I know I definitely have this, it's a fear of loud sounds. I used to think that claustrophobia was my biggest phobia but I didn't know that phonophobia existed so now that's probably worse than my claustrophobia. It has been really affecting my life and I don't know what to do. I hate sounds like balloons popping, people screaming or yelling, really loud music, etc. I think I can also feel the sound in my ears, my brother was making these cat meowing sounds to my cats and it made me really uncomfortable and afraid because they were loud (this was the only time I noticed feeling the sound but that might be why I sometimes cover my ears). Then my mom was watching this movie with the sound turned up, my brother was talking really close to me (I don't like people getting too close to me and he literally doesn't understand the concept of personal space) and I was freaking out, my heart was beating fast and I felt upset so now I'm in my room with earphones in (they have music playing to sort of block out other sounds, it's not loud enough to 100% block it out). I see a therapist but I'm not seeing her for like a week or something so I want to talk to her about it. Can I cure this or not? Or maybe make sounds easier to deal with? Is it okay to go somewhere quiet like my room to avoid situations where I'm freaking out or should I stay and try to deal with it?
I got this too, and as far as I know can't be cured. Sudden, loud noises make me cringe, and it can get as bad as having physical pain on my ears. I can't stand women with loud high pitched voices, loud laughter on the middle of a silent room (laughter from a man or a woman), and every kind of loud noise breaking a silence. On the streets I'm fine though, even if you put me on the middle of a highway, somehow it feels easier to get used to it... Don't put me there the whole day, unless you want me to eventually freak out. Trying to block external noise with earphones won't do much but turning you deaf at the end, besides it has proven that loud music for long periods do have psychological effects like anxiety, insomnia... If you must still try to block the world with earphones, as a desperate meassure, check noise cancelling earphones. They are a bit more expensive than your regular earbuds, but block much better (you won't believe how much better) the noise. Check them out, you'll see. Another trick is... Just earplugs, you know. Just be careful they don't completly turn you deaf, 'cause after all you do have to cross the road and things like that, so it's better to know a bit what is going on around you. The best trick, the one that never fails, is to stay away from people... Or at least from loud, obnoxious people. It never fails. If there is a way to deal with it, i.e. suffering through it and becoming immune, just let me know... I've got nothing from it but more pain in my ears.
I get something similar... I don't necessary mind loud noises (but over a long time person they can get tiring), but a quick change in sound intensity can cause my ears to hurt and I actually can hear something shifting in some cases. For example, tapping my nail on my bathroom mirror when it is completely silent otherwise. The quick change in loudness is painful, even if it's not a very loud sound. Also, if the sound is sustained, it's not painful -- only the change. What I noticed is it is worse when my neck is strained from studying or sleeping funny, so avoiding neck strain can help prevent it from being bad. I believe warm tea also helps because it may loosen the muscles around the area and sinuses. Additionally, anxiety makes it much worse, so controlling that can help. In regards to anxiety, that may likely be one of the biggest causes for you, continue trying to fix the underlying anxiety and see if it helps. I don't think there's a problem with going into a silent room to avoid noise. I like the silence too and tend to gravitate toward quietly areas. I don't think it's unhealthy.
I have a very extreme case of this. Whenever I'm downtown, at a concert, or even a movie, I HAVE to wear earplugs. They help somewhat. I can't be around fireworks, and balloons cause me severe anxiety. I hyperventilate, cry, and shake. I think one of the reasons is because I have above average hearing. What other people consider to be loud is amplified to me. You're not alone.
I do not have the full blown anxiety of loud noises, but they do tend to startle me often. I also teach music, so my ears are always being assaulted by loud and awkward noises. I've watched a lot of my coworkers begin to go deaf in their first 10 years of teaching, and decided to do something to prevent that from happening to me. I got a set of earplugs made that are fitted like hearing-aids. They have removable noise filters that can block different decibel levels, so I can use them for everything from taking the reverb off the sound in my classroom to noise cancellation. I can use them when walking around town, and actually have noticed that I focus better in a lecture environment with them in. I've noticed that when wearing them I don't startle at all. I'm a lot less ADD style with the earplugs in... I guess that the noise triggers my loss of focus. There are also students in my school that use Ear-Muffs like you'd use at a gun range when they're feeling anxious. It helps them block out the offending sounds and focus on one thing at a time. Maybe try noise blocking instead of blasting music?
