like if you’re a musician or construction worker. Sudden exposure to a loud noise : You may develop it after hearing a sudden， whistling。
like an otolaryngologist (ENT)。
the important thing to know is that hyperacusis is a real condition that can impact your quality of life. No matter your experience， there are therapies that can help. A note from Cleveland Clinic It often takes hard work and patience to find relief from hyperacusis symptoms. But it’s possible. Many people learn to increase their tolerance to sounds they once thought unbearable. The sooner you’re diagnosed， Villatte B， reliability and up-to-date clinical standards. Bigras C， before your ears “pop”) Symptoms may get worse if you’re stressed or tired. Even worrying about noise exposure may make things worse. Hyperacusis causes There isn’t a single cause that explains why it happens. But lots of theories exist. It’s possible that auditory nerve damage causes hyperacusis. Your auditory nerve carries sound signals from your inner ear to your brain so you can hear. Another theory is that damage to your facial nerve causes it. Your facial nerve controls a muscle inside your ear that regulates loudness. Experts have found that it’s linked to many conditions. It’s especially common in people with Williams syndrome and tinnitus. Nearly half of people with hyperacusis also have a behavioral health condition， sleep， skin care and more. Example emailSign up Sign upExample email Experts You Can Trust Medically Reviewed. Last updated on 03/18/2026. Learn more about the Health Library and our editorial process. References Cleveland Clinic’s health articles are based on evidence-backed information and review by medical professionals to ensure accuracy， it’s a long-term condition they learn to manage with treatment. Even when symptoms don’t go away for good。
reliability and up-to-date clinical standards. View Sources Experts You Can Trust Medically Reviewed. Last updated on 03/18/2026. References Cleveland Clinic’s health articles are based on evidence-backed information and review by medical professionals to ensure accuracy， Duda V， Kellermeyer B， so you can start feeling like yourself again. Better health starts here Sign up for our Health Essentials emails for expert guidance on nutrition， you may want to drown out sounds with noise-canceling earplugs or headphones. You may avoid social settings. But wearing headphones or earplugs can make sounds even more intense once you remove them. Social isolation can lead to (or worsen) anxiety and depression. You have the best chance of finding relief by working with a healthcare provider who has experience in treating this condition. Living With When should I see my healthcare provider? Many people with hyperacusis symptoms start by trying to drown out the sounds around them with earplugs or headphones. They may avoid social settings. But these options can make things worse. People who wear headphones or earplugs may experience sound even more intensely once they remove them， or DST. Advertisement Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy People with typical hearing experience a range of sounds with varying degrees of loudness. But people with hyperacusis experience sound。
though， not all cases involve tinnitus or hearing loss. Symptoms and Causes Symptoms of hyperacusis This condition may cause you to experience regular sounds as uncomfortable， What Is Hyperacusis? Image content: This image is available to view online. View image online (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/-/scassets/Images/org/health/articles/hyperacusis-infographic) Hyperacusis can cause pain and discomfort that negatively impacts your mental health and relationship with others. Hyperacusis is a rare hearing disorder where sounds others perceive as normal seem uncomfortably — and often unbearably — loud. It’s also called decreased sound tolerance， but there are therapies that can help. Additional Common Questions What are the 4 types of hyperacusis? Some healthcare providers find it helpful to think of this condition as one of four types. The groupings describe it based on the symptom that seems to bother a person the most. They are: Experts disagree， Martinez U. Minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of hyperacusis: new technique and long term results (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31727335/) . Am J Otolaryngol. 2020 Jan-Feb;41(1):102319. Accessed 3/18/2026. The Hyperacusis Network. Multiple pages reviewed. Accessed 3/18/2026. Care at Cleveland Clinic If you have conditions affecting your ears， unpleasant sounds can lead to: Anxiety Depression Relationship issues Social isolation and avoidance Diagnosis and Tests How doctors diagnose this condition You may need to see a specialist for this diagnosis， a more common condition related to hearing loss that involves ringing， the obvious solutions can make things worse. For example， research shows that sound therapy often increases sound tolerance within six months to a year. Is there anything I can do to feel better? The best thing you can do is see a healthcare provider instead of trying to manage the condition on your own. This is because with hyperacusis， Veuillet E， your healthcare provider will suggest therapies that reduce symptoms. They’ll teach you coping strategies to manage it. Treatments include: Advertisement Can hyperacusis be cured? There isn’t a cure. But depending on the cause， therapies can improve things. For instance， Jouvent R， and social isolation can lead to (or worsen) behavioral health issues. Advertisement Don’t try to manage symptoms on your own. Instead， Perez-Diaz F， Dubal S， nose and throat。
Collet L. Psychometric normalization of a hyperacusis questionnaire (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12499770/) . ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 2002 Nov-Dec;64(6):436-442. Accessed 3/18/2026. Parmar A， your symptoms may improve in time. For instance，。
Prabhu PP. Efficacy of different clinical assessment measures of hyperacusis: a systematic review (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36350369/) . Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2023 Mar;280(3):985-1004. Accessed 3/18/2026. Silverstein H。
clicking or roaring sounds in your ears. Still， Niebles M， Hébert S. The electrophysiological markers of hyperacusis: a scoping review (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35549972/) . Int J Audiol. 2023 Jun;62(6):489-499. Accessed 3/18/2026. Carson TB。
hyperacusis after surgery may go away once you heal from the procedure. Switching medicines may help if noise sensitivity is a medication side effect. People with Ménière’s disease may notice an improvement if the disease goes into remission. When should I see my healthcare provider? See a healthcare provider if everyday noises sound unbearably loud or painful. It may take a while to find what’s causing the issue. But there are therapies that can help. Advertisement Care at Cleveland Clinic Make an Appointment Outlook / Prognosis How long does it take for hyperacusis to heal? Medical experts are still studying the long-term effects of hyperacusis. Some people have symptom relief once they get treatment for the condition causing it. But for many people， on whether these are different types of the same condition. It’s possible that people with hyperacusis just experience things like negative emotions or physical pain on a spectrum. Some experts see misophonia and phonophobia as entirely different conditions from hyperacusis. Regardless of the labels， like anxiety or depression. Other conditions associated with it include: Autism Bell’s palsy Down syndrome Ear infections Lyme disease Ménière’s disease Migraines Ramsay Hunt syndrome Superior canal dehiscence syndrome Temporomandibular joint syndrome Risk factors Factors that increase your risk include: Long-term exposure to loud noises : You’re at an increased risk if you’re exposed to loud sounds for long periods， painful or even frightening. The loudness may be mildly annoying. Or it may be so intense that it makes you struggle with your balance or even have seizures. Other symptoms may include: Advertisement Ringing in your ears Ear pain A feeling of fullness or pressure in your ears (like being in an airplane， the sooner you can find treatments that turn the volume down， you want experts you can trust. Cleveland Clinic’s otolaryngology specialists can help. ， see a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing hyperacusis symptoms. It may take a while to identify the likely cause， with the volume turned too high. Some examples of common sounds in everyday life that may feel intolerable to someone with this condition include: People chatting A car engine running Water running in the kitchen sink Household electrical appliances running Someone turning the pages of a book or newspaper Many other soft sounds The experience can take a toll on your mental health. It can make you feel irritable and anxious. This condition can impact your social life， loud noise， like a gunshot or fireworks. Ototoxic medicines : You may develop extreme noise sensitivity after taking medicine that’s “ototoxic.” This means the meds may cause hearing or balance damage as a side effect. Trauma : Damage to hearing structures during surgery or because of a head injury can increase your risk. Complications of this condition The symptoms of hyperacusis can impact your mental health and social life. The constant experience of feeling overwhelmed with intense， too. Some people avoid social situations to reduce the risk of experiencing intense loudness. Hyperacusis often accompanies tinnitus， Guerrero LA， neurotologist or audiologist. They’ll consider your medical history and do an exam to check for structural issues in your ear. Diagnosis may involve: Management and Treatment How is it treated? There isn’t a standard treatment for hyperacusis. Instead， unbearably loud， De Jesus O. Hyperacusis (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557713/) . In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan. Accessed 3/18/2026. Khalfa S。
Gayle CGF. Modified cognitive behavioral therapy approach reduces loudness discomfort levels for an autistic child with hyperacusis: case report (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39540009/) . Front Psychiatry. 2024 Oct;15:1440624. Accessed 3/18/2026. Coey JG， in general。
fitness。