused by unwarranted, abnormal, and persistent fear of sound. This can also include environmental sounds such as the sound of traffic, sounds developed by the movement of furniture, someone working in a kitchen, and others.

People struggling with phonophobia struggle with stressful reactions to any noise and in the presence of loud noises, they show intense reactions. In psychology, this phobia comes under the umbrella of specific phobias which are known to be caused by dysfunction of the brain’s auditory system.

Misophonia

Misophonia is counted under the category of decreased sound tolerance syndrome. Some psychologists consider misophonia to be a milder form of phonophobia. Misophonia is more likely to be caused by a defect in the central auditory system of the brain. Spontaneity, misappropriate annoyance, and excessive discomfort to noise are some of the common symptoms of misophonia. In some excessive cases, sounds can also trigger distress or anger.

Hyperacusis

Hyperacusis is categorized under decreased sound tolerance syndrome. Phonophobia and misophonia are likely to be caused by physical discomfort, meanwhile, hyperacusis is caused by tinnitus. Hyperacusis is diagnosed through audiological exams such as uncomfortable loudness level (LDL), loudness discomfort level (LDL), and uncomfortable listening level (UCL).

Research shows that people struggling with hyperacusis can also develop phonophobia or misophonia due to excessive discomfort. High pressure or decibels of sound is one of the known causes of hyperacusis. Due to this syndrome, people are not able to attend concerts or go to construction sites.

Hyperacusis can also be connected with disorders such as Meniere’s disease, Bell’s palsy, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, anxiety, depression, Addison’s disease, and others. Hyperacusis can be treated by retraining therapy or sound therapy by a certified counselor or audiologist.

Symptoms of Noise Sensitivity Anxiety

Mostly, noise sensitivity anxiety impacts mental health resulting in symptoms such as restlessness, fear, isolation, and others. In some excessive cases, they can induce anxiety-induced anger. Below listed are some of the other common symptoms of noise sensitivity anxiety:

• Anxiety
• Being startled
• Constant urge to cry due to triggered noises
• Chronic distress
• Dizziness
• Earache
• Feeling of being overwhelmed
• Feeling jittery
• Headache
• Irritation
• Lack of concentration
• Muscle tension
• Nausea

Common Triggers of Noise Sensitivity Anxiety

Noise sensitivity anxiety can be triggered by a variety of sounds be it low sounds, sudden sounds, high decibel sounds, and others. Below listed are some of the common triggers of noise sensitivity anxiety:

• Banging noises
• Beeping
• Chewing
• Clanking of dishes
• Coughing
• Hiccupping
• Loud noises
• Pouring
• Smacking lips
• Sniffling
• Traffic noises
• Screaming
• Snoring
• Swallowing
• Whispering

Common Causes of Noise Sensitivity Anxiety

Due to a lack of accurate data, we were not able to find exact studies or research supporting the causes of noise sensitivity anxiety. Some researches show that noise sensitivity anxiety can be caused by the presence of contributing factors such as:

1. Family History: Research shows that people diagnosed with noise anxiety had a relative with similar symptoms. Other studies also supported the family history as a contributing factor.
2. Presence of Mental Health Issues: Studies show that people struggling with phonophobia or misophonia also struggle with coexisting mental health issues or disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, panic disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and others. Research also shows that phonophobia can also be caused by emotional trauma in the past due to an event linked to loud noise.
3. Tinnitus: Research shows that people experiencing tinnitus (ringing in the ears) are likely to develop misophonia. Other studies did not support the correlation.

Diagnosis & Treatment of Noise Sensitivity Anxiety

Due to a lack of research and data, there are no well-described diagnosis criteria for noise sensitivity anxiety. If you think you or your loved one might be struggling with noise sensitivity anxiety, it’s important to learn about the differences and explain them to an audiologist. You can connect with an audiologist nearby for proper investigation. If the causes are more rooted in fears, you can also take the help of a mental health professional for counseling and therapy sessions.

Coming forth to the treatment process of noise anxiety, again it’s important to understand the differences and the root causes. For example, if the symptoms are more based on tinnitus, then offering help for tinnitus may help ease the noise sensitivity anxiety-related symptoms.

If the symptoms are more related to mental health, connecting with a mental health professional can help you overcome the sensitivity. Therapy options such as sound therapy, exposure therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people overcome the triggering sounds.

If the root causes are more aligned with anxiety, depression, and the presence of mental health issues, CBT is known to be an effective and successful treatment method. CBT helps in replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. It can also help with negative emotions, actions, or maladaptive thoughts.

In some cases, a counselor may also prescribe medications for treating depression, anxiety, or panic disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed to treat the symptoms related to noise anxiety.

Self-Help for Managing the Symptoms of Noise Sensitivity Anxiety

If you’re looking for urgent help or a cure, you can try the below-listed self-help techniques to ease the symptoms of noise anxiety.

• Instead of isolating yourself or avoiding social situations, you can take the help of earplugs or earphones.
• If you want to work with full concentration or focus, you can listen to soothing sounds or produce your own soothing sounds to distract yourself.
• You can also use affirmations or powerful mantras to get rid of triggering sounds.
• Practice deep breathing or relaxation exercises to reduce the symptoms of anxiety.
• Create your own white noise playlist to eliminate distressing sounds.
• Maintain a good sleep routine and indulge in self-care.
• Practice the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique for reducing mental health-related

I hope this blog helps you understand what is noise sensitivity anxiety and the differences. Comment down and share your queries, you can also write to us at Calm Sage. For more such content, connect with us through all social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!