TV star Declan Donnelly recently revealed that he has misophonia, a condition where everyday sounds cause a strong psychological reaction. The 50-year-old I’m A Celeb presenter says the sound of people eating can leave him feeling deeply uncomfortable. He says: “I don’t like hearing people eating and licking.” Here is everything you need to know about misophonia and three other little-known medical complaints linked to noise…
Misophonia
What is it? The neurological disorder sees people react in an extreme way to certain sounds. These often include things like eating and throat clearing, knuckle cracking or repetitive sounds such as pen clicking or keyboard tapping. It can sometimes be accompanied by misokinesia, a similar response to visual cues like fidgeting and phonophobia, a fear that sounds will cause discomfort.
What are the symptoms? Sufferers experience feelings of disgust, rage and anxiety or panic on hearing the sound as well as physical ‘flight-or-fight’ style responses such as a racing heartbeat and shortness of breath. It can affect people’s daily lives and relationships where they actively avoid triggers.
Who does it affect: One in five Brits are reckoned to experience symptoms. As well as TV’s Dec, other celebrity sufferers include Mad Men star January Jones, whose condition is triggered by people eating crisps and singer Kelly Osbourne, who can’t stand to hear people chewing.
What causes it? Some experts think it’s rooted in childhood trauma, but a recent study published in the British Journal of Psychology shows that people with severe misophonia have a cognitive inflexibility that hinders them from shifting between emotional and non-emotional information and may experience cycles of negative thought, known as rumination.
Is there treatment? One study found that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a talking therapy aimed at changing negative thinking, was helpful in around half of cases.
Hyperacusis
What is it? A disorder where sounds other people think of as normal, such as running water, a car engine or a dog barking, seem uncomfortably loud. It can affect one or both ears.
What are the symptoms? It can cause tension, anger, an inability to concentrate and even physical pain.
Who does it affect? It’s estimated that two per cent of Brits may have some degree of hyperacusis.
What causes it? Boffins are unclear what causes the condition, but it sometimes appears in patients after hearing a sudden loud noise. It can be associated with other conditions like Lyme disease and migraines or even autism.
Is there treatment? Again, CBT can be useful as well as relaxation techniques like breathing exercises and sound therapy.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
What is it? A condition that usually starts in childhood where the patient has difficulty understanding sounds and the spoken word. It’s not usually associated with a physical hearing problem.
What are the symptoms? People with APD often have trouble understanding what people are saying, especially in noisy places as well as similar sounding words and spoken instructions.
Who does it affect? It affects around seven per cent of children.
What causes it? It’s thought to affect the way the brain interprets sounds and may be associated with brain injury, infection or a condition called glue ear.
Is there treatment? Diagnosis involves a series of tests. There’s no cure, but using frequency-modulation devices and speech language therapy can help.
Exploding Head Syndrome (EHS)
What is it? A sleep disorder or parasomnia, where people hear sudden loud noises like gunshots or crashes while they are snoozing. It’s also associated with sleep paralysis, a condition where you feel like you’re awake but can’t move your body.
What are the symptoms? It usually occurs when people are nodding off and involves imagined sounds. It can cause anxiety and sleep loss but isn’t physically painful or harmful. EHS can occur as a one-off, several times a night or over a prolonged period.
Who does it affect? Up to ten per cent of the population. Women experience it more than men. French philosopher René Descartes is said to have been a sufferer.
What causes it? Scientists are unsure, but say it’s probably linked to the way our brains interpret sound as they shut down for sleep. Stress and fatigue have been linked to it too.
Is there treatment? Speak to your GP about treatments for insomnia.
