Hi All...

Hyperacusis is defined as a 'collasped tolerance to normal environmental sounds'.  On the surface this can seem a pretty accurate description, but it did get me thinking, exactly what can be considered a 'normal environmental sound'. And is it somewhat misleading to the outside world trying to understand the condition. 

Can an artificial electrical environment, where we have refrigerators, TV's, radio waves etc really come under what constitutes 'normal'.  To a tribe in a remote part of the world, these artificial sounds don't exist, so it wouldn't be considered normal there. Many here hear sounds which may appear normal to our environment because we live in it, like hearing electrical appliances/hums, frequencies given off by appliances and other minute sounds, but are they really normal sounds? 

And isn't it quite ironic that the sounds often presented to sufferers to help them are exactly what we would consider normal environmental sounds like a softly running stream, birds singing etc.. naturistic sounds so to say.

Just something I was pondering on.

Yasmin

Normal sounds would be defined as being a standard sound of everyday enviorment. When you try to define normal, which is to look; Psychologically,Medically,or mathematically?

I believe a normal sound would be a natrual sound, as opposed to loud cars, boom boxes, and tap water running. I believe if the world was to abandon all of it's technological advances this minute, my personal intolerable noises would be reduced by atleast 80%. So, personally I am to believe the term would be Medically "Of natrual occurance"