Sound sensitivity syndrome

[kinddog]

I came accross this when trying to find some information on my own sound sensitivity. It has caused me so much upset in my life and I've never been able to understand what is wrong with me. I've noticed that there are many posts on eating sounds etc (these are my worst). Anyway, have a read up on this, it's most fascinating:

Selective soft sound sensitivity (SSSS) syndrome......it's called 4S and was named by an audiologist who studies this problem. There's even a forum set up for people like us. At last there's a name for it.....makes me very sad as it's caused me years and years of difficulties and I've never told a soul as thought it was just me

[QueensU_girl]

There are others here with sensory issues.

Have you read up on "sensory diets"?

It is the idea that people do better when their sensory input is controlled. (e.g. some kids "behavior problems" and "stress problems" and such are the result of SENSORY OVERLOAD.)

Modulating and regulating input can help a person with sensory overload issues. (e.g. normal people cannot understand that for some folks, a light is 10-100x stronger for the Sensory-different person. It is not illuminating, it is *blinding*.

Some hyperactivity can be the result of a person being "irritated" in their nervous system. (This certainly is true in the lab with cells exposed to toxins and other smaller animals put under stress.)

Hyperactivity (or other ADD problems) may reduce when sensory toxicity is reduced.

We have a place here in Toronto called MUKIBAUM that teaches a lot about SID (sensory integration disorder), etc.


http://www.mukibaum.com/Programs/progsensory.html

[Lunacie]

Interesting post - quick question, are you sensitive to the noises of your own eating or of hearing others eat?

Looking for more information on SSSS led me to this site on hyperacusis - I can't believe there is a name for a problem I've had for as long as I can remember.
http://www.hyperacusis.net/hyperacus...ty/default.asp

[Matt S.]

White noise machines work wonders I have two of them and I don't get startled by outside stimuli.

[Lunacie]

Originally Posted by mspen1018

White noise machines work wonders I have two of them and I don't get startled by outside stimuli.

Even with white noise (or a fan going) I can't deal with the sound of a child whining or a baby crying or a dog yapping or a door slamming or a foot tapping or a vacumn cleaner or an alarm going off or a motorcycle driving by or children playing the same room I'm in ... it's not that they startle me (although some do), it's that they are just too loud an annoying - creating stress and tension and a sort of anxiety attack that can last for hours.

It's only when I don't get enough sleep that soft sounds (like someone else eating) really irritate me.

[kinddog]

Thanks for the replies, to be honest I've only just started to look into it. I'm 45 and my dad always had this sensitivity too. My sister's the same as me and 2 (out my 4) kids are the same. I could name a number of things that I'm completely over sensitive to but eating noises are the worst. My poor mum...I just can't be around her when she eats. Some people bother me more than others but the feeling of irritation is so intense. It gets to the point where I have to leave the room and have perfected all sorts of avoidance techniques over the years so I don't have to be around people eating.

I do find myself sort of 'zooming in' on someone and once their eating sounds are upsetting me I do tend to focus entirely on that, with the extreme irritation building up inside. Then I'm stuck, I either have to leave the room or wait for them to finish the last mouthful and stop eating. Then I just carry on as normal. It's exhausting I must say. I'm now thinking that I sound really crazy

Funnily enough, I have never been irritated by my own eating!

[Matt S.]

I feel the same way but I have a room that I hide in and use those machines (I have to use two of them) and it block it out for awhile, crank them at their highest and I can say they become a lot less noticeable, it doesn't get rid of them but in the long run I am less anxious over it because it isn't as intense for me.

Another thing that makes me feel like that is when I type.

[rubbdog]

Originally Posted by Lunacie

Even with white noise (or a fan going) I can't deal with the sound of a child whining or a baby crying or a dog yapping or a door slamming or a foot tapping or a vacumn cleaner or an alarm going off or a motorcycle driving by or children playing the same room I'm in ... it's not that they startle me (although some do), it's that they are just too loud an annoying - creating stress and tension and a sort of anxiety attack that can last for hours.

It's only when I don't get enough sleep that soft sounds (like someone else eating) really irritate me.

Wow, this describes what I go through to a T! It's interesting that these items (lets add lawnmowers and ice chewing to the list), only bother me on some occasions, but can then ruin my day for hours. I'm interested in your observation about sleep, and plan to try tracking my sleep patterns to look for a corallation.

My doctor has been helping me with some "fixation" issues I get from time to time (can't stop working on a project, or reading web forums like this one all night long LOL). As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, these sound issues often feel like a fixation as well. Once I tune into the sound, I notice it more and more, until I am anticipating it before it has left my MIL's mouth (ice chewing, in her case). The interesting part is that my doctor tells me that ADHD often goes hand in hand with some mild OCD symptoms, and that OCD symptoms have been linked to imbalances between dopamine levels and seritonin levels in our brains. Now seratonin helps regulate our sleep patterns, and melatonin (a precursor used to create seritonin) is only produced by our bodies when we are in deep sleep, so it could be concievable that these are all tied together. Lack of quality sleep=neurochemical imbalances=OCD symptoms=sound fixations?
Time for bed...

[rubbdog]

Originally Posted by kinddog

Thanks for the replies, to be honest I've only just started to look into it. I'm 45 and my dad always had this sensitivity too. My sister's the same as me and 2 (out my 4) kids are the same. I could name a number of things that I'm completely over sensitive to but eating noises are the worst. My poor mum...I just can't be around her when she eats. Some people bother me more than others but the feeling of irritation is so intense. It gets to the point where I have to leave the room and have perfected all sorts of avoidance techniques over the years so I don't have to be around people eating.

I do find myself sort of 'zooming in' on someone and once their eating sounds are upsetting me I do tend to focus entirely on that, with the extreme irritation building up inside. Then I'm stuck, I either have to leave the room or wait for them to finish the last mouthful and stop eating. Then I just carry on as normal. It's exhausting I must say. I'm now thinking that I sound really crazy

Funnily enough, I have never been irritated by my own eating!

Kinddog
See my previous post about that "zooming in " behavior, and as an experiment, try eating with earplugs in. What I've found is that all of a sudden the sound of my own eating is horrendously loud, defeating the purpose of putting earplug in in the first place!

[Lunacie]

Chewing ice has to be about the worst sound!

Fortunately I don't spend any time around ice chewers anymore.

*knocks on wood*

[sloppitty-sue]

My poor mum...I just can't be around her when she eats. Some people bother me more than others but the feeling of irritation is so intense. It gets to the point where I have to leave the room and have perfected all sorts of avoidance techniques over the years so I don't have to be around people eating.

I was just talking about this type of thing with my therapist this week. I also have these "sensitivities" and more . . . and they are part of the reason why I doubt the possibility of my ever having another serious romantic relationship or marriage. When I've been forced to look at it (like when someone has had to spend the night, like a close friend travelling from across the country, etc.), I realize that the things I'm "wierd" about are quite numerous. And most people (when I've told them, I try to hide it instead if possible) seem really wigged out by my issues.

When you mentioned how some peoples' eating is more irritating than others, I remembered telling my therapist about how growing up there were many mornings where I'd be sitting at the table in tears because of my father's eating. And my poor younger sisters still are upset to this day about my hostile morning behavior that always consisted of the remark, "DO YOU HAVE TO EAT THAT HERE!??"

Besides being bothered by sounds, there are a few sights of things that do the same thing to me. And these things are common items, mainly food items, that I can't even view without going bezerk (can't view or even write their names). Weird, eh?


Sue

[Lunacie]

Originally Posted by sloppitty-sue

I was just talking about this type of thing with my therapist this week. I also have these "sensitivities" and more . . . and they are part of the reason why I doubt the possibility of my ever having another serious romantic relationship or marriage. When I've been forced to look at it (like when someone has had to spend the night, like a close friend travelling from across the country, etc.), I realize that the things I'm "wierd" about are quite numerous. And most people (when I've told them, I try to hide it instead if possible) seem really wigged out by my issues.

When you mentioned how some peoples' eating is more irritating than others, I remembered telling my therapist about how growing up there were many mornings where I'd be sitting at the table in tears because of my father's eating. And my poor younger sisters still are upset to this day about my hostile morning behavior that always consisted of the remark, "DO YOU HAVE TO EAT THAT HERE!??"

Besides being bothered by sounds, there are a few sights of things that do the same thing to me. And these things are common items, mainly food items, that I can't even view without going bezerk (can't view or even write their names). Weird, eh?


Sue

I know what you mean about having doubts about being in another intimate relationship. Living with my daughter and grandchildren I am able to retreat to my own room and close the door when life gets too overwhelming for me. After being married to a snorer with sleep apnia issues (which he denied) for over 20 years, I don't really want to give up being able to sleep in peace and quiet, without someone bumping me or touching a very sensitive (and often ticklish) spot in the night.

I have a friend who keeps begging me to come and spend the night or the weekend in her spare bedroom. She isn't wigged out by the fact that I would have to bring my own (all cotton) sheets and my own (allergenic) pillow, and a fan for white noise, or that I have to get up to pee at least 2 times each night minimum. But why would I want to drag all that baggage with me to someone else's house?

[Imnapl]

Originally Posted by Lunacie

Interesting post - quick question, are you sensitive to the noises of your own eating or of hearing others eat?

Looking for more information on SSSS led me to this site on hyperacusis - I can't believe there is a name for a problem I've had for as long as I can remember.
http://www.hyperacusis.net/hyperacus...ty/default.asp

Very interesting. Here is a list of causes.

• Migraine
• Severe head trauma
• Facial nerve dysfunction (to Stapedius)
• Surgery
• Ear irrigation
• Tension Myositis Syndrome
• TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorder)
• Adverse drug reaction
• Williams Syndrome
• Autism
• Bell's palsy
• Ménière's disease
• Asperger syndrome
• Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS)
• Chronic ear infections
• Minor Head Injury
• A vestibular disorder: see below.

[tree oh tree]

For along while I've noticed that I'm particularly easily startled by loud noises or sudden movements. Certain touches as well. This can cause alot of offense to friends, loved ones or strangers.
Some people would make the incorrect assumption that it was a result of drug use (this was prior to any drug abuse, asside from the ocassional and moderate use of canabiss, and alcohol).
I'm not sure if there is any remedy for it. At one point I was prescribed propanol, but that had no effect on it.
Diet in general I find difficult to moderate and sometimes I think specialist diets are just assumed to be effective in all cases, and it can be hard to be aware of when it is a placebo or not, as to often I've thought this problem has gone away only to find that it returns when I least expect it.

[luvs2read]

Hi All! Newbie here. Holy cow! I stumbled on this thread while googling for something, anything, to describe what I have been dealing with. It is comforting to know that I am not alone.

Although, I never would have thought that what I have could be related to ADHD. But who knows. I know when I was a kid I had some sort of mild hearing disorder that they told my mom it was called "audio acuity deficiency" or something along that line. This was more than thirty years ago, so I'm not exactly sure.

I've been scouring the internet trying to find some answers, because recently I have been afflicted with severe, unrelenting migraines. While the migraines are always accompanied by the usual light and sound sensitivity, I have noticed that the sensitivity continues even when the pain is under control. I take Imitrex, Neurontin, Topamax, Midrin and the occasional Excedrin.

If I am really honest with myself, I would have to admit to always having some level of light, and more specifically sound, sensitivity. I have never been one to be able to tolerate loud venues. It has always been difficult for me to concentrate on work in a typical open cubicle workspace environment, even in the most quiet of offices. I suppose that is where the ADHD would come into play, if it were there. Otherwise, I am very, very focused and productive in quiet environments.

Harsh lighting is another headache and irritation trigger for me, especially fluorescent. My neurologist said it is because of the imperceptible flickering that can irriate the neurons of the brain. I have been stock-piling incandescent bulbs, because they will stop selling them next year in the U.S. in favor of the fluorescent halogen bulbs.

The feelings I get when I feel overwhelmed by the lights and sounds around me can drive me to the point of tears. My nerves get so shattered, for lack of a better word, that I either cry or lash out at others. I hate how debilitating it can be, with no rational way to explain it others. I hate feeling like I am going crazy inside my own skin.

Are there any other people on these boards that are migraine sufferers that have similar problems with sensory sensitivities when they are not having a migraine? If so, what do you do to cope so that you don't appear to be a complete nutcase to those around you? I have tried to discuss this with my neurologist, but I'm not even sure he gets it.

Thank you all for listening, and best of luck to you all.