The Deafening, Disturbing Noise of Our World After a Brain Injury

by Linda W. Arms, Sept. 16, 2018

The world is full of sounds, and after a brain injury, they often become intolerable. How many of you start experiencing an increase in anxiety, brain fog, balance or other problems associated with your brain injury when you are overloaded with sounds? This was a huge problem for me right after my brain injury and continues today, 12 years later, but to a lesser degree.

After my injury, I spent many hours with my head under pillows because I could not tolerate the sounds and lights around me. I wanted to curl up into a tight little ball and be in a cave where lights and sounds could not “get” me. Things you commonly hear around you but don’t think about, become a problem. I couldn’t tolerate the chirping of birds, the clock ticking, cars driving over wet pavement making that splashing noise, whispers, and many, what you would think, quiet sounds. Hammering, sawing, loud engines, music, TV programs, vacuums, dogs barking, so many everyday sounds, caused me to retreat to a silent place.

There were times, however, when I couldn’t leave where I was. It became torture to have to continue hearing the sounds. I would get nauseous, off balance, my vision would become problematic, all because my brain was overstimulated with sounds it could not process.

During most of the early years after the accident, I avoided noisy environments. Just going to the grocery store or hearing car sounds when I was out and about was usually too much to deal with. Restaurants were very difficult and I didn’t enjoy going out but did so for my family’s sake.

My neuropsychologist told me that my brain lost its ability to gate (or ignore) sounds around me that are just part of our environment. He suggested I get musician earplugs so I visited an audiologist. They fitted me with earplugs that included a noise filter to muffle a lot of the background noise but allowed me to still hear people near by me.

The earplugs helped a lot but there were some negatives. When I took a walk, I could hear my feet hitting the pavement which wasn’t pleasant. Restaurants still weren’t enjoyable because when I ate, I’d hear myself chewing and couldn’t hear anyone speaking at me over the sound of chewing. The earplugs were uncomfortable when you laid down on your side. It took me a while to figure out how loud I needed to speak. After getting the earplugs, I spoke too quietly and most people didn’t hear what I was saying. I had to learn to modulate my voice properly so others could hear me. Since then, I discovered Mack’s silicone earplugs which I’ve now used for years when sleeping or needing to block out all noise around me. The musician earplugs are still useful when I want to hear some sound but not be overwhelmed by noise.

I can tolerate so much more these days and can function very well. There are times, however, where I am in an environment that overwhelms my senses. In these situations, I’ve had to leave or needed some assistance getting away to a quiet place. I’m still learning what my limits are and it seems that sometimes they are different depending on other things going on with me. Just because we have this problem, we should still try to live a normal life and learn coping mechanisms to not just survive but also thrive and enjoy ourselves. Don’t let sensitivity to sound keep you from living a full life. Prepare yourself when going to a noisy location and set boundaries for yourself.

Here are some additional resources that provide information about sensitivity to sound:

Sensitivity to Noise/Phonophobia

Hyperacusis – Noise Sensitivity