About Hyperacusis
Hyperacusis is a rare hearing disorder that causes sounds, which would otherwise seem normal to most people, to seem unbearably loud to people with this condition.
It is a symptom of a central auditory nervous system malfunction. Normal everyday sounds seem overly magnified, as if someone has turned up the volume of the ear and the dial is stuck on high. Sounds such as turning newspaper pages, removing dishes from the dishwasher, brushing one’s hair or running water in the sink become intolerable to those with hyperacusis.
Everyday sounds (while hardly noticed by their peers) can be uncomfortably loud and sometimes painful. Generally, soft sounds won’t be bothersome, but moderate and loud sounds can become so bothersome that they interfere with daily activities and wreak havoc on personal and work relationships.