High-pitched Hearing

[Allanque]

Does anyone else here have exceedingly good high-pitched hearing?

I do, and it bugs the crap out of me.

I can hear speakers making noise when no one else can.

I can hear those little devices that pulse to keep rodents away.

I can hear the deer whistles that people put on their cars to keep deer away.

Other people look at me like I'm nuts when I mention half of this.

Edited because "hear" is not the same as "here".

[lovemyson]

My son who is ADHD is very sensitive to loud noises, even noises that most people do not think are loud seem to be extra loud to him. We have had his ears checked and his hearing is fine.

[Allanque]

I have to have enough noise to block out random noises.

I.e., I can't study in the library, because I hear people turning pages, but I do just fine in a coffee shop.

I'm not exactly sensitive to loud noises, but to noises in general.

[lovemyson]

Actually now that you mention it, my son could be watching TV in one room and hear someone open a chip bag or something in the other room and jump up and say what's that? On the other hand we could be sitting next to him and ask him a question and he acts like he is in another world.

[Allanque]

TVs are the other evil I forgot to mention. Some of the screens make this lovely high-pitched noise that makes me want to put something through the screen to make it stop. It's especially bad when someone's watching with the sound down low or when Dad turns off the cable box at home but not the TV. I don't have a TV in my dorm room.

[lovemyson]

Sounds very annoying. Have you had your hearing checked? Maybe just over sensitive ears.

[eaccae]

Allanque

Interesting observation!

That is a part of ADHD for many people as described by our neuropsychologist. He explained that with ADHD/ADD - the filter wasn't working properly. That if a nonADHD/ADD person was to go stand outside for 5 minutes and listen - he might her a bird or a car in the background - and if someone was speaking to him - he would hear that more loudly etc. and shut out the other sounds easily. But someone with ADHD - although physically the soundwaves are going in at different rates - the brain isn't necessarily processing it that way - the filter isn't working correctly - and as an ADHD/ADD person - you would hear all of it more sharply, say, than a non-ADHD/ADD person. So if someone was talking to you - you are trying to listen but you might only get half of what they said because the other sounds are interfering. It is not necessarily louder but sharper if that makes any sense. (I'm sure it does - as you are going through it.) This actually affects the focusing because the natural prioritizing of things like sounds aren't happening automatically in the brain. This works visually as well. There is an article by an adult with ADHD who described it as driving through a snowstorm without the wipers.

All of these anaologies help me understand what it is like for DS (and DH) with ADHD - h= hyper. For me - I am ADHD - H = hypo and a daydreamer. Sometimes I don't hear any sounds at all and other times people think I'm deaf - especially at parties or in a restaurant - because I can't hear one person talking with coversation or music going on in the background. I hear it all so sharply that it is really hard to concentrate on what one person is saying - although everyone around me thinks I'm deaf because they don't hear what I am hearing. I end up feeling lost sometimes because I hear snippets from different conversations - even if they aren't necessarily that close to me. So I go in between the hearing too sharply and the not hearing anything at all. ;D

DS also hears higher pitched noises as well. I wonder - has this ever happened to you? When I am in a quiet room - I swear that I can hear the nothing. (Now everybody on this board is going to think I am crazy!! ;D)

[hopeful]

This is a very interesing discussion for me.

My husband has a genetic hearing problem. It's gotten worse over the last 5 years or so, this past year being the worst. To make a long story short, my husband has been acting very ADD-like, but only over the last 12 months. He had corrective surgery a year ago, but it only worked for a short time. He had an accident that totally messed up his hearing more than it had been in the first place.

I've known my huband for 15 years, before his hearing deteriroated. His add symtoms are clearly a result of his hearing problems. I've told my son's doctors this many times, coz when they see him, they think he's the genetic link to my son's adhd. We both have other theories.

Because my husband's hearing is thought to be genetic (he's adopted), we have our son's hearing tested probably more often than most. I'm glad to say he has great hearing...but he does comment how he hears things and it sounds very much like you. I only wish there was something more I could do to help.

[Allanque]

eaccae -

Mom wants to know why I can hear the TV all the way in my room at home, but can't hear her yelling at me from the next room.

Maybe I should ask if the student health clinic does hearing tests, just to see exactly how high-pitched I am hearing...

One of Mom's friends decided to get her a little tiny bell on a necklace for Christmas last year. She wore it on a long car trip. Within 5 minutes, I'd asked her to take it off because it was bugging the crap out of me. She found it amusing. In about 10 minutes, I was threatening to get out my nail polish and glue the clapper to the side. She finally took it off. I bet Dad never even heard it.

The A/C vents in my car have something in them that whistles when they're on very high. One of the things that bugged me the most about my old car was the busted speakers that would randomly quietly whistle.

[AnneM]

Hi !! Oh boy there are TWO sides to this one! I have a "high frequency hearing loss" which is quite severe ... (and means I wear a hearing aid in one ear but my other ear is too deaf to take a hearing aid) ... it also means I never hear the birds sing or the crickets humming or the wind whistling or most types of alarm clock etc. AND I cannot tell the difference between vowels in speech !! ... UGH !! It causes endless frustrations!! The hearing aid "helps" but by no means cures ... and I can never hear what a child is trying to say (due to their high-pitched voices) .....

However, I can also see that TOO sensitive-hearing could also be really irritating.... !! Wow!! Extremes in anything are BAD NEWS eh???

[Veronika]

I wonder if it has to do with 'hearing', or if it's because ADD/ADHDers are more aware of what goes on around them?

Johnathon (my 12 yr old son ADHD/MD) would be in living room and yell at his brother Keith to turn down the T.V upstairs. Was it bothering him? I couldn't hear it. My hearing is fine, but I'm also not as 'aware' as he is.

[foley]

This is an extremely interesting thread. My DS has always needed noise to focus. He claims he thinks better when he has background noise--like the TV--and I've noticed that I'm always asking him to turn it down just a bit.

His teachers have also told me in the past that he will softly sing to himself during lessons, but that it doesn't interfere with his learning--because he can always repeat back the class discussion, or answer the teacher's questions. He also seems to have extra sharp hearing, and as a small child was extremely sensitive to loud noises. Has anyone else had this experience? He really can't stand when things are quiet, basically he has to fill the silence.

Foley

[eaccae]

DS AND DH have really sharp hearing - but they both need noise as well - I should say certain noise. DS can work with music in the background (thinks he can work with tv in the background - if it's not a cartoon he can) - but cannot work with conversation, toys noises or any othe rnoise in the background (and of course this is pretty much all with his meds or he can't focus for very long in silence or with nosie. I am the opposite. I can't have any noise. I do believe it has something to do with the filter thing. - He, as many other children with ADHD, is weirdly senstive to touch as well. There are times he can't concentrate because he is too itchy. He'll strip naked, etc. Eventually a hot shower will help him out. But it is interesting how the senses seem to be magnified.

[Dad2Brooke]

I've been reading this thread for the last couple of days with no particular interest.

This morning, however, I am pouring Brooke's cereal into her bowl and she tells me that my alarm clock is going off.

I stop pouring the cereal and listen. No it isn't, I shut it off.

Yeah, daddy it is.

I go upstairs to check it and I can finally hear it from the other side of the door that was closed to keep the cat out.

She heard it go off over the pouring of cereal, upstairs behind a closed door.

So obviously her hearing is keen. Now, why can't she hear me tell her it is bedtime while we are sitting on the same sofa.

[HollyNTx]

Boy I never thought any one had problems with hearing like I do.

I cant stand the total silence. To me when there is nothing on I still hear noises. Like this ringing going in my ears. it is almost defining. I will hear the clicks and hums of certain things in the house like the vcr or the computers. it is so bad.. I have to have something else on at all times. I keep this little fan on in my room, it would seems quite to most but to me it helps keep out all the other noises I hear, and the ringing.

My kids have always thought I had some kind of super hearing. I can be on the other side of the house and the TV's are going and all the other family home sounds. but I kow exactly what every single sound that I hear is. someone opening a candy raper, or the kids wispering, the clicking of the ice maker.. anything at all, I hear it.

It is actually madening. It drives me completely crazy.
I would say to me it is almost painful to hear some of these noises. especially the ringing and humming sound in my head that I hear constantly.

Holly