It is not unusual for people to occasionally be irritated by some everyday sounds. But for individuals with misophonia, the sound of someone smacking their lips or clicking a pen can make them want to scream or hit out.
Misophonia refers to strong and negative emotional reactions to sounds that most people do not notice, such as chewing or breathing. Hearing these sounds may trigger chest pressure and other symptoms of anxiety.
These physical and emotional reactions to innocent, everyday sounds are similar to the “fight or flight” response and can lead to feelings of anxiety, panic, and rage.
Fast facts on misophonia:
- A person’s reaction can be so powerful it interferes with their ability to live life normally.
- Since misophonia is a newly identified health disorder, treatment options are still limited.
- The term means “hatred of sound,” but not all sounds are a problem for people with sound sensitivity.
How do you treat it?
No specific medications or treatments for misophonia have been found yet.
Individuals with misophonia have also developed other coping mechanisms to give themselves some relief.
Simply thinking about encountering sounds that trigger their misophonia can make people with the condition feel stressed and ill at ease. In general, they may have more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and neuroses than others.
Tips for managing sound sensitivity include:
- using headphones and music to drown out trigger noises
- wearing earplugs to limit noise intrusion
- opting for seating on buses and in restaurants that distance trigger sounds
- practice self-care with rest, relaxation, and meditation to reduce stress
- when possible, leave situations where there are trigger sounds
- seek out a supportive doctor or therapist
- speak calmly and frankly with friends and loved ones to explain misophonia
Trying to tell a person with misophonia to “just ignore” their triggering sounds is similar to telling a person with depression to “snap out of it,” and is just as unlikely to be helpful.
Symptoms
The key characteristic of misophonia is an extreme reaction, such as anger or aggression, to people making certain sounds.
The strength of the reaction, and how an individual with the condition responds to it, varies tremendously.
Both men and women can develop misophonia at any age, although people typically start showing symptoms in their late childhood or early teenage years.
People with misophonia realize that their reactions to sounds are excessive, and the intensity of their feelings can make them think they are losing control.
Studies have identified the following responses as symptomatic of misophonia:
- irritation turning to anger
- disgust turning to anger
- becoming verbally aggressive to the person making the noise
- getting physically aggressive with objects, because of the noise
- physically lashing out at the person making the noise
- taking evasive action around people making trigger sounds
Simply thinking about encountering sounds that trigger their misophonia can make people with the condition feel stressed and ill at ease. In general, they may have more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and neuroses than others.
In addition to the emotional responses, studies have found that individuals with misophonia commonly experience a number of physical reactions, including:
- pressure throughout the body, especially the chest
- muscle tightness
- increases in blood pressure
- more rapid heartbeat
- increases in body temperature
One study found that 52.4 percent of its participants with misophonia could also be diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD).
What are the most common triggers?
Researchers in Amsterdam identified the following as the most common triggers for misophonia:
- eating sounds, affecting 81 percent of those studied
- loud breathing or nose sounds, affecting 64.3 percent
- finger or hand sounds, affecting 59.5 percent
Some 11.9 percent of participants had a similarly angry and aggressive response to the sight of someone repeating certain physical actions, such as shaking their knees.
Interestingly, humans make most of the sounds and sights that trigger misophonia. A dog slurping down a bowl of food or similar does not usually provoke a misophonic reaction.
Link to autism?
Since some children with autism can have a difficult time with sensory stimulation, and particularly loud sounds, there has been speculation that misophonia and autism may be linked.
At this point, it is too early to tell whether there is a direct connection, as scientists do not know enough about what causes people with either condition to react so strongly to sounds.
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Diagnosis
The main resource for diagnosing mental health disorders in the U.S. is the DSM-5, and it does not list misophonia. Technically, this means a person cannot be diagnosed with the condition.
How is it managed?
Individuals with misophonia often try to avoid situations, such as social gatherings, where they are likely to encounter their triggers.
Some people also wear earphones or try to find other ways to drown out the offending sounds. Some mimic their triggering sounds.
Excerpted from “What is misophonia?” in MedicalNewsToday. Read the full article online.
Source: MedicalNewsToday | What is misophonia?, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320682 | © 2025 Healthline Media UK Ltd.
