Hearing Again – Is it Causing Overstimulation?

The COVID-19 pandemic has made many people forget how to do various things. As we re-emerged from the pandemic, people have forgotten how to socialize. This pandemic has led to an increased rate of mortality, reduced immunity, and cognitive impairment. There have been sudden changes in people’s lives, such as loss of income and sound overstimulation.

However, since the pandemic is ending, people are returning to their jobs. People were alone in their homes for several months and are now expected back in their workspace. Returning employees are now exposed to loud noises and areas they are no longer used to. These sudden changes are leading to overstimulation and various hearing problems.

It May Not Be the Noise 

The pandemic has been stressful and taken a toll on people’s cognitive impairment. It took a while for people to get used to the pandemic. However, people are loosening up and going about their daily routine back. Covid-19 has increased stress levels, leading to anxiety when interacting with people.

Most people do not feel overstimulated because of the noise. However, some people do get overstimulated. You may feel anxious about work and social situations if this is you. 

Why Sounds Can Be Overstimulating After Quarantine 

During the quarantine, individuals who lived alone or with a small family had a quiet lockdown. Also, many did not go to noisy restaurants or bustling offices. These people lived in silence for the better period of the quarantine. 

The brain actively multitasks with noise and activity and separates several background noises from proper conversations. The brain’s function rested significantly during the pandemic because there was no conversation to filter. Reactivating that part of our brain to perform these functions is quite tasking and overwhelming. 

There are several symptoms an individual with auditory overstimulation exhibits:

• Rapid rate of heartbeat
• Feeling nervous, fearful, or anxious
• Trouble interacting with anyone or concentrating
• Overwhelmed and distracted by sounds 

Tolerance for High Volumes Are Lower 

Most individuals have been living with stress and anxiety since the pandemic started. This stress often impacts the hearing and sound threshold of the person. During the pandemic, people’s tolerance of lower volumes became higher than their tolerance for high volumes.

What to Do When You Are Overstimulated 

When you find yourself in a loud space, and you feel anxiety or sensitive to the sound, make use of the following techniques:

• Ease into the environment slowly and for limited periods. 
• Look for a way to leave the environment if you feel anxious or overwhelmed. 
• Make use of noise cancellation headphones to block the sounds.
• Do a short meditation or breathing exercises to lower your stress levels. 

Final Thoughts 

The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, and it is finally coming to an end. Many people were in self-isolation away from friends and families for an extended period. So you need to ease back into a busy environment slowly, and if you still find yourself anxious and unable to function properly in a noisy environment, visit our office today for a hearing check-up.