Theme: Sensitive hearing plan: What is hyperacusis? The features of hyperacusis?

Long-term exposure to loud noises: Hyperacusis is more common in people exposed to loud music for long periods, like rock musicians, or who work in loud settings, like construction workers.

Sudden exposure to loud noise: Some people with hyperacusis develop it after hearing a sudden, loud noise, like a gunshot or fireworks.

Hyperacusis often accompanies conditions like tinnitus (up to 86% of people) and Williams syndrome (as many as 90% of people). Nearly half of the people diagnosed with hyperacusis also have a behavioral health condition, like anxiety.
Conditions associated with hyperacusis include:

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  Anxiety.
  
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  Autism.
  
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  Bell’s palsy.
  
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  Depression.
  
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  Down syndrome.
  
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  Ear infections (otitis media).
  
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  Head injury.
  
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  Lyme disease.
  
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  Ménière’s disease.
  
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  Migraines.
  
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  Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  
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  Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
  
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  Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome (SCDS).
  
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  Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ).
  
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  Tinnitus.
  
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  Williams syndrome.
  

Some people develop hyperacusis symptoms following surgery or as a reaction to a medication.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS
How is hyperacusis diagnosed?
Getting diagnosed can be difficult because not all healthcare providers are familiar with hyperacusis. You may need to see an ear, nose and throat specialist and/or an audiologist to help identify the problem.
Diagnosis may include:

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  Medical history: A healthcare provider will consider any risk factors, like behavioral health issues (including anxiety or depression), exposure to loud sounds or damage to your hearing.
  
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  Exam: They’ll look for structural issues in your ear that may relate to your hyperacusis. They may perform tests to see how your eardrum moves, like tympanometry. They may examine your cranial nerves to see if there are problems with how your facial nerve is functioning.
  
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  Hearing tests: They’ll perform hearing tests to determine your hearing levels. They may also evaluate your loudness discomfort level, or LDL. The LDL shows at what levels you perceive noise as uncomfortably loud. The healthcare provider may also ask that you complete a questionnaire about your hearing to assess how severe your experience of hyperacusis is. These questions can show the extent that hyperacusis interferes with your everyday life.
  

Your healthcare provider may order imaging procedures if they suspect your hyperacusis results from a structural issue like facial nerve paralysis. They may also order lab work if they suspect that your hyperacusis relates to a condition like Lyme disease.