Phobia of loud noises is more common than you think. Innumerable people have a fear of loud noises and they are not all phobic or ailing. At times, phobia of loud noises is quite common and not always persistent or chronic. Phobia of loud noises is known by various names – phonophobia, sonophobia and ligyrophobia are the most common ones.
Phonophobia is defined as a fear or phobia of loud noises but it is not confined to that. A person who is afraid of his own voice or other people’s voices is also regarded as phonophobic. His or her own voice and others’ voices may not be classified as loud in normal lingo. Ligyrophobia specifically deals with loud noises and not people’s voices. However, loud and not normal voices of other people are encompassed in ligyrophobia.
A phobia of loud noises can develop due to many reasons. A person may simply be hypersensitive to loud noises and may get frightened when some loud sounds are played or created all of a sudden. The phobia may also stem from certain conditions such as migraine, Asperger’s Syndrome or Meniere’s disease. Certain physiological disorders in the ear or cognitive problems may also create a phobia of loud noises, so can neurological disorders or behavioral and psychological conditions. Phobia of loud noises is extremely common in kids as well as in adults. Most people are frightened when a sudden loud noise is created or played. But many of those reactions are primarily because of the surprising or shocking impact than the loud noise itself. Those who have the phobia will always anticipate loud noises. They would fret at the idea of a balloon bursting or a firecracker flaring up, parades, carnivals and concerts and even going to pubs. Children with phobia of loud noises will perform poorly in large groups and classroom settings due to the commotion. Adults would struggle to work in noisy environments such as offices or chaotic situations.
There is another type of phobia which is known as acousticophobia which is the fear of noise. This has nothing to do with loud noises but all kinds of noise. People with such a condition prefer isolation and want to stay away from the hustles and bustles of normal life that is naturally thronged by all kinds of noises.
Phobia of loud noises should be taken seriously since it can lead to embarrassment in adults and kids may also think something is seriously wrong with them. In worst cases of phobia of loud noises, a person may become inhibited and coy, thus not living up to his or her full potential at work, home or anywhere.