Concussion Care: Noise Sensitivity

Do you have a hard time focusing out one conversation in a busy room?

Are you unable to have music on in the car while driving?

Our perception of sound starts with neurons in the inner ear and these signals are interpreted by the brain into auditory sensation.

The brain looks to compare the signals from two ears to determine the source of a sound including variables such as volume, pitch, timing and other characteristics and that takes energy.

If there is a mismatch in the information the brain receives from the left and right ear, increased energy and focus is required. Often the signaling from one side is slowed down or sometimes the information is arriving equally but too quickly for the brain to process while attending to other tasks.

Noise sensitivity symptoms may appear as an increase in other concussion symptoms, while in areas of high auditory stimulation. In addition, you may experience difficulty having a conversation in a restaurant, challenges when conversing with multiple people at once, or difficulty focusing with any background music.

View our in-depth guide