Suddenly over-sensitive to noise and surroundings

[ProfessorofDarkArts]

I’ve recently become ridiculously over-sensitive to noise and my environment. I’ve never liked things like noisy eaters but now it’s got so I can’t sit on a train or plane without headphones because I literally can’t stand the sound of phones on loudspeaker and anything with that tinny electronic sound.

Even things like background music in shops or someone having the radio on provokes the same reaction - I feel stressed and trapped and I have to get out. I think it’s knowing I can’t do anything about it as much as the noise itself.

It feels as though you can’t escape it though - wherever you go people are on devices and you’re bombarded with noise. I do my best to avoid it but I can’t not go to the supermarket or whatever.

Is this menopause related? Have other people experienced similar issues?

I’m getting like this. Worse thing is, my own voice annoys me. And I work in a very face to face profession.

AirPods, yes. I’m considering HRT

It could be OP and you very much have my sympathy. I’m mid-40’s and therefore presumably peri-menopause. I recently developed a very strong reaction to noise, particularly louder “busy/hectic” music. It feels overwhelming at times and I can’t concentrate on conversations if the background noise feels too loud. I say “feels too loud” because the actual volume is often normal and acceptable to others but I can’t cope with it. I also developed quite bad tinnitus around that time but that seems to have improved. I’ve had investigations with audiology which have shown significant hearing loss of no obvious cause but it’s strange because the problem seems to be more like an inability to differentiate or detangle the different noises. Anyway, I’m rambling now but do seek help from your GP, you’re not going mad even if it does feel like it.

I’m not sure if it’s just how life is now - it feels impossible to escape noise and while I think menopause exacerbates it I suspect a lot of people feel the same. Not sure how to tackle it though 🤔

I got HRT and my first piece of "evidence" was that I had bought six types of earphones/plugs in the last six months and I was still about to commit murders in public.

HRT helped.

Yes that sounds just like me! I’ve started HRT but it’s not made much difference so far 🤦🏻‍♀️