Hyperacusis Literature Review

This article focuses on hyperacusis is, how it works, and the different treatment approaches based on what is currently known. Hyperacusis is defined as “ unusual tolerance to ordinary environmental sounds and, more pejoratively , as consistently exaggerated or inappropriate responses to sounds that are neither threatening nor uncomfortable loud to a typical person,” (Baguley 2003) I learned in class that due to cochlear hearing loss caused by the loss of outer hair cells, patients have a smaller dynamic range. In addition, individuals with cochlear hearing loss experience perceived loudness to increase rapidly called loudness recruitment. However, those with hyperacusis have a lower tolerance for loudness than those with normal hearing loss.
However, there is a large coincidence rate between tinnitus and hyperacusis. “ Among patients attending tinnitus clinics with a primary complaint of tinnitus the prevalence of hyperacusis is about 40% and in patients with a primary compliant of hyperacusis the prevalence of tinnitus has ben reported as 86%,” (Baguley 2003). These coincidence rates leads researchers to believe that there is a common mechanism linking the two disorders. Now, there are two instruments that can aid in quantifying the handicap of hyperacusis. Both instruments are questionnaires. The first questionnaire indicated three factors that caused variance. These three are attentional, social and emotional. The second questionnaire examined that more than half of their variance were de to cognitive reactions, somatic behavior and emotional factors. The second questionnaire that is only available in German has shown to be sensitive to treatments. Another issue with studying hyperacusis is that there is no underlying medical condition that can be found. Hyperacusis is most commonly reported as a symptom of a condition. One commonality of the conditions where hyperacusis has been reported as a symptom, the conditions involve facial nerve dysfunction. “ Since the