Misophonia: meaning, causes, tests and treatments to heal from this annoying disorder
If you are wondering what the meaning of the word "misophonia" is, just think of its Greek etymology: literally, in fact, it means "hatred of sounds". It is a particular form of acoustic intolerance towards specific noises.
Misophonia is still a much discussed disorder, so much so that we cannot officially speak of a real disease. Those who suffer from it can react in different ways ranging from irritability to various discomforts of a psycho-physical nature. This is also the reason why there is still no real cure, but only a series of indicated therapies.
Before we find out what they are, let's take a closer look at what misophonia is.
Misophonia: meaning and characteristics
Misophonia, as anticipated, consists of a particular intolerance to sounds, whether they come from things or from people. This type of intolerance causes negative reactions, sometimes quite violent, although not pathological. Unlike hyperacusis, in fact, it is not a real disease, or at least at the moment it has not been recognized as such, because it does not cause damage to the hearing system: the disturbance it causes is mainly psychological.
According to statistics, about 20% of the world population suffer from misophonia, without discrimination of sex and age, although it is more common among women of prepubertal age.
See also
What are the causes of misophonia?
Since this is a still little known disorder, the causes that cause it are not known.
While some presumed malfunction of the auditory system is ruled out, doctors are more likely to believe that it has to do with a problem of the central auditory system in the brain. The causes, however, are still to be ascertained and we have only research addresses.
Misophonia: the symptoms
Symptoms of misophonia arise whenever a particular sound or noise disturbs those suffering from this intolerance.
The most common symptoms are therefore nuisance reactions, fits of anger or nails), environmental sounds (from cell phone ringtones to TV volume, from the ticking of clocks to the noise of horns and so on ...).
Certain tones of voice can also cause annoyance, and we're certainly not talking about voices like this ...
In the most extreme cases, misophonia can lead to serious limitations in the social life of those afflicted by it, leading them to avoid certain places, environments or people related to sounds that are annoying to them.
Test to be performed for a correct diagnosis of misophonia
What are the tests to be performed in order to diagnose misophonia? First of all it is necessary to carry out an objective examination, that is a test concerning the noises and sounds that trigger intolerance in order to be able to identify and circumscribe them.
Secondly, it will be necessary to proceed with a differential diagnosis, that is to carry out all those tests that allow to exclude other hearing disorders (such as the aforementioned hyperacusis), but also psychiatric disorders.
To carry out these tests, it is necessary to contact doctors specialized in hearing problems, as well as psychiatrists and psychologists, after having ruled out hearing disorders.
Misophonia: cure and remedies
As previously mentioned, misophonia remains a disorder still full of questions, which is why there is no specific cure that allows it to be healed. Despite this, however, good results have been obtained with the so-called "sound therapy": this therapy serves to raise the tolerance threshold of certain sounds, reducing their intolerance.
TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy), or sound therapy, consists in subjecting the patient to the incriminated noise in progressively increasing volumes, in order to desensitize him through an adaptation process. It is not very different, after all, from what is usually done to treat allergies. The exposure must take place daily, in a first phase for a period of time of 6-8 hours, which will then decrease.
A "further therapy, however, is the so-called" cognitive-behavioral "one, borrowed from psychology: it involves understanding the psychological motivations behind a particular annoyance, and then learning to live with it. This treatment is particularly suitable for those who shows symptoms such as panic or anxiety attacks.
After the tests and treatment, can you recover from misophonia?
If you act promptly, when the first symptoms appear and with the right therapy (sound or cognitive-behavioral), misophonia can be cured. Health should never be neglected: according to statistics, more than 80% of those who choose to take care of themselves obtain excellent results.
Unfortunately, not knowing the exact causes of misophonia, we cannot show you methods to prevent it.
And if you have discovered that you do not suffer from misophonia, consider that irritability and anxiety can also come from tiredness and stress ... which can be treated with nutrition:
