Noise Sensitivity Increasing With Age

I am not sure if what I can add would help but I have a sensitivity to loud noises too. I had a craniotomy in May 2014. I prefer quiet being outside listening to rain etc. I am very sensitive to movies with violent content. My surgery is a TBI so I had to re learn everything including focusing on what I can control critical thinking skills taking one thing at a time. I got bacterial meningitis of my brain from chronic sinusitis. I was in a medically induced coma intubated septic. I was coded. I recently learned about EMH Electromagnetic hypersensitivity. In this cause what our devices may be doing to our brain etc. I am still researching this. You are right. Who knows what you were exposed to in the military? My husband is veteran and has had about 5 TBIs.

I also noticed , that as I get older that certain sounds male me jump or startled. Like when someone shuts a cabinet door too fast or drops something. I especially can’t tolerate fireworks like I used to. I just had tubes put in for my ETD. Now my tinnitus is worse. My hearing is like Im in a coffee can. Was told by my doctor to go for hearing aids.

Me too as far as a startle response. Not sure if it is my ptsd the TBI have.

Thanks to both kb2014 and firespooks for responding. I know this was a stretch, but at least there are two others who are having issues with noise sensitivity as they age. I suspect there are many more, actually, but I'm not sure very many people think this is a real problem. I know it is as it is limiting my life in some ways.

I will see my primary doc in late August, so maybe she will have some ideas. I thought the neurologist I am seeing for the carpal tunnel might be an option, but I notice both Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic say discuss this first with a primary doc before moving on to an ENT. I'll bring it up to the neurologist anyway since we are having an ongoing discussion about cervical nerve issues and this lay be related to that.

Thanks again!

It sounds to me that what you are describing regarding noise sensitivity is called hyperacusis. You can research this on the internet. There are also some hyperacusis forums that may be of use. I have hyperacusis and tinnitus as a result of exposure to loud noise. There isn’t a cure or effective treatment for tinnitus, although some have used various approaches that helped. My Dad had tinnitus as a result of an artillery shell exploding next to him during WW2. It simply blew out his eardrum. With your military background it’s possible that this set you up for hearing problems later in life, or they are simply part of aging in your case. Hyperacusis control is mainly based on a desensitization process to noises of an everyday nature. Still, it’s not fun and should be done under the guidance of an audiologist. Anyhow, do your research and that will put things in perspective. Best of luck.

I tend to agree with Willows as I also have hyperacusis along with patulous eustachean tube (PET).
It is very debilitating and I have become quite a recluse. Socialising is too difficult. Certain sounds are just intolerable. One on one conversation is manageable, beyond that the brain goes into sensory overload. Also very susceptible to electromagnetic fields. I have learnt to manage my situation for the last 20 years. My saving Grace has been immersing myself in art and nature. I gave up long ago with ENT specialists. I live on the other side of the world and at times I am in awe as to the expertise available in the medical field in the USA.
I wish you the very best in your search for answers.

Carylw

I have had PET since May 7 th . Tried estradiol nose drops noe trying Patulend nose drops.. It has become a little worse. I can't live with the anxiety . Am getting help with that . I want to apply to Mayo. I'm 85 years old and this is no way to live. I have an important question for doctors when I make contact. I pray you will recover and now

Good ideas. Nature. Reading books. Meditation. I can have sensory and cognitive overload too.

This recent issue of the magazine published by the Hearing Healthcare Foundation (HHF) is focused on tinnitus and hyperacusis. I just received this link and think it's worth sharing. Both tinnitus and hyperacusis are attracting quite a bit of research, but so far there doesn't seem to be a 'cure' for either.

We can be grateful there are researchers working on this. Here's the link to the magazine. https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/hearing-health-magazine

Disclaimer: HHF is a non profit research organization. They are always seeking financial support like all non profits do. However, this magazine is free. Financial support is a choice.

Thank you so much! I've seen bits of this in blogs, but never all of this in one place where it is explained so clearly. I've printed The 5 Distinct Sound Hypersensitivity Disorders article for my wife to read. I don't think she realizes this is a real thing. She did see my reaction today, ironically, when we had lunch at a family-style restaurant where you would expect there to be children present. What we did not expect was two families arriving with a total of 8 children, all very loud, all very active, and all four parents totally ignoring them. The voices, often nearly yelling and at the higher pitch typical of young children (no child in the group was over 9 years old) cut through me like a knife entering my head. I became immediately anxious, anger, fear, and annoyance. We had our food and I decided to stay and try to work through it. I had experienced all of those symptoms before with loud noises, although not usually all together. Today, I added a new symptom not mentioned in the article. I was physically shaking by the end of our meal, I suppose that was a reaction to all the other symptoms. It took almost two hours to calm down at home. I'm a writer working on a new biography, so I went to my desk, while my wife went to the den to watch TV. Writing helped me calm down, but maybe I would have gotten calm anyway. Thanks again for sending this link.