Do some sounds make you angry? You may have misophonia

Research from King’s College London and Oxford University has found that 18.4% of people in the UK suffer from misophonia, a specific sensitivity to sounds that are normally part of everyday life, which can trigger feelings of panic as well as anger. Misophonia can be defined as a strong negative reaction to certain sounds that are not typically regarded as unpleasant, such as eating, breathing, sniffing, tapping and footsteps. Despite the prevalence of the condition, only 13.6% of those surveyed had heard of misophonia, and only 2.3% identified as sufferers.

The study also found that misophonia was equally experienced by men and women and tended to decrease in severity over time, with age. Misophonia can cause serious distress, with sufferers feeling trapped and helpless in the face of the sounds they find distressing. Often, they feel guilty for reacting badly to sounds made by loved ones. Although treatment is currently scarce, it is normally based on mental coping strategies, including cognitive behavioural therapy, deep breathing, sound therapy and relaxation.

The study, which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and Wellcome and published in PLOS ONE, is hoped to lead to better understanding and treatment of misophonia. It is believed that the scale developed for the study will help sufferers and clinicians identify and treat the condition.

Misophonia falls into the category of special sensitivities to everyday sounds, along with hyperacusis. However, while misophonia causes emotional distress, hyperacusis causes physical discomfort. The condition is related to that of tinnitus, and sufferers are impacted negatively by everyday sounds that are excessively loud or distorted, and that cause pain. Common sounds which may affect those with hyperacusis include alarms, the popping of balloons, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and dog barking. The condition can affect one or both ears, with pain stemming from the eardrum or the auditory nerve. There is currently no known cure for hyperacusis, but certain sound therapies can be used to help the brain gradually become accustomed to everyday sounds.

Both misophonia and hyperacusis can cause distress and severely impact sufferers’ daily lives. It is believed that early identification and treatment of the conditions will help significantly to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.

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