This article is about the fear of loud sounds. For the aversion to specific sounds, such as eating, coughing, or alarms, see Misophonia. For the fear of making or taking phone calls, see Telephone phobia.
Medical condition
Phonophobia
Other names
Ligyrophobia, sonophobia, acousticophobia[1]
Specialty
Psychiatry, neurology
Phonophobia, also called ligyrophobia or sonophobia, is a fear of or aversion to loud sounds (for example firecrackers)—a type of specific phobia.[2] It is a very rare phobia which is often the symptom of hyperacusis. Sonophobia can refer to the hypersensitivity of a patient to sound and can be part of the diagnosis of a migraine.
Occasionally it is called acousticophobia.[1]
The term phonophobia comes from Greek φωνή - phōnē, "voice" or "sound"[3] and φόβος - phobos, "fear".[4]
Ligyrophobics may be fearful of devices that can suddenly emit loud sounds, such as computer speakers or fire alarms. When operating a device such as a home theater system, computer, television, or CD player, they may wish to have the volume turned down all the way before doing anything that would cause the speakers to emit sound, so that once the command to produce sound is given, the user can raise the volume of the speakers to a comfortable listening level. They may avoid parades and carnivals due to the loud instruments such as drums. As festive occasions are accompanied by music of over 120 decibels, many phobics develop agoraphobia. Other ligyrophobics also steer clear of any events in which firecrackers are to be let off.[citation needed]
Another example is watching someone blow up a balloon beyond its normal capacity. This is often an unsettling, even disturbing thing for a person with ligyrophobia to observe, as they anticipate a loud sound when the balloon pops. When balloons pop, two types of reactions are heavy breathing and panic attacks. The sufferer becomes anxious to get away from the source of the loud sound and may get headaches.[1] It may also be related to, caused by, or confused with hyperacusis, extreme sensitivity to loud sounds.[5] Phonophobia also has been proposed to refer to an extreme form of misophonia.[6]
^ abcSwerdlow, Bernard (1998). Whiplash and Related Headaches. p. 526.
^"Home : Oxford English Dictionary". oed.com. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
^φωνή, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
^φόβος, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, on Perseus
^Roeser, Ross (2007). Audiology: Diagnosis. New York, NY: Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. p. 331. ISBN 978-1-58890-542-0.
^"Decreased sound tolerance: hypersensitivity of hearing (hyperacusis, misophonia, phonophobia)", Jonathan Hazell FRCS, Director, Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Centre, London UK [1]
Phonophobia, also called ligyrophobia or sonophobia, is a fear of or aversion to loud sounds (for example firecrackers)—a type of specific phobia. It...
and the Greek word Phobos which translates to fear. This is a form of phonophobia. Indications that someone suffers from Globophobia include: Feelings...
hyperacusis (hypersensitivity to certain frequencies and volume ranges) and phonophobia (fear of sounds). As of 2016[update], the literature on misophonia was...
another European tour, after which they released their second record, Phonophobia, through Vinyl Japan and returned to tour Japan once again. Further radio...
with misophonia. Fear hyperacusis is often considered synonymous with phonophobia. Many researchers more narrowly define hyperacusis to only include loudness...
vomiting no more than one of photophobia (sensitivity to bright light) or phonophobia (sensitivity to loud sounds) Tension-type headaches may be accompanied...
Achluophobia fear of darkness Acousticophobia fear of noise – a branch of phonophobia Acrophobia fear of heights Aerophobia fear of aircraft or flying Agoraphobia...
as young as 21 years old. People with WS often have hyperacusia and phonophobia, which resembles noise-induced hearing loss, but this may be due to a...
with pulsing head pain, nausea, photophobia (sensitivity to light) and phonophobia (sensitivity to sound). Tension-type headaches usually present with non-pulsing...
with meningitis include photophobia (intolerance to bright light) and phonophobia (intolerance to loud noises). Small children often do not exhibit the...
abdominal pain/cramping, limb paresthesias, hyperesthesia, photophobia, phonophobia, headache, and dyspnea, heightened sensitivity, especially to light,...
Similar to a migraine, sensitivity to light (photophobia) or noise (phonophobia) may occur during a cluster headache. Nausea is a rare symptom although...
Black Holes (EP, January 2018) The Unraveling (Single, September 2018) Phonophobia (Single, February 2019) Stockholm Synthrome (EP, April 2020) Haunted...
In 2014, they broke a Guinness World Record when performing the play Phonophobia in front of 20,000 people at the Waldbühne in Berlin. In 1999, he provided...
Nausea and/or vomiting Sensitivity to both light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia) If someone experiences two of the following: photophobia, nausea, or...
than 3 months.[citation needed] There may be accompanying photophobia, phonophobia, lightheadedness or mild nausea. Co-morbidity with mood disorders has...
needed], TRT has been used to treat hyperacusis, misophonia, and phonophobia. Tinnitus may be the result of abnormal neural activity caused by discordant...
live-audience. They broke their own Guinness World Record when performing Phonophobia – Symphony of Fear in front of 20,000 people at Berlin Waldbühne during...
can last from 15–180 min. There is normally no nausea, photophobia, phonophobia or autonomic symptoms associated with the headache. They commonly occur...
from minutes to days, and may be accompanied by nausea, photophobia, phonophobia or vomiting. Some patients experience only one headache, but on average...
significantly more effective than placebo and alleviates nausea, photophobia and phonophobia linked to migraine attacks. Almotriptan has similar efficacy as a standard...
one minute Migrainous features: throbbing pain nausea and/or vomiting phonophobia photophobia The cause of hemicrania continua is unknown.[citation needed]...
affected patients endorsed associated nausea, vomiting, photophobia, or phonophobia, which are typically associated with migraines.[non-primary source needed]...
walking. These headaches must also be accompanied by nausea/vomiting, phonophobia (avoidance of sound due to hypersensitivity), and/or photophobia (avoidance...
aversion to routine physical activity With nausea, vomiting or photo- and phonophobia Not attributable to another disorder International Headache Society Migraine...
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