This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Most people find some sounds unpleasant, such as a baby crying or a siren, because of features such as their pitch, frequency or loudness. However, for some people, very ordinary sounds, such as chewing, sniffing, breathing, swallowing, finger tapping or clicking a pen, can cause an immediate, intense reaction that is difficult to control, a condition known as misophonia.
Misophonia is not simply being "annoyed by noise." It is a real condition, usually described as a reduced tolerance for certain sounds or things associated with those sounds. These sounds can cause very strong emotional, physical and behavioral fight-or-flight reactions, including anger, disgust, anxiety, panic, muscle tension, increased heartbeat, an urge to leave the situation or stop the sound and, more rarely, verbal or physical aggression. In most cases, the loudness of the sound is not the main problem.
The reaction depends more on the type of sound, what it means to the person, the situation in which it happens and sometimes even who is making it. For example, the sound of someone chewing may be unbearable when it comes from a particular person, like a husband, wife, mother or father, but much easier to tolerate in another situation. People with misophonia often notice that their reactions happen automatically and are particularly intense and out of proportion.
Misophonia can therefore have a major effect on everyday life. Eating with family, attending a class, working in a shared office, using public transportation or maintaining close relationships can become very difficult. Some people also react strongly to visual cues linked to sounds, such as seeing someone chew or make repetitive movements, known as misokinesia.
Misophonia is frequently associated with various psychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders. Interestingly, however, misophonia is not currently recognized as a separate disorder in the main international medical classification systems, and this remains an area of scientific debate. Researchers have been trying to understand misophonia for some years now.
In hearing research, it has often been studied alongside other conditions involving reduced sound tolerance, such as hyperacusis and phonophobia. However, these conditions are different. Hyperacusis mainly involves being unusually sensitive to the loudness of sounds, which can sometimes cause pain.
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