Journal article
Complaints of People with Hyperacusis
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, Vol.31(8), pp.553-558
09/2020
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1709447
PMID: 32340056
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Hyperacusis is a prevalent auditory disorder that causes significant distress and negatively affects quality of life for many patients. Patients with hyperacusis often have different complaints about the sounds and situations that they experience. Audiologists may have few patients with hyperacusis, and a limited understanding of the sounds and situations that are reported to be challenging by their patients.
Purpose
To investigate the common complaints reported by hyperacusis patients.
Research design
A qualitative study was conducted with 11 hyperacusis patients who participated in a group session.
Results
All 11 hyperacusis patients experienced negative reactions to specific sounds. In addition, many patients reported physical symptoms such as headaches, balance problems, dysosmia (strong smell problems), and light sensitivity. Sounds that induced discomfort were wide ranging and included low-frequency sounds, high-frequency sounds, wide-band noise, and sudden, high-intensity sounds. Most patients (9/11, 81.8%) reported negative reactions to music in loud rock concerts. Patients reported that stress/tension (90.9%) worsened their hyperacusis, while removing themselves from noise (90.9%) relieved their hyperacusis.
Conclusion
Loudness is only one of the many factors related to the discomfort of patients with hyperacusis. Across patients, we observed that there were different complaints about the sounds and situations that produced difficulty due to hyperacusis. Physical symptoms following sound exposure were also reported by the patients, suggesting that hyperacusis is a complex disorder and requires intervention that often involves multiple members of the medical team.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Complaints of People with Hyperacusis
- Creators
- Jia Ke - Peking UniversityYali Du - Peking UniversityRichard S Tyler - University of IowaAnn Perreau - Augustana CollegePatricia C Mancini - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, Vol.31(8), pp.553-558
- DOI
- 10.1055/s-0040-1709447
- PMID
- 32340056
- NLM abbreviation
- J Am Acad Audiol
- ISSN
- 1050-0545
- eISSN
- 2157-3107
- Publisher
- Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/2020
- Academic Unit
- Communication Sciences and Disorders; Otolaryngology
- Record Identifier
- 9984258844502771
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