Sound sensitivity

Why does that running faucet sound like it is turned up way too loud? That’s called hyperacusis, or sound sensitivity—and some Lymies know it well. When Lyme affects the vestibular system, it can sometimes cause hearing problems. With hyperacusis, certain sounds get turned up to 11—and it can feel totally overwhelming! People with migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, Bell’s palsy, and other conditions can also suffer from this too. But library voice—remember that you are not alone. As far as treatment goes, counseling and sound therapy are two common approaches to managing hyperacusis. You can also try systematic desensitization, such as the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS), which aims to calm the brain’s overreaction to triggering stimuli. You can do this training with sound, and eventually— voila!—the brain (hopefully) won’t be bothered by that sound anymore. You still might not want to blast the tunes at top volume, but reducing your sensitivity to sounds in general can make life feel a lot more manageable.