A Hearing Impairment
Most people know of a single type of hearing disability – deafness. Hearing no sound at all can be very difficult, but looking at the opposite side of it, light can also prove to be too hard. Hyperacusis is defined as intolerance to normal daily life and sounds.
To give you a concrete example of hyperacusis, for example, take a glass is presented at the top of a desk. For ordinary people, the sound produced by such an act is barely perceptible. For someone who suffers from hyperacusis, for example, the sound can be described as strong, even disturbing.
Hyperacusis symptoms include pain or pressure in the inner ear. Due to the added noise they hear, individuals with this disease may have difficulties adapting to the flow of everyday life and can be viewed as socially unfit.
When someone suffers from hyperacusis it would be likely that he or she will soon develop tinnitus. Tinnitus is a strange feeling in the ear that is accompanied by a whistling or ringing sound. Phonophobia also is a disorder that is associated with this condition. This is characterized by fear of exposure to sounds that can be harmful to your hearing. In such situations, a person with hyperacusis may be under a lot of stress. This would be evident in the way a place in the workplace, at home and at social gatherings. Lack of sleep may also be attributed to stress.
Hyperacusis is said to be caused by a malfunction in the system of regulating sound of the brain. It may also be the result of a severe head injury, along fatigue or epilepsy. Diseases such as Bell’s palsy and Lyme disease is also linked to such a hearing. Intake of synthetic drugs could also have some negative effects that can cause hyperacusis.
A popular treatment for hyperacusis is the desensitization of sound. In this procedure, a patient is exposed to pink noise (a term refers to a random noise with the same amount of energy in an octave) on a volume below a level of discomfort. He would be subject to that process approximately two hours every day. The results will not be achieved in a snap of a finger, but with enough support from family and friends, one needs to be on the road to full recovery in about six months.
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