Background Sounds in the Forefront

[I who love music]

As long as I can remember, fans, furnaces, TV's and all kinds of background sounds have really bothered me. Often, I'll ask people to repeat themselves because it seems like small background sounds are really quite loud. I read somewhere that this is another manifestation of tinnitus - that all sounds blend together. My actual hearing tests very well. Anyway, does anyone else have this hypersensitivity to background sounds?

 

[Mark McDill]

I've noticed a similar phenomenon; but haven't really given it much thought. Like you imply, I just chalked it up to poor hearing (even though my hearing isn't terrible).

 

[Leah]

Me too all my life and even more now.
Traffic from far away that bothered no one else bothered me. I would hear certain "pitches" from fish tank pumps and tv's. Looking back must have looked a little odd to family and friends.

 

[Thongjy]

Are these so called the reactive T that most people are talking about here?

 

[Leah]

Not sure.

 

[tomm]

Hearing loss, even hearing loss that you don't notice causes your brain to have difficulty picking out speech and useful sounds from background noise. You'll probably perceive this as background noise being louder or more intrusive than before, because for all intents and purposes, it is.

 

[Lee#]

Yes. After suffering from acoustic noise trauma, I am experiencing the same symptoms. (I have high frequency hearing loss.)

After the noise incident, the sounds from electrical devices and industrial equipment have become extremely bothersome. These sounds are louder, and less crisp. I also have difficulty determining their source. Some examples of the types of problems I am having include:
- I question if I am hearing the dishwasher in the kitchen or the washing machine in the basement.
- The sound of a leaf blower, outside, and a 1/4 mile away is so loud that I need to use earmuffs inside.
- Masking devices such as fans and heaters sound loud and uncomfortable.
- When I am having a conversation and there is background noise, I now need to ask people to repeat themselves.

 

[SSJ]

Although the sound is always present, I barely notice it until I watch the big TV in the living room. Then it becomes very loud and persists a long time. I wonder why? The other TVs in my home don't bother me as much. Using earphones is preferable for me while watching TV.