Aspies and good hearing ?

[GoofKing]

I'm not sure if my hearing is really better, or if I'm just bad at filtering out sounds that other people don't seem to notice.

Isn't that selective hearing ? I was told I had that before ...

 

[AsIstAga]

I saw an episode of 20/20 last night that brought up an extreme hearing condition called Hyper Acousis. It makes me wonder if a slightly milder form of that could be present in myself...I think my hearing is ultra focused when I've been in a much more depressive state than I am today, I will easily jump at or be annoyed by a slight sound (dripping faucet, any machine noise, or negative-and sometimes positive- overheard conversations..for example).
I've tried to consider the migraine issue I've heard others talk about having...but unless I'm so far depressed and completely unmedicated (self or prescription) I don't remember feeling like "an axe is splitting my skull in half!"
I did within the last few months get staples in my head, due to a slip and fall...and a mild to moderate concussion was said to be the outcome. So now I do have a better understanding of what the migrainers were trying to describe.
But, before I get too far off topic, I have noticed periods in my life with very acute hearing, and (contrastingly) if there is an abundance of overlapping sounds it is hard to focus on one at a time. Does this make sense to anyone out there!? Lol

 

[SameStars]

Isn't that selective hearing ? I was told I had that before ...

In a way. During conversation I can get totally distracted by a loud clock, or something beeping in the background.

 

[cherryq]

Maybe real life will have captions or even translations of different languages when google glass or something similar comes out.

If this ever happens, I would invest in it! Reading what I'm hearing is a tremendous help. When someone reads something aloud, I can't comprehend it unless I am reading it also.

 

[Beverly]

Hyperacusis: An Increased Sensitivity to Everyday Sounds | American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Read that, I think that explains what is going on. While most of us do not have true hyperacusis, we may have it with regard to a few specific sounds. i thin it has a spectrum, like Autism does and, we can be at the low end but still be ultra sensitive to some sounds. It is a sensory perception issue, not actually better hearing so, it makes sense that many of us would have the symptoms with at least a few sounds even though we don't truly have hyperacusis.

 

[Sully]

I am amazed that the constant ringing hasn't driven me crazy. I have always tried to make myself ignore the ringing. First, that nasty problem, and now diminished hearing but the ringing continues. When I was a baby I had repeated ear infections. I don't know if any of this has anything to do with AS.

I have tinnitus also, but it only bothers me when there is no background noise, which is mostly when I'm going to sleep. I like the whirring sound of a fan as I find it pleasing and helps mask the ringing. Some people have had success with neurofeedback, but that is still very much in the experimental stages in the treatment of that condition. I also had several ear infections as a young child and took many antibiotics.

The wierd thing is that although I hear really well I sometimes appear to be deaf because I can't block out background noises so when people talk to me I hear a jumble of words with noises and I can't process what they have said. I think that I might have APD (Auditory Processing Disorder).

I also kind of diagnosed myself with APD about 15 years ago. I got the book When the Brain Can't Hear by Dr. Bellis and it made a lot of sense out of my life.

My issue is probably genetic, but unless i can see someone's mouth AND hear the words, I can't understand them. I need my glasses to hear.

This also sounds like APD. Many people with APD will learn to be very skilled at lip reading without realizing it. I can sometimes understand a person speaking to me and then they turn their head and become like a radio station when you drive through a tunnel.

As far as sensitive hearing goes, my neighbor moved into a nursing home and her house stayed empty for a year. Eventually, one of the smoke alarm batteries started to die and I could hear the beep every minute for a whole summer. My wife thought I was crazy. One day my whole family was over for a barbecue so we were outside. I told everyone to be quiet and listen and then they could hear it. They were just like "so what," but I could hear that stupid beeping in my bedroom with the windows closed and the air conditioner on. I thought about leaving a 9 volt battery and a nice note at the door for the son who used to go in once in a while, but I didn't want to seem like a weirdo.

 

[ChrisC1983]

my hearing will vary.. if i get extra focused on 1 thing or start blacking out (not sure what to call it really... it's kind of random. i haven't figured out exactly what does it besides stress but basically everything will start to go darker, most sounds go away and i'll move very slow/stiff if i move at all. usually i'll snap out within a few seconds..)
anyway, besides those instances... i usually need to actively ignore sounds that people tend to not even notice. normally i'll hear a phone ringing in somebodies pocket or purse before they do and such, but also i'll (not intentionally) pick apart sounds. so, for example, when the AC is on almost any other sounds will cause a headache because i can only deal with a few sounds at 1 time. others will lump the sound of the AC into 1 sound.. but everytime the compressor turns on or off, it grabs my attention. likewise if it's on "auto fan" where the fan will change speeds, the sound is different for each speed.. and the liquid moving in the AC.... it's really quite annoying.

 

[Progster]

My hearing isn't as good as it used to be when I was younger - I can no longer hear very high frequencies. But noises can still seem excessively loud and distorted, and certain higher pitches hurt my ears. I have difficulty understanding speech over background noise. I often cock my head towards the speaker to hear better, and people think that I'm deaf.

 

[Beverly]

my hearing will vary.. if i get extra focused on 1 thing or start blacking out (not sure what to call it really... it's kind of random. i haven't figured out exactly what does it besides stress but basically everything will start to go darker, most sounds go away and i'll move very slow/stiff if i move at all. usually i'll snap out within a few seconds..)
anyway, besides those instances... i usually need to actively ignore sounds that people tend to not even notice. normally i'll hear a phone ringing in somebodies pocket or purse before they do and such, but also i'll (not intentionally) pick apart sounds. so, for example, when the AC is on almost any other sounds will cause a headache because i can only deal with a few sounds at 1 time. others will lump the sound of the AC into 1 sound.. but everytime the compressor turns on or off, it grabs my attention. likewise if it's on "auto fan" where the fan will change speeds, the sound is different for each speed.. and the liquid moving in the AC.... it's really quite annoying.

I know exactly what you mean about the AC. It distracts me as well and, this was taken from the chair at my computer desk. The distraction it causes is better than that heat not having it there would cause.

 

[ChrisC1983]

i'm slightly further from the AC in my parlor... but not by much (maybe 2ft if you had the camera up to your eye).. the one in my room is right next to 1 end of the bed. i keep rotating what end i sleep on (always have.. i dont sleep well)

the heat kills me.... but i keep having to turn it off to give my head a break or if i want to listen to the TV. i can't put anything up too loud since i'm living with family and they complain. lately i've gotten into a habit of listening to music on youtube with headphones on (the full ear ones)... and i'll realize that the music stopped 20 minutes ago and i still have the headphones on and can hear when somebody calls for me. i can hear them when come into the room to talk as well but they don't believe that i can so i need to take the headphones off when they do

 

[Wolfmother]

Oh Good God, let's smash all The car stereos that boom boom boom. Really drove me up a tree today. But on the plus side, I always am aware when my crow friends stop by for lunch, or when flocks of Bohemian Waxwings land in the plum tree by the studio and I'd hate to loose that sensitivity for the birds.

 

[Nisk]

I have great hearing it I have to get it checked yearly.

 

[garnetflower13]

I really hate how well I hear; we have neighbors upstairs that constantly walk around making annoying creaking sounds which I can hear even with ear plugs on AAAAAAAGGGH!