Hiperacusia: considerações teóricas

Abstract

The daily sound discomfort is called hyperacusis. This alteration is defined as an abnormal reaction of the auditory pathway in relation to the outside sounds, generally the ones that have moderate or weak intensity, but not excluding the strong intensity. This alteration is present, in most cases, in individuals that show tinnitus complaints, leading to studies about hypothesis of common physiopatologic mechanisms. This phenomenon is present in people that have normal or abnormal hearing. The reactions presented when there is hyperacusis are discomfort, fear, suffering and stress. Nowadays the studies show that the discomfort degree produced by the sounds is regulated by the limbic system and that the physics reactions are produced by the autonomic nervous system. The efferent auditory pathway through the medial olivocochlear tract can also produce hyperacusis because its functions control the auditory earning and the behavioural reaction to the sound. We observed there are questions that are not clearly answered about this subject yet and there are contrary opinions among the authors. Some relates found in the bibliography are about hypothesis, what shows that our study is important as well as new ones. Moreover, the speech patology and audiology work with hyperacusis intend to establish prevention methods and assistance to this.