What is Hyperacusis?
Hyperacusis is defined as a collapsed tolerance to normal environmental sounds. It is a rare hearing disorder whereby a person becomes highly sensitive to noise. Sometimes people think they have Hyperacusis because they are bothered by loud sounds like music, heavy equipment or sirens. This is not Hyperacusis as these sounds are loud to the normal ear. Individuals with Hyperacusis have difficulty tolerating sounds which do not seem loud to others, such as a pin dropping. The ears loses much of their normal dynamic range, and everyday noises or sounds become unbearable and painfully loud. Hyperacusis can affect people of all ages and is almost always accompanied by Tinnitus, an ailment that causes sufferers to hear constant ringing, buzzing or static.
