Sound sensitivity (hyperacusis): what it means and what to do next

If everyday sounds feel painfully loud, startling, or hard to tolerate, you’re not alone. This page is designed as the primary destination when the Tinnitus & Hearing Survey flags sound sensitivity.

5–8 minutes Includes quick links + safety routing Educational, not a diagnosis

Take the Survey Back to tinnitus map When to get checked

Common overlap: sound sensitivity often travels with tinnitus, stress, migraine, jaw/neck tension, concussion history, and/or hearing changes. If your Survey also pointed to tinnitus or hearing difficulty, keep those recommendations too—this page is your sound-sensitivity “lane,” not the whole highway.

Try this first (7 days)

The goal is to reduce “sound fear,” stabilize your nervous system, and protect your hearing only when it’s actually at risk. Think: steady, safe sound rather than silence.

Choose a “steady sound” anchor (fan, air purifier, quiet music, nature sound) for 1–3 hours/day in a comfortable room.
Keep one pair of earplugs available—but only use them for truly loud places (see “Do not overprotect”).
Pick 2 predictable sounds that are annoying-but-tolerable (e.g., running water, dishes). Do a 2–5 minute exposure once daily at a level that feels safe.
Track patterns for 1 week: sleep, stress, caffeine/alcohol, migraine symptoms, jaw/neck tension, and which sounds trigger you.
Lower “startle load”: reduce sudden sound surprises (close doors gently, cushion clanging, use soft-close pads) while you rebuild tolerance.

What “success” looks like in a week: not “zero sensitivity,” but fewer spikes, quicker recovery after triggers, and more confidence that sound is safe.

What is hyperacusis?

Hyperacusis is a form of sound sensitivity where sounds that are safe for most people can feel too loud, painful, or overwhelming. Some people notice a strong startle response, tension, or a “fight-or-flight” feeling with everyday noises.

Sound sensitivity can show up in different ways

Loudness discomfort: normal sounds feel intolerably loud (vacuum, blender, traffic).
Startle / nervous-system “alarm”: sudden sounds feel threatening even if not loud.
Sound-related pain: ear pain or fullness triggered by sound (requires medical review if persistent).
Pattern sensitivity: certain pitches or “sharp” sounds are the hardest.

Important: this page is education + safety routing. A clinician can help sort out whether sound sensitivity is driven by migraine, tinnitus distress, middle-ear muscle reflex changes, jaw/neck factors, anxiety, concussion history, ear disease, or a combination.

Do not overprotect (nuance matters)

People with sound sensitivity often do the most logical thing—avoid sound—and then get stuck in a loop where the brain becomes even more vigilant about sound. The solution is not “tough it out,” and it’s not “live in earplugs.” It’s smart protection + gradual rebuilding.

Protect your hearing from hazardous noise.

Use hearing protection for truly loud environments (concerts, power tools, motorcycles, gunfire, very loud gyms/classes).
Step away from loud sound when you can—distance + time matter.

Avoid constant earplug mode in safe daily environments (unless advised).

Wearing plugs all day in quiet/normal settings can increase sound sensitivity over time for some people.
If you need “edge off” protection, consider short, strategic use (minutes—not all day) and then return to safe sound.

Use gradual exposure / clinician guidance if severe.

If most everyday sounds feel unbearable, work with a clinician on a gradual plan (often sound therapy + coaching).
For high distress or panic around sound, a therapist familiar with tinnitus/hyperacusis can help reduce the fear response.

Practical “middle path” rules

Carry earplugs. Don’t camp in earplugs.
Protect from loud. Rebuild with safe.
If you leave a loud place and your ears feel “raw,” give yourself a calmer sound environment for a bit—then return to normal sound.

When to get checked

Sound sensitivity is often manageable—but some patterns deserve prompt medical or audiology evaluation, especially when symptoms are new, one-sided, or rapidly changing.

Go to the Emergency Hearing Care Guide now if you have any of the following:

Sudden change in hearing (new or rapidly worse over hours to 1–2 days), with or without tinnitus/fullness.
Severe dizziness/vertigo, fainting, new neurologic symptoms, or severe headache with neurologic signs.
Severe ear pain with fever, drainage, facial weakness, or swelling behind the ear.
Head injury with new hearing changes or severe vertigo.

Emergency Hearing Care Guide

Get checked soon (days to a few weeks) if:

Sound sensitivity is new or getting worse over weeks.
Symptoms are mostly on one side.
You also have strong tinnitus distress, frequent migraine symptoms, or jaw/neck pain that seems linked.
Sound triggers cause ongoing ear pain/fullness (not just annoyance) or you’re avoiding daily life.

A clinician can help identify treatable contributors (e.g., migraine management, ear disease, jaw/neck factors, medication review) and guide a safe sound plan.

Helpful to track before a visit: triggers (which sounds), timing, sleep/stress, caffeine/alcohol, migraine symptoms, jaw/neck tension, and whether earplugs are being used daily.

Next best links

Use these to stay oriented—especially if your Survey result was mixed (sound sensitivity + tinnitus and/or hearing difficulty).

Mixed results note: it’s common for sound sensitivity to overlap with tinnitus distress and hearing difficulty. If you were routed here by the Survey, keep following your other recommended links too—this page is the sound-sensitivity “module.”

Take the Survey Back to tinnitus map Emergency guide