Extreme sensitivity to sound

[Csandnugget]

Hey, do any of you suffer from extreme sensitivity to sound? I cannot handle it.
Phones ringing, any sound while I'm trying to concentrate, dogs, screaming children, traffic, etc etc.
I seem to be much more sensitive than most people around me are.

[whitecat78]

yep, i am the exact way, certain noises will change my mood instantly.  For example, when i hear the leaf blower all the sudden i get this extreme irritability and anger or the sound of someone chewing will gross me out or other people babies crying drives me nuts.

[MrsS14]

Hearing people chew, whether it is food or gum, is annoying enough to me that it'll often cause nasty mood swings for me, but it is actually the sound of people whispering that is the worst for me.  The few, low noises that come from people who are whispering quite frequently is physically painful to me, where whereas being around a lot of noise, like a loud bar or a concert doesn't affect me in any way.  I've always just attributed this to being just another one of those "weird Fibromyalgia things".  Now I'm curious though.  Does this happen to anyone else?

[Jade59]

adel_ezz...oh God, I can just imagine!  That DOES sound like hell!  You poor thing!

I can't tolerate repetitive or loud noise, either.  I'm forced to listen to dogs barking often and all day too and it drives me insane.  It's so bad I have to put in ear plugs because the noise creeps it's way into my nerves...it's not something I can just ignore.  My phone ringer is on so low I usually don't hear it.  My neighbor has a Harley and when he starts it up theres a loud "crack" and I jump and scream every time!  

Xila....for a short time we had a neighbor with a truck with one of those back-up alert beeping things...BEEP BEEP BEEP...every single night and he could never park right the first time so over and over.  I know what you mean about any type of strobe.  You can literally feel it inside of you and yes, it makes me feel like I'll freak out.  Not a single person in my family understands any of this.  

Oh, what about the horrible vibration of those bass speakers in a car or even a powerful house stereo?  I have a neighbor on the street Behind me and all I hear is the Boom Boom of the bass deep in my chest which makes me feel sick.  My husband can't hear it.

[adel_ezz]

i can't stand loud noises neither strong light. I begin to develop tinitus in my left ear. I suppose this has nothing to do with BP, rather any person having nerve problems or anxiety will feel this way.

Still you are very fortunate as you live in the USA  or at least not in egypt, have you seen egyptian movies or indian ones, the traffic how is it the streets so crowded you wouldn't believe it unless you watch it. it's hell

[honestnnserious]

I'm light sensitive too, I keep colored lights in my apartment like red lights. It helps a lot.

[Xila31]

I really cannot stand repetative noises. I also don't like ringing phones, but it causes me anxiety. Funny thing I answer a phone for my job. But anything that is beeping, sirens, sudden noises or loud noises, they all bother me. I try not to let them bother me too much. But I hate beeping especially. Or scratching. Or something that is sort and repetative. I'd actually been thinking abou this recently.

I also do not like blinking light. Anything from emergency lights (like cop cars, construction signs,) all the way down to strobe lights even in a movie. I mean, they don't just bother me, they make me feel like I'm freaking out. I actually have to close my eyes and look away. I hate blinking. Strobe lights bother me the most though.

[ILADVOCATE]

Yes but it has aspects of ocd with me at times as well. I have an extreme reaction to sounds just as you described (though now aspects of it may be neurological, they are studying that) but if a person is sniffing or coughing I have an extreme reaction to that but part of that may be some phobia of germs that has aspects of ocd. Also sounds that other people would ignore distress me such as people whispering in a library or museum as it sounds like a hissing sound to me. I am aware of it but I can't really change it but I do know there are some aspects of rationality to it as once I got the flu shot and H1N1 flu shot last year I had less of this feeling when someone coughed but I know part of it was not rational all the same.