You know that it can be challenging to get your partner’s attention if they have neglected hearing loss. First, you try to say their name. “Greg”, you say, but you used a normal, inside volume level, so you get no reply. You try saying Greg’s name a little louder and still nothing. So you resort to shouting.
And that’s when Greg spins around with absolutely no awareness of his comedic timing and says crossly, “what are you shouting for?”
This interaction isn’t the result of stubbornness or irritability. Individuals with hearing loss often report hypersensitivity to loud sound. And this sensitivity to loud noises can help illustrate why Greg can’t hear his name at a normal volume but gets aggravated when you shout at him.
Can hearing loss make loud sounds even worse?
Hearing loss can be a strange thing. The vast majority of time, you’ll hear less and less, especially if your hearing loss remains untreated. But things can get very loud when you’re out at a packed restaurant or watching a Michael Bay movie. So loud that it can get uncomfortable. Maybe it’s someone yelling to get your attention or one of the explosions in the newest Transformers film, it just gets really loud really fast.
And you’ll wonder why you’re so sensitive to loud noise.
Which can, honestly, put you in a cranky mood. Many individuals will feel like they’re going crazy when they experience this. That’s because they can’t get a handle on how loud anything is. Imagine, all of your friends, family, and acquaintances seem to confirm you’re losing your hearing, but you have this sudden sensitivity to loud sound. How can that be?
Auditory recruitment
The cause of this sound sensitivity is a condition called auditory recruitment. It works like this:
- The inside of your ears are covered in tiny hairs known as stereocilia. These hairs resonate when soundwaves enter your ears and this vibration is then translated to sounds by your brain.
- Age-related “sensorineural” hearing loss happens as these hairs deteriorate. Over time, these delicate hairs are permanently damaged by frequent exposure to loud sounds. As a result, your hearing becomes less sensitive. Your level of hearing loss will be progressively more severe the more hairs that are compromised.
- But this isn’t an evenly occurring process. There is always some combination of damaged and healthy hairs.
- So when the damaged hairs are exposed to a loud noise, the healthy hairs are “recruited” (hence the condition’s name) to send a message of alarm to your brain. So, all of a sudden, everything gets very loud because all of your stereocilia are firing (just like they would with any other loud noise).
Think about it like this: That Michael Bay explosion is loud while everything else is quiet. So the Michael Bay explosion is going to seem louder (and more obnoxious) than it otherwise would!
Isn’t that exactly like hyperacusis?
You may think that these symptoms sound a bit familiar. That’s most likely because they’re often confused with a condition known as hyperacusis. At first glance, this confusion is easy to understand. Auditory recruitment is a condition in which you have a sensitivity to loud noises, and hyperacusis is a condition where sounds very suddenly get loud.
But here are some significant differences:
- Hyperacusis is not directly caused by hearing loss. Auditory recruitment certainly is.
- When you’re dealing with hyperacusis, noises that are at an objectively ordinary volume seem very loud to you. Think about it like this: A shout will still sound like a shout with auditory recruitment; but with hyperacusis, a whisper could sound like a shout.
- Hyperacusis is painful. Literally. Feeling pain is common for people who have hyperacusis. With auditory recruitment, that’s usually not the situation.
It’s true that hyperacusis and auditory recruitment have a few similar symptoms. But they are entirely different conditions.
Is there any way to treat audio recruitment?
There isn’t any cure for hearing loss and that’s the bad news. Once your hearing goes, it’s gone. Addressing hearing loss early will go a long way to protect against this.
This also applies to auditory recruitment. But here’s the good news, auditory recruitment can be treated successfully. Typically, hearing aids are at the center of that treatment. And those hearing aids have to be specially calibrated. So it will be necessary to schedule an appointment with us.
We’ll be able to identify the specific wavelengths of sound that are responsible for your auditory recruitment symptoms. Your hearing aids can then be adjusted to reduce that wavelength of sound. It’s a really effective treatment.
Effective treatment will only be accomplished with certain types of hearing aids. Over-the-counter hearing aids or sound amplifiers, for instance, do not have the required technological sophistication and built-in sensitivity, so they will not be able to address your symptoms.
Make an appointment with us
If you are noticing sensitivity to loud sounds, it’s important to know that you can find relief. The bonus is that your new hearing aid will make everything sound clearer.
But it all begins by making an appointment. This hypersensitivity is a natural part of the hearing loss process, it happens to lots and lots of people.
You can get help so call us.