Misophonia: sound examples, symptoms treatment

1. Smacking when eating, snoring when sleeping: these are annoying sounds that can easily lead to annoyance if you have to listen to them unintentionally. It can even lead to anger, disgust and anger if you cannot tolerate such sounds. In people with misophonia or sound intolerance, this annoyance becomes so disturbing that they develop physical and psychological symptoms. They will avoid certain situations that can make annoying noises, or they will isolate themselves socially. A provisional treatment for this hypersensitivity consists of wearing earplugs to screen off annoying noise pollution. The AMC in Amsterdam offers a therapy for extensive medical treatment of misophonia. What disturbing noises can irritate and energize people with misophonia?

2. Smacking when eating, snoring when sleeping: these are annoying noises that can easily lead to annoyance if you have to listen to them unintentionally. It can even lead to anger, disgust and anger if you cannot tolerate such sounds. In people with misophonia or sound intolerance, this annoyance becomes so disturbing that they develop physical and psychological symptoms. They will avoid certain situations that can make annoying noises, or they will isolate themselves socially. A provisional treatment of this hypersensitivity consists of wearing earplugs to screen off irritating noise pollution. The AMC in Amsterdam offers a therapy for extensive medical treatment of misophonia. What kind of disturbing noises can irritate and excite people with misophonia?

What is misophonia?

1. Syndrome The term misophonia comes from the Greek "misos" (aversion, hatred) and "fonos" (sound) and refers to a recently discovered condition. Misophony, also called Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome or SSSS

Misophonia symptoms

1. Physically Symptoms of misophonia are both physical and psychological. Physically, when you hear exciting sounds, you will react with symptoms such as an increased heart rate and the feeling that the anger is rushing to your head. You get hot and you can sweat

Annoying noises: eating

1. Smack With misophonia you are mainly irritated by sounds made by your fellow man. The most obvious example that is perceived as annoying is the noise of people eating. The sound of someone's jaw when chewing, the sound someone makes when smacking: it can be very exciting for people with misophonia. For example, some people always want to have music in the background during a meal because otherwise they will hear the noise of people eating

2. Smack With misophonia you are mainly irritated by sounds made by your fellow man. The most obvious example that is perceived as annoying is the noise of people eating. The sound of a person's jaw when chewing, the sound someone makes when smacking: it can be very exciting to people with misophonia. For example, some people always want to have music in the background during a meal because otherwise they will hear the noise of people eating

Annoying noises: drinking

1. Drinking is also one of those eating activities where the trigger for annoyance can be very easily coaxed. Your table companion who, for example, sips very loudly from his soup or coffee because it is steaming hot, often causes misophonic annoyance. A "self fulfilling prophecy" can then easily occur: if your table companion just reaches for his cup of coffee, you will already get irritated because you know that he will undoubtedly slurp again. In the same direction, someone who drinks a cocktail or drink with a straw with a lot of noise provokes a true torment for the listener who suffers from misophonia. Also the sound of swallowing

2. Drinking is also one of those eating activities where the trigger for annoyance can be very easily coaxed. Your table companion who, for example, sips very loudly from his soup or coffee because it is steaming hot, often causes misophonic annoyance. A "self fulfilling prophecy" can then easily occur: if your table companion just reaches for his cup of coffee, you will already get irritated because you know that he will undoubtedly slurp again. In the same direction, someone who drinks a cocktail or drink with a straw with a lot of noise elicits a real torment for the listener who suffers from misophonia. Also the sound of swallowing

Sound examples: sleeping

1. Sleeping is an act in which we no longer really have our body under control. We are therefore not aware of which sounds we all produce during our sleep and to what extent this can be a nuisance for our sleeping partner. Typical examples of annoying sleep sounds are snoring and breathing. Some sleepers breathe heavily, while others produce very sharp nose noises. For people with misophonia, the sound of their sleeping partners can be very irritating, to the extent that they even sleep separately. In extreme cases, a relationship can be

2. Sleeping is an act in which we no longer have real control over our body. We are therefore not aware of which sounds we all produce during our sleep and to what extent this can be a nuisance for our sleeping partner. Typical examples of annoying sleep sounds are snoring and breathing. Some sleepers breathe heavily, while others produce very sharp nose noises. For people with misophonia, the sound of their sleeping partners can be very irritating, to the extent that they even sleep separately. In extreme cases, a relationship can be

Other examples of sounds

1. People with a cold: coughing, coughing, sneezing, sniffling, sniffing nail clippers barking dogs crying babies noisy children playing creaking and squeaking noises drills for road works tapping fingers on a keyboard buttons on a smartphone ("click sound" from camera, "drop sounds" when touching the screen, etc ...) ringtones for telephone calls and (vibration) sounds of text messages people "shuffling" on the ground, with the soles of shoes or flip flops making a dragging, grinding noise

2. People with a cold: coughing, coughing, sneezing, sniffling, sniffling nail clippers barking dogs crying babies noisy children playing creaking and squeaking noises drills for road works tapping fingers on a keyboard buttons on a smartphone ("click sound" from camera, "drop sounds" when touching the screen, etc ...) ringtones for telephone calls and (vibration) sounds of text messages people "shuffling" on the ground, with the soles of shoes or flip flops making a dragging, grinding noise

Treatment of misophonia

1. Treatment Therapy Amsterdam (AMC) The Academic Medical Center (AMC) of the University of Amsterdam conducts research into misophonia in the context of anxiety disorders

2. Treatment therapy Amsterdam (AMC) The Academic Medical Center (AMC) of the University of Amsterdam is researching misophonia in the context of anxiety disorders

Misophonia and misokinesia

1. An interesting phenomenon often associated with misophonia is misokinesia. Misokinesia stands for aversion or hatred for movements

Noise aversion: possible causes

1. Increased technology

Misophony test

1. The above sound examples may seem quite familiar to many people: everyone gets annoyed by the sound of someone else. You can take a misophony test to find out whether the degree to which it bothers you is excessive. On the basis of your answers you will arrive at a score that will indicate whether you may be dealing with misophonia. Note that this test is purely indicative and its result cannot be considered a diagnosis. The actual diagnosis of misophonia can only be established by a doctor. This misophonia test

Tips against misophonia

1. Earplugs