People with misophonia have an extreme reaction to certain sounds, often becoming enraged or anxious at the sound of chewing or someone clearing his throat, reports today’s Science Times.
Many people can be driven to distraction by certain small sounds that do not seem to bother others — gum chewing, footsteps, whispering, humming. But sufferers of misophonia, a newly recognized condition that remains little studied and poorly understood, take the problem to a higher level.
They also follow a strikingly consistent pattern, experts say. The condition almost always begins in late childhood or early adolescence and worsens over time, often expanding to include more trigger sounds, usually those of eating and breathing….
Misophonia (“dislike of sound”) is sometimes confused with hyperacusis, in which sound is perceived as abnormally loud or physically painful. But they are not the same, said Marsha Johnson, an audiologist in Portland, Ore.
“These people like sound, the louder the better,” she said of misophonia patients. “The sounds they object to are soft, hardly audible sounds.” One patient is driven crazy by her beloved dog licking its paws. Another can’t bear the pop of the plosive “p” in ordinary conversation.
To learn more, read the full report, “When a Chomp or a Slurp Is a Trigger for Outrage.“
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