Dear Friends,

My thanks go out to one of my readers, for pointing out an issue I did not cover in my recent article on music. She was kind enough to write and tell me about her experiences with noise sensitivity, which in her case included many types of music, and fairly severe reactions.

Many of us are diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivity. There has been a good deal of study and written material on this subject. While I have not actually been diagnosed with MCS, I do find that I am more sensitive to odors and scents than I have been in the past. No more scented candles in my house! So it is no surprise that I am also more sensitive to other types of sensory input.

For most of us, simply living at this time in history means we coexist with many types of pollution, including noise. Our surroundings are full of sounds of various types which may or may not be bothersome for us. We hear traffic in the distance, planes overhead, the neighbor’s dog barking, and the children screaming while playing next door. Fluorescent lights are used many places, including sometimes in homes. Most of us are not even aware of the constant hum they create, but it can be very distracting to those of us who are cognizant of it, even on a subconscious level.

Where I live, the weather is pleasant enough that we frequently have the windows open, which only increases the cacophony of sounds which invade my space. The fresh air and sunshine are sometimes not worth tolerating the discord created in my surroundings.

I think, in my case, the amount of irritation has more to do with the sound level than the actual type of noise. Which brings me to what was one of my pet peeves even before sound started bothering me. I can be quietly and peacefully enjoying a program on TV, until the commercials come on. I know it is necessary to have advertising. I know that it pays for the program I happen to be watching. But is it necessary to increase the decibel level in order to get my attention? Just last night, we were enjoying a movie on a channel we frequently watch. I had a headache but was doing OK until the commercials started. My spouse and I both have a remote which controls the sound, and we were both reaching for them to mute the commercials. A couple of times, one of us muted it, and the other turned it back on accidentally while trying to mute the sound. That’s how annoying they were.

While I do enjoy soothing music, and find it relaxing most of the time, there are instances where even that is more than I can tolerate. I have reached the point that I don’t ever turn on the radio in the car when I’m driving. It’s simply too distracting. Even when I am not the driver, the radio seldom is on unless we are driving a long distance. I get very uncomfortable when the station starts to fade and we start getting static. I can’t tolerate CB radios because of all the static. Thank goodness for cell phones, although they can have their own problems.

My sensitivity to sound is fairly mild most of the time. If I have a headache, especially a migraine, it is worse, but so is my sensitivity to light and other stimulants.

There are days when I am just cranky, and any type of sensory input is bothersome. I know some of you have much stronger reactions to the noise pollution with which we all live.

What can we do to avoid this irritation? I wish I had a good answer. We live in a fairly quiet neighborhood in a relatively small town. That makes it easier, but I know that it is not possible for most of you to change your surroundings. Ear plugs might help when there is a noise you must tolerate such as road construction near you. In fact, I may try them this spring because we have to have a new roof put on our house, and I know the noise will be constant and terrible for a couple of weeks. I will definitely need recovery time after that.

Perhaps meditation will work for some of you. Meditation can block out the world for those of you who are good at it. I have never been successful in maintaining that type of focus. Perhaps using earphones, and playing a type of music you do find relaxing would be helpful. I like to use the old fashioned type of earphones, the ones that cover the whole ear, because they block out more of the outside sound. I have problems with the smaller earphones because I find that I am still able to hear all those things I am trying to deter from irritating me.

I can remember days, prior to my diagnosis, when I was charge nurse in an ICU. After eight hours of 16 kinds of beepers going off, the phone constantly ringing, and others calling my name, I would go home on such sensory overload that I couldn’t even think, and certainly could not function. For those of us with CFS/FM, it takes much less stimulation to overburden our systems. We may be more sensitive to any type of sensory stimulation, or may only have reactions to particular types of input.

I imagine some of you have found creative ways to deal with the environmental irritants which plague us. If you are willing to share your solutions with others, drop me a note, and I will be happy to pass on your ideas, as well as use them myself. Please email me with your suggestions and tips at copingcorner@prohealthinc.com.

All of us have to find ways to make our environment more comfortable. For me, right now, that means finishing this article, because the hum of my computer is giving me a headache. Take care and be well.

Yours in Health,

Eunice

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I welcome your comments and questions at: copingcorner@prohealthinc.com. My articles and email responses are not being offered as those of a health care provider. The information and opinions included are intended to give you some information about your disease. It is very important that you empower yourself with knowledge and participate in your own search for care. Any advice given is not intended to take the place of advice of your physician or mental health care provider. Always follow your physician's advice, even if contradicted by something written here. You and your physician know your situation far better than I do. Thank you and be well. Eunice