Sensitive to noise. I have just found your site, I never realised the condition was so widespread. I understand now.

[Vivante]

I have not had a brain injury as such, migraine since I was a child, cured now after open heart surgery. I never felt comfortable with excessive noise, it seems to have got worse over the past few years. Travelling on the underground, as soon as we went from the open into the closed tracks my ears hurt, I had to cover my ears, and I felt nausea building up. I found I could not tolerate the noise made by the hand drying machines in public toilets.

I have taught people with other medical conditions, some with brain tumour. I would not allow the use of mobile telephones in my classes, because the sound affected some members. I had to stop playing relaxing music, it disturbed some.

Is it possible the medication I have taken for so many years have caused it?

My friend has recently become a member of Headway.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas, I wish you all to share in the pleasure I have in my belief. May you all be guided safely through the following days.

[MXman]

Hi Vivante and welcome.

I too have trouble with noise although it was tolerable before my Bi its not now. Hate busy restaurants and train stations also not good in crowds so I avoid them. Have a great evening. XX N

[Vivante in reply to MXman]

Thank you, I will sit quietly and watch the 'soaps'. We are avid soap watchers,

There is so much to catch up on now, I have finally retired, perhaps I will be able to finish the jigsaw puzzle I started some time ago.

[StrawberryCream]

Yes I am troubled by noise sensitivity too and have recently started using noise limiting earplugs when I need too. I found that being overloaded and bombarded by multiple sources of noise was also the cause of some of my irritability.

Best wishes

[gabimou]

Hi Vivante,

at first I never realised how much noise had an effect on me ,probably because brain surgery keeps you aware of other things as well.

I noticed it more once I started back to work and have now even given up trying to explain to people, it's like you are wasting your breath on them!!!!

I never had a problem before and I have also had a mastoidectomy which has made it worse with the noise problem.

But again people just think you have had an ear operation and because from the outside you look fine if only!!!!

So now avoid really noisey places which gives me really peculiar feelings.

Mandy(**,)

[steve55]

vivante i too suffer from noise intollerance and im reactive but i dont realise until my wife tells me off.

the worse for me is a screeching kid.

the ear plugs i use are the rubber ones you get from screw fix and come in 10 pairs for something daft like £1ish.....there alot better than the foam ones

[BaronC]

It's always been background noise for me. I can go to rock gigs with no problem at all, but background noise when I am trying to concentrate on one thing drives me to utter distraction. Whether it be kids screaming, overheard personal stereos, etc, it all goes through me like nails on a blackboard. I assume it just wears out the old brain as it now finds it difficult to multi task where sound is concerned.

I often use earplugs at night in order to sleep. Sometimes they are an absolute life saver.

Baron/Andy

[lcd8]

Hi Vivante. Best wishes for the festive season to you too and welcome to the forum. It must have been really frustrating to be so sensitive to sound. I have the opposite problem however and it is pretty annoying too. I'm not hard of hearing. But I have a bruit owing to a medical condition (Brain AVM) and it means I can hear the horrible sound of blood flowing through my ventricles, although I notice more when it is quiet. So I tend to need the TV etc louder than other people would and I 'miss' a lot of things people say to me.

[Vivante in reply to lcd8]

This is completely opposite to what I expected. My husband has a hearing problem, he wears a hearing aid. I have learnt so much from you all and am beginning to understand now how others feel. T hank you for your info.

[3Rainbows]

Hi,

I've found that the key thing is to identify the exact noise types that get to you so you can minimise your exposure, and to expect the instantaneous tsunami of irritation so you can hopefully manage it!

So for example I identified that I can do loud music just fine if it wipes out everything else, but any sort of conflicting sounds such as radio and talking together can drive me nuts very quickly!

My strategy used to be to just try to ignore it but I've found that the impact of snapping at everyone as your head explodes is much worse than the annoyance to them when you ask if they can turn off the tv/radio etc when they are talking to you so now my strategy is to politely ask straight away.

Also been recommended noise reduction earphones for work so going to invest in some of these as an xmas present to self!

So nutshell...identify triggers, anticipate situations, ask politely for less noise where possible, otherwise find an excuse to exit situation as fast as you can before the irritation takes over!

(I know...avoidance, not recommended by psychs, but for over-stimulation it seems the only cure!)

In the meantime keep sharing and I'll pick up tips from your posts too!!!

A.x

[Vivante in reply to 3Rainbows]

Sensible advice. The only noise I enjoy early in the morning is the sound of the birds. Take care.

[3Rainbows in reply to Vivante]

But not always easy in practice!

Had a wonderful Xmas so far... except for the moment we played games (which I love) whilst the music was on (some of my favourites), the combination of which made my head go fuzzy, then hurt, then felt like wanted to curl up in a ball and scream... all in under 8 minutes!!!

I really do need to follow the strategies, festivities or not!

Easy to fool yourself into thinking that you're relaxed today and will manage it just fine...mmm, not so much when I put my hands over my ears and snapped!

Beat myself up about it in my head for hours after...will do better next time

My learning point for the day...Santa does not deliver a fixed brain for the day in my stocking...sticking to my strategies in 2016!!!

Determined not to let the "blips" ruin a wonderful time of year.

Let's raise a glass to 2016..don't know about you guys but however bad the year I am still amazed to get the chance to see in a new one! (fingers crossed!)

My new year's resolution is going to be to embrace the new quirky me, blips and all, and start laughing again!

Heading back into the festivities now..strategies and a smile firmly back in place!

Will raise a glass to you all this evening, very grateful to have found you!

Merry Christmas!

Ax

[sca2013]

Here is another resource hyperacusis.net/ for sound sensitivity

[samanthaash1993]

I do not have a brain injury, but I am totally blind, due to being born premature, and was diagnosed with Epilepsy at 18. I can fully empathise with loud noise. You feel threatened and trapped. Yes, I've been there... It's horrible.

[Vivante in reply to samanthaash1993]

I can understand exactly how you feel. I wish you well and God bless you.

[samanthaash1993]

☺️