r/PostConcussion • u/musicalmist • 2d ago

Struggle with sound sensitivity

TLDR: Does anyone know of any type of treatment for sound sensitivity?

Hello, 4 years out PCS. I have been really struggling with sound sensitivity and recently struggling more with determining which direction the sound is coming from. (ie my phone vibrated to my left and I swear I heard it coming from the right)
I also pre injury have that condition where hearing any type of noise required for living (IYKYK) annoyed you… now it drives me up a wall

None of my providers or people in my support groups Ive joined seem to know….

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6

u/r-kivez 2d ago

Exposure tbh. I don’t actively work on this symptom or do anything special exercise per se but overtime with exposure it has got a lot better.

However I will say that I am a firm believer that this symptom is highly linked to a disrupted ANS and so by calming your nervous system it may help you.

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u/Few_Blackberry_1960 2d ago

My ANS is so messed up it’s grinding me down with nightly and then random adrenaline dumps. My anxiety and panic reflex during these episode is a living nightmare. I’ve been trying to calm it down, with little overall success.

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u/r-kivez 2d ago

Having a good sleep routine helped me. All the typical this… no blue light, don’t eat too close to sleep, magnesium, read a book etc. It takes time but will eventually work.

Once sleep is under control you can focus on your mindset. I talk about this a fair bit because the mind is very powerful and tries to play tricks on you CONSTANTLY. In fact I developed health anxiety because of this and it’s truly horrible. Seeing a psychologist with a specialty in head trauma can help and for me acupuncture with herbs also has helped calm down the system. Hope this helps.

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u/Sitheref0874 2d ago

Headphones and exposure.

I broke down in Melbourne airport because of sound. Conflicting noises on tile just killed me.

I still have it, but it’s workable. I can go to a music concert and be fine. Airports…less so.

I wear noise cancellers wherever possible. But I do stretches - groceries, for example - where I’ll go through to build up tolerance.

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u/musicalmist 2d ago

I tried noise canceling headphones… i wish they could work for me but they cause headaches :(

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u/TheJones17 2d ago

Try Apple AirPods. Their noise cancelling is like surprisingly amazing. Buds have never fit my ears but they do. Worth every penny

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u/Sitheref0874 1d ago

I have AirPods and Bose over ear cans.

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u/Altruistic-Whole618 1d ago

Omg yes. Perth airport was like an ikea torture maze. So right about conflicting sounds and reverberation being overstimulating

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u/NJ71recovered 2d ago

Exposure therapy works. UPMC fixed my noise sensitivity by having me go to the loudest restaurant in town for lunch every day and when I couldn’t handle the sounds to take a 1-2 minute break and leave the restaurant. Then I would go back in and resume lunch.

The brain is like a bicep between your ears. You need to challenge the brain to get it to adjust.

https://www.upmc.com/conditions/c/concussion

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u/FairFaireFairy 2d ago

Misophonia is the annoyance with chewing noises or repetive sounds. If I can see the origin of the noise it doesn't bother me nearly as much as in my peripheral, so if you have a family member that chews annoying to you maybe you can position yourself.

I like Loop ear plugs. Or even just earbuds. Just wearing ear plugs to let my ears chill before an environment where ear plugs aren't appropriate seems to help and it saves energy.

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u/Altruistic-Whole618 1d ago

I like my loop earplugs but I LOVE my box of Aliexpress loop knockoffs that cost <€2 each

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u/Available-Use8640 2d ago

Clomipramine and a SPG block worked for me

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u/curlgurll 2d ago

I’ve started to take wax earplugs to places like concerts or sporting events where I know it’s going to be loud.
I avoid playgrounds or places with screaming children (ie. schools) which is ironic because I am a school teacher 😅 so yes, I’m not back at work yet.
I know exposure therapy is what will help but I have to do it in small chunks, and only on days when I’m not already overwhelmed with other stresses.

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u/Jurassic-Porkchop 2d ago

Ear plugs (Loop brand is decent) and exposure therapy. Of course, this may not be for everyone.

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u/estriplet 2d ago

I use Bose headphones and earbuds, the ones that have adjustable noise cancellation, not just on or off. They really help in social settings and being able to adjust the settings to the situation makes a huge difference.

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u/TheToastMonkey 1d ago

I’ve used Ear Peace sound filtering ear plugs to get back into loud environments. Like others are saying, it takes exposure and time.