Sensitivity To Sound
Some people develop a diminished ability to tolerate loud sounds. This condition is called hyperacusis. The hearing mechanism becomes so sensitive that it works harder than normal at receiving sound. When sound is received, it seems louder than it would to a person without this condition. Our ears and brains measure the loudness of a particular sound according to how it compares to other sounds in our immediate environment. We contrast one sound against another.
For example, when listening to a car radio while driving, you set the volume at a level that’s comfortable, based on the ambient sound of the engine revved up to speed, surrounding traffic, passengers’ conversation, etc. But if you leave the radio on when you park the car, how’s the volume when you start the engine for a subsequent trip? Too loud, right? That’s because your auditory mechanism is automatically contrasting the sounds from the radio with the much quieter environment inside a non-moving automobile.
Could you hear someone whistle softly if you’re in a noisy room or stadium? Could you hear that same whistle if you’re in a very quiet library or church? The same level of sound will be interpreted quite differently.
People with tinnitus often crave sweet silence. They long for times when they can hear nothing at all. Similarly, individuals with hyperacusis–sensitivity to sounds–seek silence. This is actually a very bad solution for their problems, since silence forces the auditory mechanisms to become super sensitive, literally searching for sound. The correct solution for these conditions is to increase safe levels of sound over time, so the auditory mechanisms adapt and adjust, and accept these sounds as normal.
When there is no ambient sound in our environment, we feel fear at a subconscious level. This stems from earlier times when periods of silence often reflected the approach of a predator in the night. We feel safest in the presence of some sound.
Thousands of years ago, a person alone could not expect to last very long. Man learned to associate with others in order to have any chance at enduring the harsh elements, wild beasts, or hostile tribes. Groups of humans generate noise as they function, so we became accustomed to having base levels of sound around us at all times while we felt safe.
Because we interpret sound levels by contrasting them with other sounds in the same immediate vicinity, silence makes any sound that’s present seem louder that it otherwise might. When we wish to drown out unwanted sounds, we often play soft music, or use electronic devices to generate artificial nature sounds.
So, the lesson here is to enrich your environment 24/7/365 with safe levels of pleasing sound. This is especially important when you sleep at night. Play a sound generator near your bed, soft music from a CD player, or have a noisy fan in the room. Anything that generates sound for your ears to listen to will help maintain their normal function.
Go to What Is ringing in the ears to discover the many causes and remedies for ringing in the ears and sensitivity to loud sounds. This article, Sensitivity To Sound is available for free reprint.

