sound-sensitivity-accessories

sound-sensitivity-accessories

It’s been almost two years now since I first noticed a change. First it was a constant slight ringing in both of my ears. Then, louder everyday sounds, like my kids just being loud and silly or a dishes clanking, started to hurt my ears and trigger irritability. After meeting with my primary doctor; an audiologist; and an ear, nose, and throat doctor, it was determined that I was experiencing tinnitus and hyperacusis as a result of my first-ever COVID infection. So began my journey with sound sensitivities and my quest to figure out how to mitigate my symptoms without sacrificing style.

Sound-sensitivity disorders come in many forms. I live with tinnitus, which is essentially the perception of sound that cannot be attributed to an external source. I also have hyperacusis, which means I can be hypersensitive to everyday sounds and have a decreased tolerance for louder sounds in general. Another disorder that someone I know has is misophonia, in which seemingly innocuous sounds like dripping water or a pen tapping can elicit a strong emotional and physiological response.