Most people can probably recall the time a certain sound became completely unbearable to them.
Maybe it was your partner snoring their head off whilst you’re left unable to sleep. Perhaps it was your neighbour's unbelievably yappy dog.
But why do certain sounds seem to cause such strong feelings of anger, irritation or even disgust in some people, while others (arguably the lucky ones!) are totally unaffected by them? Well, it all comes down to the amygdala, also known as the part of the brain that regulates emotions.
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When a person hears a sound, the amygdala is what decides the emotional response they have to it, reports HullLive. With that in mind, Katie Ogden, audiologist and training manager of ReSound North-West Europe , has compiled a list of the most unpopular sounds, as well as why these noises can trigger such a big response in certain individuals.
Chewing or eating
The sound of someone eating or chewing commonly triggers a negative response in many individuals. So much so that it even has a name - Misophonia.
People who suffer from Misophonia have stronger connectivity between the part of the brain that processes sound and the premotor cortex that controls the mouth and throat muscle movements. This means that those suffering find hearing chewing or eating irritating due to their sensitivity to it activating their own muscles.
Snoring
No list of annoying sounds could be complete without snoring. Often the source of arguments in relationships, snoring is another sound that Misophonia sufferers – and the wider public – struggle to tolerate.
This is partly because a person’s hearing apparatus is designed to focus on sounds that are close by, meaning a person snoring nearby is pretty difficult to ignore. In addition, snoring tends to be sporadic, with its speed and volume impossible to predict, meaning you can’t just lull yourself into a rhythm of listening to it.
Scraping chalk on a blackboard
When it comes to the classic screeching sound of chalk scraping against a blackboard, the shape of a person’s ear canal could play a part in why the noise is so unbearable. Studies have shown that due to the shape of the ear canal, it amplifies certain frequencies to a painful volume, including high-pitched sounds like chalk on a backboard.
Crying babies
Many people often find that the sound of a baby crying catches and holds their attention more effectively than most other noises. They associate the sound with a feeling of stress and find it impossible to ignore due to it activating the primitive parts of the brain that trigger the fight-or-flight response.
Barking dogs
Lots of people find the sound of a dog barking irritating due to its repetitive, sharp and usually loud nature. Much like the sound of a baby crying, barking also evokes the fight-or-flight response within a person, making the sound difficult to ignore.
Blaring car alarms
Similarly to many of the sounds listed here, a car alarm can trigger a response of frustration in an individual due to its loud and repetitive sound. The average car alarm can hit 90 to 110 decibels, much higher than the 85dB threshold for safe hearing, meaning it can cause physical pain to the ears, as well as serious emotional distress.
Sounds through hearing aids
When it comes to noises through hearing aids, Katie explains: “When a person suffering from hearing loss begins to use hearing aids the sound will not exactly replicate what they used to hear before hearing loss occurred. It will take some time to adapt, as everyday noises might appear very loud, or even familiar noises like their own voice might sound different to them.
“It's always best to find the right hearing aid for you as a unique individual. All hearing aids will contain some level of technology that works to make loud or annoying sounds more comfortable. How much comfort the hearing aid can offer will then depend on the specifications of the hearing aids, and this will often be a result of the level of technology in the device."
