Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi does anyone else suffer from the inability to block out noise? I hear my neighbours, I hear the traffic, car doors slamming, flat doors slamming, barking dogs and I can’t block any of it out. I live with noise cancelling headphones on all the time, it is now affecting my gait so I’ve been advised to not wear them so much but it is the only way I can deal with the world. I find it is much worse when I don’t sleep and I never sleep well. I feel overwhelmed with the noise around me and lost. Does it ever get better? The older I get the worse it gets. I’m having difficulty dealing with every day life. Does it ever get any better? I feel like if I couldn’t hear anymore, it would be a relief. I’m constantly exhausted. Everyone try’s to take your money by promising this supplement will help, or dietary changes will make it better. Has anyone found anything that makes it better?
Much the same here. Tiredness and/or stress certainly don't help, but have always found it incredibly difficult to block out or ignore background noise (or other stimuli, such as movement in my field of vision, people fidgeting next to me, etc.) I do also feel that I'm finding it harder to do as I get older.
I've also known for a very long time that I hear things which other people simply don't. Although not confirmed by an audiologist, I am certain that I perceive sounds beyond the range of hearing of most people, even allowing for age differences. I have been driven crazy by supposedly inaudible (to people) ultra-sonic pest repellers, and can often hear high-frequency switched-mode power supplies (or the high-frequencies of the old CRT televisions). The same with very low frequencies - I've often pointed out structural noises, such as fridges, fans, etc. being transmitted through floors and walls, which leave other people wondering what the hell I'm going on about.
I sympathise with the electrical hums - I dread this time of year when the central heating is in use. Its not the sound of the pump or the water in the pipes that drives me nuts, but the fact that the airing cupboard is in my room and the motorised 3 port valve that switches the hot water can whine at a note that tests my sanity (I did a lot of research to see what was to blame - I'm no plumber!). Whether or not it does this seems to be a combination of whether it was just the hot water tank (rest position, always silent) or just the heating or both. As with all 'small' noises no-one else notices unless I point it out...
I know exactly what you are talking about. I can hear things others can’t and I always have to locate the source of the noise. For some reason, it makes me feel better.