One of the many things I hate about fibromyalgia is the hypersensitity to noise. I've been having so many migraines over the past month and I'm pretty sure it is from the stress of the constant noise around here. Even if I don't let the noise irritate me, I can feel myself tensing up when one of the annoying noises starts again.
Take this very second for instance. I drug my papa-san chair out to the deck so I could sit and write and the minute I sat down the neighbor boy started playing his drum set. He lives two houses down but it is SO LOUD he may as well have it set up on the deck right next to me, even though I am using my noise cancelling headphones. I can feel something tensing up in my head and I feel sure another migraine is going to come on. I could take my chair back in the house, but then I'd hear the base from my husband's radio down in the garage. There's no escape. I just want to scream.
I know people think I'm terrible for wanting my kids (and the neighbor kids) back in school so badly. But dealing with loud noise every waking moment is driving me over the edge. Kids are loud and I can't help it, the noise gets to me and fries my nerves.
I seriously wonder how I'm going to get through the next couple of weeks without having a heart attack, stroke, or nervous breakdown. I know the stress is taking a serious toll on my body and mind. I'm pretty sure stress is the cause of my migraines and the flare I've been dealing with. I'm trying everything I can to relax but the constant barrage on my senses is making it impossible.
Do you suffer from hypersensitivity to noise? All the the time, or just when you're flaring? Have you found anything that helps you cope?
2 comments:
I too suffer with the hypersensitivity to noise. More so when I've already got a migraine, but many of my migraines come from noise. There are times that I can't sleep in the same bed with my husband because it hurts too bad to listen to him breathe. Not SnOrInG, just breathing!!! At times like that I have turned to ear plugs- industrial strength. It really helps. It doesn't take the problem away completely though. Some noises have high percussion, so you can *FEEL* the sound as well as hear it. I've never found anything to help that. Along with my sensitivity to sound, I also have it to smell & touch. Any one of these things can set off a migraine or fibro flare at any time. It really stinks. The pain I experience from the noise makes me feel like someone is scraping my brain. It's unbearable! A lot of time I endure church (for this reason) rather than enjoy it, because the singing is too loud FOR ME, or the preaching is too loud FOR ME. I'm the problem, but I don't choose to be this way. I think families especially could cut us some slack knowing how much it bothers us? But here too people are ignorant of how it is really effecting other people and put themselves first. Try the industrial strength ear plugs at least once. You can usually find them at any Walmart or drugstore in the ear, nose & eye sections. Hope this helps.
Wow, I never though about the migraines being CAUSED by the noise. But maybe that's it. I definitely felt my head doing some weird things when I heard that drum set and when my kids start fighting.
I know what you mean about the breathing. I can't stand to listen to my husband breathing. It drives me up the wall. Luckily for me, he falls asleep on the couch in front of the TV a lot. And, as bad as it sounds, I don't wake him up to come to bed anymore. I just leave him slumped over, uncovered on the couch so I don't have to listen to him breathing. I feel bad but I've got to get sleep.
I'll have to check for the industrial strength ear plugs. I have some regular ones. They're good enough to block out the breathing but not the snoring. I can't wear them every night though because it hurts the cartilage in my ear, as weird as that sounds. And sometimes, doesn't the roaring sound of having ear plugs in drive you crazy? It does me. It seems loud, even though it can't be making any sound to have an ear plug in my ear.
I also know what you mean about "feeling" some noises. Sometimes, especially when I'm in a bad flare, I can feel noise in my chest. It's really weird. And humming noises drive me up the wall. I can feel them vibrating through me. I can't stand clocks ticking either.
That's a bummer that church is so uncomfortable because of the noise level. I don't go to movies much for that very reason. But that's no big deal. I know church means a lot to you. It sucks that you can't always enjoy it.
Thanks for the comment Teresa. I feel less crazy knowing that others go through the noise sensitivity thing. And the smell and touch. We'll have to talk about those soon!
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