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Hyperacusis: A Hearing
Impairment
by: Jason Rickard
Most people know of only one type of hearing impairment – deafness.
Hearing no sound at all can be very difficult but looking at the
opposite side of it, hearing too much may also prove to be as hard.
Hyperacusis is defined as the intolerance to normal and everyday sounds.
To give you a concrete illustration of hyperacusis, take for example a
glass being put down on top of a desk. To ordinary people, the sound
produced by such an act is hardly noticeable. For someone who is
suffering from hyperacusis, such sound may be described as loud, even
disturbing.
Symptoms of hyperacusis include pain or pressure in the inner ear.
Because of the added noise they hear, individuals with this ailment may
find it difficult to adapt to the flow of everyday life and may be
deemed as socially unfit.
When someone suffers from hyperacusis it would be likely that he or she
would soon develop tinnitus. Tinnitus is an odd sensation in your ear
that is coupled with a ringing or whistling sound. Phonophobia is also a
disorder that is associated with this condition. This is characterized
with the fear of exposure to sounds that may do damage to their hearing.
In such situations, a person with hyperacusis may be under a lot of
stress. This would be evident in how one performs in the workplace, at
home and in social gatherings. Lack of sleep is also attributed with
such stress.
Hyperacusis is said to be caused by a malfunction in the sound
regulatory system of the brain. It can also be a result of a serious
head injury, over fatigue or epilepsy. Disease such as Bell’s Palsy and
Lyme disease is also related with such hearing impairment. Intake of
synthetic drugs could also have some negative effects that can cause
hyperacusis.
One popular treatment for hyperacusis is sound desensitization. In this
procedure, a patient is exposed to pink noise (a term referred to a
random noise with equal amount of energy in one octave) at a volume
lower than one’s discomfort level. He would be subject to such process
for about two hours everyday. Results will not be achieved in a snap of
a finger, but with enough support from family and friends, one should be
in the path of full recovery in about six months.
About The Author
Jason Rickard is the owner of Your Favorite Shop -
http://www.yourfavouriteshop.com -Offering White Noise and
Relaxation CDs - Visit Hapa Health -
http://www.hapahapa.com for more articles. |
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