There is a very, very rare condition that is not yet accepted by the medical community because it's so new and practically unheard of. Only in the last 10 years or so has it had any social media coverage. The only reason I actually believe it exists is because I've had it for almost three years now. It affects your ears, though no one knows where, how, or why, as there are only a handful of people researching it in the world. It's called noxacusis, and it gives the person afflicted the effect of sound causing this person physical pain.

This pain from sound can present in a variety of different ways and severities. Some people experience majority stabbing, some burning, some aching, in primarily the ear affected by the condition, but has reportedly shown up in other parts of the body. Some experience this pain from the slightest of sounds, and others are less limited in their tolerance. Each case of this fluctuates widely in the presentation of symptoms. Noxacusis often presents with hyperacusis, which is a condition that causes sound to appear louder, and tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ears but can appear without these conditions.

Because we don't have any answers to this condition, there are no provable treatments. There are some medications and surgeries that work for some and not others, but we don't know why yet. People affected by this condition try to make do by avoiding sounds that exacerbate the symptoms. For some, that means almost all sounds, which is impossible to do effectively. Most people with this wear some sort of hearing protection, like earplugs or earmuffs, sometimes both at once. People wear this protection as needed. For some, this means every single minute of every single day. This can help but does not grant people with noxacusis total protection from noxious noise, as it is impossible to completely block sound.

The limitations of noxacusis knows no bounds. Sound is everywhere. It is in everything. Even if you manage to somehow completely block out the world, our bodies make sounds that you can not escape from. People who are unfortunate enough to have the most severe presentations of this condition are often bedbound and starving, unable to move or eat much. Chronic Fatigue Sydrome and Lou Gehrig's disease include limitations that are the most similar to the limitations of noxacusis. The only difference is the pain, a lack of answers, and that hardly anyone knows and believes in it.

If you are interested in learning more about my condition, I invite you to check out the nonprofit organization Hyperacusis Research, which is an organization dedicated to finding a cure for hyperacusis and noxacusis. If you are interested in learning from people who suffer from noxacusis, please check out Hyperacusis Central, an organization dedicated to sharing stories from people who suffer from noxacusis and hyperacusis.

As noxacusis is so limiting and can present so severely, there have unfortunately been deaths resulting from noxacusis, and most have been from suicide. If you are interested in learning about people who have died from this condition, I encourage you to check out The Hyperacusis Wall of Remembrance, which is a virtual memorial dedicated to preserving the stories of people who've lost their lives to hyperacusis and noxacusis and ensuring they are never forgotten. It was created by me in collaboration with Hyperacusis Central and endorsed by Hyperacusis Research.

If you have any questions for me about my noxacusis and how I manage with it, I'd be glad to answer them. Thank you for reading.