r/todayilearned • u/Sebastianlim • 17h ago
TIL that in 2018, a 14-year-old girl named Cindy Redmond had an air horn blasted into her ear by her friend's stepfather after she wouldn't get off her phone. This caused her to develop hyperacusis, a rare hearing disorder which makes any small noise cause her immense pain.
https://people.com/human-interest/14-year-old-girl-blasted-air-horn-speaks-out/1.6k
u/JoyKil01 15h ago edited 15h ago
I have pain hyperacusis in one ear. It’s brutal! Took me years, lots of trial and error, and 11 doctors to find a treatment that’s finally keeping it at bay with fewer rebounds (nortryptaline is working for me so far) (knock wood).
Those years were filled with tears of pain when the dog barked or the dishes clinked in the sink. I couldn’t even have a normal conversation without ear protection and picked my battles because I knew certain activities would set me back worse for days.
My heart goes out to folks who are still learning how to manage and live with this condition.
[r/hyperacusis](r/hyperacusis) and [r/noxacusis](r/noxacusis) for visibility.
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u/chongchongson 14h ago
this made me almost cry. i’ve been living with hyperacusis from a freak accident for 11 years now and have yet to find any solution other than literally wearing ear protection all the time, and just not leaving my house. i’ve developed so many physical reflexes because of it, i tilt my head to cover my ear with my shoulder when i open a soda can, i turn my whole body away when i see two plates about to clank. i am literally constantly on high alert at all times, and i work in the music industry (ha). it is so so horrible.
how long has nortryptiline been working for you and what exactly is it helping with? my H is pure pain, barotrauma, vasodilation. after a setback my ear literally turns bright red and gets hot to the touch. i have the constant feeling of needing my ear to pop. i know clomipramine is a popular try for this but i’m wary of getting involved with antidepressants as i’ve had bad side effects in the past. i’ve honestly given up and learned to just live with it but now you have me intrigued
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u/Syokhan 8h ago
i tilt my head to cover my ear with my shoulder
You don't know how happy it makes me to find someone else doing this! It's my default posture when I have to deal with cutlery or when I drop something hard on the floor, now. I thought it must be a bit weird from the outside but never really thought about how others with hyperacusis might be doing the same. It frees both hands after all.
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u/margretthatcherr 14h ago
Oh my God I feel like I'm insane whenever I try to tell anyone that my parent's untrained chihuahua barking hurts my ears. I wish I could wear earplugs so bad, but my stupid dainty ear canals can't fit them no matter what I try 😭
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u/JoyKil01 14h ago
Ohhh, here’s my pro tip! I use a silicone ear plug from Flare audio — it has a hole in the middle so your own voice isn’t loud, but it still reduces sharp sounds.
But the real pro tip for any silicone earplug is to cut and wrap some strips of moleskin (super cheap on Amazon or pharmacies) around the earplugs so they actually fit my ear.
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u/pmish 17h ago
Jesus what a fuckin asshole.
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u/lidder444 15h ago
A neighbor worked for a famous tv news show . One of his bosses put one of those aerosol keyboards cleaners into his ear and burst his ear drum
He sued and won a lot of money.
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u/gamageeknerd 15h ago
Those things are surprisingly dangerous if you fuck with them. My freshman year of college I watched someone turn one upside down and hit their friend in the eye with the frozen spray when they were trying to hit the back of their neck as a joke. Immediate blood red eye and those chemicals they add must not have felt great.
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u/Expert-Yam6577 15h ago
Damn im glad this story didn't end with you saying he got blinded
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u/Me_gentleman 15h ago
I mean.... They didn't say that didn't happen.
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u/gamageeknerd 15h ago
Idk what happened to him after that. We all just gathered around to see his eye look like someone just rubbed sand in it. I don’t even know if they went to my school or were just crashing the party
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u/ProjectDv2 13h ago
The only chemical they put in most is R-134a. That's the refrigerant used in most car A/C systems and refrigerators.
That's why younger, dumber me got frostbite on my navel. It was a very short burst, too. Shit hurt for ages. I'd never want to risk it anywhere near someone's eyes.
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u/CatsAndDogs314 11h ago
That's how we cheaply removed warts. Just hold the can of air upside down and freeze it.
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u/Neuromyologist 15h ago
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u/VociferousCephalopod 14h ago
perhaps equally crazy:
"New Zealand truck driver survived a freak 2011 accident where he slipped and fell onto a brass compressed-air fitting. The nozzle pierced his buttock, pumping air at 100 psi into his body, inflating him to twice his size. His co-workers quickly shut off the air, saving his life"
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13537084220
u/Chrysocyon 13h ago
"Mr McCormack confided that the air was gradually escaping his body in the way that air usually does."
Great last line to the article. I miss when journalism had more thoughtfulness and fun to it.
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u/samaramatisse 15h ago
Compressed air canisters are dangerous if mishandled for a number of reasons. I saw a video where someone did something similar to an office worker and she was so shocked she fell off her chair. Every fool in the comments was making fun of her for being startled, for being fat, etc and yet not one of those fucking yokels understood that she not only could have had damage in her ear, but could have badly hurt herself falling from the chair. Terrible, terrible "prank" and if you know someone at your work who does this kind of awful shit, report them immediately.
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u/VismoSofie 16h ago
Even if he could 100% know this wasn't going to happen, this was still such a dick move. Imagine being an adult man and deciding to bully your stepkid's friends.
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u/genesiss23 16h ago
It's not unknown that blasting loud noise into someone's ears can cause permanent damage.
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u/morblitz 14h ago
People are fucking morons. My brother is a paramedic and ambulances have a really powerful horn that can vibrate a car in front of them. My brothers co-worker blared it when my brother was standing in front of the ambulance. Caused hearing damage.
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u/geeoharee 12h ago
Who weaponised ambulances?! You know there can be random people around when you're using that?
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u/Exilicauda 11h ago
Being a pedestrian is so fun. I know to just stop and put my hands over my ears when I hear the sirens coming at this point lol
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u/Kartoffelplotz 10h ago edited 8h ago
It's an arms race, sadly. Cars are getting ever better noise insulated and sound systems also get better (or good ones affordable), so sirens etc. need to be tuned up so people in cars still hear them. The only losers here are people outside because cars and their drivers are more important of course.
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u/Chaost 13h ago
Someone blasted a trombone in ear above the kid in front of him the grade above me and he went deaf in the one ear. We had to sit through extra safety lectures despite it having nothing to do with our class so everyone was a bit annoyed.
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u/Khal_Doggo 12h ago
Imagine how annoyed the kid who went deaf was.
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u/andante528 12h ago
He had to sit through the lecture AND suffer permanent hearing loss. Poor kid.
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u/iAyushRaj 12h ago
I didn't go deaf but a kid did scream in my left ear when I was sleeping causing eustachian tube dysfunction, causing my left ear to be slightly muffled than right.
I pro of this is whenever I sneeze I do start listening colors due to my ears opening up fully.
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u/Areif 15h ago
Seriously, if anyone did that to my daughter I’d glue their eyes shut and make them hear their way out of a basement.
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u/Mirions 15h ago
In 2018? It should've landed him in prison even if only for a few years, or on the hook for all related medical costs after some jail time.
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u/MaybeALabia 15h ago
Men inflicting violence on girls… (and women) take as old as time.
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u/andante528 12h ago
Guaranteed he wouldn't have pulled that "prank" on a male high-school kid who could probably beat his ass into the ground.
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u/Puwn 11h ago
Yep and the stepfather never apologized, never offered any financial assistance, and never helped the family in any way.
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u/QuarterCompetitive13 17h ago
It’s incredible that they chose not to sue. Friend’s stepfather sounds like an abusive pos
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u/Prudent_Valuable603 17h ago
It’s sad that her family did not stand up for her. She now has a lifelong condition.
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u/Atalung 16h ago edited 16h ago
Not a lawyer but the statute of limitations is typically tolled (paused) until a minor turns 18. So there's a good chance that the clock didn't start until 2022
Eta: Delaware sol for personal injury claims is 2 years and I can't find any articles talking about a suit. She's more magnanimous than me, I would've been on the phone with a lawyer immediately.
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u/commanderquill 16h ago edited 14h ago
She probably didn't think she would get anything after so many years of people telling her she wouldn't or shouldn't.
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u/OhDivineBussy 14h ago
Yea what a great way to also give her a very fucked up world view/complete lack of self-worth. Teaching a young teen, especially a girl, that a grown man can harm them with no real repercussions is disgusting.
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u/spleeble 17h ago
Remember that "judgement proof" is a synonym for "broke"
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u/JustLookingForMayhem 16h ago
Also remember that sometimes it is worth it to sue judgement proof people just in case they win the lottery or have an inheritance. Make sure there isn't a rich uncle with no heirs before you write off suing completely.
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u/Buckets-O-Yarr 15h ago
But if you can't afford lawyers to start with, you certainly can't afford to gamble on a potential windfall that may come decades later.
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u/Welpe 15h ago
This usually isn’t the case. I mean, the logic is fine but the problem is it gonna cost quite a bit to sue in the first place. You’re basically flushing that money down the drain on the off chance that they will come into money later. It only makes sense if you aren’t hurting for money whatsoever
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u/post_button_account 16h ago
Our society is broke if we allow someone to screw a kid's life without repercussions just because they are poor.
If the punishment for this is just "compensation" then only the rich suffer any consequences.
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u/JustLookingForMayhem 16h ago
The rich can pay it without a care, most claims are rounding errors to them. The poor dont get sued because they don't have an assets to be claimed. Only the middle class suffers any consequences.
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u/PinkClinker 16h ago
Now that Cindy is an adult, I wonder if she could pursue legal action on her own?
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u/rowrowfightthepandas 17h ago
Broke father of six, there's nothing to sue, unfortunately. You'd probably lose money on the legal fees.
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u/newbrevity 16h ago
then at least press charges
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u/Kaiserhawk 16h ago
I was going to say. Why all the talk about suing, those are assault charges.
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u/Hailfog 16h ago
This is always such a bullshit excuse to never be held responsible. There’s always something you could get from him—make him pick up trash on the highway or run in a large hamster wheel to generate electricity.
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u/possumdal 13h ago
You can garnish his wages and collect all his tax returns. People say "oh he'll just work for cash" good fucking LUCK lol. Work for cash, sure he will. And the IRS can check his bank account for all the deposits and throw his ass in jail for tax evasion, assuming he can even find a cash job.
If you're determined enough, you can ruin a man. Most people just don't have the stamina and the spite in them to do it.
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u/ElCiclope1 17h ago
I would bet any amount of money they did it to spare the friend any further abuse. They knew if they sued then that little kid would be the one really paying.
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u/QuarterCompetitive13 17h ago
For real, I hope someone thought to check on the safety of the children in that household
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u/gymleader_michael 17h ago
A grown man not being able to stand a girl, who is not even his own daughter, being on their phone to the point that he resorts to using an air horn, is a huge red flag. And she wasn't even on the phone when he did it. He just didn't like that he had to ask her more than once.
Her friend’s stepfather instructed her to hang up. She did so at his second request. Still annoyed, he blasted her with an air horn.
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u/MrBones-Necromancer 16h ago
Fucking psychotic. How did they not sue?
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u/redwallet 16h ago
According to the article, it is because the stepfather in question was supporting a family of 6. Realistically I’m guessing they’d get very little out of it, and would be responsible for legal fees themselves, while also knowing they were destroying the life of the girl’s (former?) friend.
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u/Starlightriddlex 14h ago
If he does things like that to random other kids they'd probably be doing all of his a favor getting rid of him. Imagine what that POS is like at home
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u/LightningWarpAway 12h ago
Except that isn't "getting rid of him", suing him means taking their money, all it would do is make their lives harder, he'd still be around.
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u/Lopsided_Tiger_0296 16h ago
I’d blow the horn right back in his ear
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u/Sawses 13h ago
Honestly, that would be my back-alley resolution. Like they're given the choice of being sued into oblivion or I get to use an air horn to return the favor for however long it was used on me/my kid. Better justice than any court would give, and still less than eye-for-an-eye because he gets a choice and isn't likely to develop the condition in question.
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u/iforgotmyuserr 11h ago
Should be twice as long since kids have stronger hearing
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u/MaximumDepression17 8h ago
I'm just doing it until he's completely deaf beyond the point of saving. You do this to my kid you deserve something permanent to remember it by.
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u/Excellent_Smell4725 15h ago
How is it not considered assault and battery? The man would be jailed in Europe why is it left up to fucking sueing In America? Such a money whore country
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u/Gene_Trash 11h ago
Not a lawyer, but in Delaware where this happened, it's 1st degree Assault. If he had been convicted, he'd be looking at 2-25 years. The victim's family decided not to pursue justice, and while it's ultimately up to the prosecutor, if the victim doesn't want to cooperate it's tough to actually get a conviction.
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u/flippingisfun 14h ago
For all intents and purposes children are property in America.
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u/hikingsticks 17h ago edited 14h ago
I have this condition mildly from using a multitool for a brief period without hearing protection.
It's absolutely horrible.
EDIT:
Some things are predictable, like wearing ear plugs when emptying the dishwasher.
Some sounds are annoying but not quite enough to always wear protection, like flushing the toilet, crunching up a paper bag, opening some rolls of tape. Eating crisps and other crunchy foods. Just a small pain to feel many times every day.
Some are unpredictable, shocking, and damaging. Dropping a glass or plate on the floor. I'll suffer for some days after that. Or forever. Dogs suddenly woofing in an enclosed space... I have cats instead. People take offence when I have to block my ears and avoid being near their dogs.
Some have a short warning - approaching sirens, two stroke motorbikes. I can usually just about cover my ears in time. Bike rides often think I'm being passive aggressive and rev right next to me to make a point.
Some are impending and unavoidable, the dentists drill. No way to mitigate that. How bad does the tooth pain have to get before I risk a permanent worsening of the condition to have the cavity drilled? Also no NSAID drugs for me - worsens the accompanying tinnitus.
Some are heartbreaking. I can't go my my crying baby without first finding some earplugs to put in. I wonder if it will be like those videos of a baby seeing their dad shaved for the first time and freaking out when he sees me without headphones on. I'll be excluded from kids parties etc, I won't ask them not to scream and play.
It also cost me my career, since that came with the potentiel for sudden loudish noises. Retrained into software development just in time for the job market to implode, lol. At least this type of implosion isn't a noisy one!
I have a mild version of the condition. The one truth is it can (and will) always get worse.
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u/WetCoastDebtCoast 16h ago
using a multitool for a brief period without hearing protection
I read this and pictured a Leatherman for a minute and was very confused about ear protection lol
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u/KeegorTheDestroyer 16h ago
They forgot to specify that they stuck their Leatherman straight into their ear canal. The ear protection was for penetration and not noise.
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u/hikingsticks 14h ago
Hah, yes I forgot they also use the same name. Remember kids, don't stick a Leatherman in your ear without protection!
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u/WetCoastDebtCoast 14h ago
Just sitting here staring at my Leatherman like "What have you secretly been doing to me all this time?"
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u/shewy92 8h ago
I still don't understand what they meant by multitool because that's all I know of.
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u/Raichu7 12h ago
Find a dentist that specialises in working with autistic people, they have tools that make less sound, but they take longer so most dentists don't use them and they can drug you so you don't get hurt by the noise if the quieter tools aren't enough when most dentists would say the procedure isn't bad enough to need sedatives. Not being in pain merely from the sound of the drill or the teeth cleaning makes an incredible difference in the experience.
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u/hikingsticks 8h ago
That's really useful information, thank you. Something I'll definitely look into. Last time I tried to explain it to the dentist she said, "I have to listen to the noise all day long, imagine what it's like for me!". Bit of a bitch, that one.
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u/ProbioticOnARobotic 11h ago
That's really interesting. I had no idea they could accommodate people like that. Amazing!
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u/imdrunkontea 12h ago edited 12h ago
Not sure if this helps, but I developed hyperacusis (along with tinnitus) after a loud night at a club. I lived with that for a couple years, but then found this rather uncomfortable but effective masking sound on youtube that I'd go to sleep with at a low volume (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKo4jYDO9FQ). The high pitched white noise and beeps were the sounds that were most uncomfortable for me to hear, but it slowly trained my ears to be less reactive to them over time.
I also slowly exposed myself to "louder but safe" sounds, like people who spoke with booming voices, and crowded places like malls.
For me, my hyperacusis is 90% gone now (can't say the same for the tinnitus though). I rarely wear earplugs except to the movies, concerts, and loud restaurants. Not saying that this is a magical cure by any means, but wanted to share in case it might help you out at all.
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u/hikingsticks 8h ago
Thank you very much, I'll definitely look into that. Anything that nudges things in a more positive direction is worth investigating.
Sorry that you've also dealt with it. I find I'll get gradual improvements over months / years, then a single event will push me back worse than before. Definitely frustrating!
The booming voice one is real - wincing when people laugh doesn't send the best social signals!
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u/margretthatcherr 14h ago
I was just born with it I think, my audiologist told me I have it and it's partially responsible for my r/misophonia
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u/lizlemonista 14h ago
I just watched the movie Tuner with Leo Woodall (played Jack in The White Lotus - Italy) and it was really fascinating. a good flick but it does seem fucking awful. I’m sorry you have to deal with it.
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u/hikingsticks 14h ago
Interesting, I hadn't heard of that movie. In addition to now experiencing pain and more from louder sounds, I've always had very sensitive hearing. Hearing the tumble dryer from the other side of the (thick stone walled) house, constantly hearing electronics, stabbing pain from a high pitched noise in a supermarket that nobody else can hear. I sometimes pull out an audio frequency analyser app on my phone to identify a sound going on/off to reassure myself (and others) that it is actually there!
I haven't yet tried cracking safes though, I'll keep it in mind as a backup career option.
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u/lizlemonista 13h ago
I have mild misophonia and sound sensitivity — in a crowded restaurant, I can hear a song playing three rooms away. Same with the tumble drier and stone wall scenario. Once had a boyfriend who would “test” me — sometimes with music in headphones hidden in the back of a closet or under an outdoor couch cushion, sometimes with scraping of silverware on plates, etc. 😔 Today my boss sitting next to me had headphones on with the volume on low and I could hear everything, I had to leave because I felt like an asshole unwillingly eavesdropping. It’s a weird time. But not painful, usually. Watching Tuner gave me a lot more respect for hyperacusis and the like.
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u/bitchcoin5000 17h ago
That's what it's like living around stupid people. This idiot thought he was clever, ended up ruining her life
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u/Commercial_Tip4624 12h ago
It’s not about stupidity, it’s about rage. No grown man does something like this without having a lot of hidden anger. Stupidity doesn’t make a person a piece of shit, being a piece of shit does.
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u/crazy_urn 15h ago
My father-in-law has hyperacusis, and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. Even the most mundane things that we tune out every day can cause him pain. The hum of the fridge or a/c, the light whiring of a fan. Most restaurants are impossible for him to endure.
This is a life-altering condition and the asshole who caused it deserves to be in jail.
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u/SpiritualView4568 10h ago
I also have pain hyperacusis. tell your father in law that clomipramine might be worth a shot. It was first used by doctors in germany, and a lot of people have found success with it.
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u/squirrelmonkie 16h ago
If theres not a cure, could they just take out 1 of her ear drums? Thats not the best solution but it would make life tolerable right? And fuck that step dad. He did this after she got off the phone? And then her piece of shit friends saying that shes faking. Not a great look for these people
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u/cwthree 16h ago
No, because the condition doesn't originate with the eardrum. It's caused by damage to the nerves in the ear. If the eardrum is removed, the nerves and the brain are likely to make up for the lack of input by creating tinnitus (think phantom limb pain but for hearing).
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u/squirrelmonkie 16h ago
Ok well that makes some sense I guess. I wish they could do something for her bc as of right now her life is ruined. Whats she going to do when her mom passes at some point?
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u/Some-Body-Else 14h ago
There are active and promising studies being done for hyperacusis, sound sensitivity and aural diversity in general. This was from 2017, and although there isn’t a proper treatment atm, there are symptomatic ones. Sound therapy, cbt, and some of the similar ones used to treat tinnitus. Wearing ear protection isn’t encouraged as it makes the brain even more sensitive, instead of retraining it (which is probably why I cannot step out the house anymore as I have to use earplugs indoors. I don’t have hyperacusis, just sound sensitivity). Lots of autistic inidividuals also have hyperacusis and sometimes it’s caused by other diseases, so, there is definitely lots of research going on on this. (Also, I just read that the dad was doing some internet prank that was going on. Like ffs.)
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u/StelioZz 16h ago
I have tinnitus 10 years now . I hate it. But 100 times better than actual pain.
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u/CatTheKitten 16h ago
That's what I'm wondering. I think I would prefer deafness than managing constant pain. Deafness is a hard disability to deal with, but it seems more manageable than this.
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u/RhetoricalOrator 15h ago
The scary part is that if you get hearing loss, your brain doesn't like it and will make up sounds for you.
Tinnitus is a bitch!
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u/WhimsicalGirl 15h ago
Hey, finally something I can actually answer 😅
I've had this since I was really young after being exposed to very loud sounds. It's permanent, but you do get used to it over time, kind of like tinnitus... which I also have. Weird combo, honestly.
Most people with tinnitus have some hearing loss. I'm basically the opposite. I hear more frequencies than most people, so yeah... I hear my tinnitus really well. Yay 🙃
There are a few things that can help, though. One of them is sound exposure therapy. I'll intentionally listen to music at a volume that's just a little uncomfortable so I can slowly build up my tolerance. I also get my hearing tested every year to see which frequencies I'm still sensitive to and how things are progressing.
I'm happy to say it's gotten a lot better over the years. I still never leave home without headphones or earplugs, though. Going to a movie theater without earplugs just isn't an option for me.
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u/squirrelmonkie 15h ago
Im glad this is getting better for you. I couldnt imagine having to deal with it.
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u/PlanetoidVesta 15h ago
I have extreme sensitivity to noise due to autism, and throughout my life it has gotten severely worse due to developing other problems on top, so maybe a somewhat similar situation.
One time I lost most of my hearing for about a week after my ear drums got injured due to pressure changes from an airplane descend. Despite the tons of seperate pain and since permanent tinnitus it brought, it was by far the best week of my life. I didn't tell anyone I could barely hear because I didn't want my hearing back and was really disappointed when it came back.
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u/mrshyphenate 17h ago
What an AH. I wouldn't be able to contain myself around him. "He has 6 kids to pay for"- that sounds like a HIM problem.
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u/skrid54321 17h ago
I suspect that's less generosity and more that he doesn't have enough money to make it work retaining a lawyer. (A contingency lawyer isn't going to sue someone with no money).
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u/Apellosine 16h ago
Was the man not arrested for assasult?
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u/MiningForLight 13h ago
The family didn't pursue legal action
The Redmonds have decided not to pursue any legal action against her friend’s family
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u/MaterialWillingness2 8h ago
Is the family required to pursue legal action in the case of an assault like this? Like shouldn't the guy get punished whether or not the family wants to sue?
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u/QTlady 16h ago
Her family was too soft. The article says they opted not to sue for damages OR pursue legal action because the step father has a family of 6 to support...
I think I'd have still had to ruin his life.
She should be in her 20s now, I believe. Using noise canceling headphones for the rest of her life.
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u/topekatums 14h ago
If my family failed to find me any kind of justice after something like this, I'd be heartbroken.
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u/JaySlay2000 13h ago
"I'd still have to ruin his life" wrong. HE ruined HIS life by attacking a child.
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u/NachoEvans 14h ago
The Redmonds have decided not to pursue any legal action against her friend’s family, since the stepfather has a family of six to support.
Pbbbt fuck that, sounds like it's just giving this abuser another chance to hurt another child.
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u/tn80 16h ago edited 15h ago
The 2025 film The Tuner has a protagonist who lives (and struggles) with this condition. I felt it was a thoughtful representation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuner_(film))
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u/Veganfart 16h ago
I thought of this movie too! I love that movie
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u/hreddy11 15h ago edited 15h ago
Ask a person who actually has hyperacusis about that movie, it’s not like that at all lol. I have H and the absolute last thing in the world I’d want as a job is to be a tuner, it’s not some superpower like the movie makes it out to be. Cool I guess that it’s talking about the condition, but I’d rather it be lesser known than give people a false pretense of how it really is.
Edit: some links if you’re interested!
https://hyperacusiscentral.org/the-problem-with-tuner-disability-is-not-a-plot-device/
Paywalled unfortunately
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/movies/hyperacusis-tuner-leo-woodall.html→ More replies (7)
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u/seanc6441 16h ago edited 16h ago
I had it for 6 months. It's brutal. Tinnitus feels like a walk in the park compared to the hyperacusis. It makes every sound grating and physically painful even a running tap or normal speaking. It wasn't the pain described here at fiery. It was more subtle than that but like a sharp discomfort deep in your ears reaching your brain.
Mine probably isn't as bad as hers. I feel for this girl. I hope she can recover in time like mine did even if it's over years.
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u/Krewtan 17h ago
Yeah.. in court..
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u/cloud_watcher 16h ago
A lot of people are really dumb about how damaging sound can be. I’ve been in protests with people who are all about those little whistles and I don’t mess around with that. They’re extremely loud and I’d just as soon not have a lifetime of being tortured by tinnitus, thanks.
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u/princess_ferocious 13h ago
I don't care how many kids that dickhead has, he assaulted a child and left her with a lifetime of chronic pain and disability. He should be facing some sort of consequences for that.
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u/UnderwaterAlienBar 16h ago edited 7h ago
I’m extremely disappointed that the family chose not to pursue legal action. No it doesn’t magically make everything better, but this girls life was ruined forever, + the asshole who did it got off scot free.
Edited some spelling mistakes
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u/meatybacon 15h ago
I had this for around 2 years and wore earplugs basically constantly. Finally got around to seeing an ENT, turns out I had tiny hairs stuck in my eardrums. They removed them there in the office and I had instant relief. 6 years later I'm still good!
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u/Venomous_Rage 14h ago
It happened to this girl in the unit I was in for basic training in the Army. This female Drill Sergeant used a megaphone to wake this female solider up in the middle of the night for I don't even know what but it permanently damaged her hearing and made any sounds cause excruciating pain. Can confirm this is real.
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u/_Sovaz99_ 16h ago
Once when I was 17, i forget what I even did but my father stepped close to me and screamed something in my ear so loudly, that even to this day that ear isnt quite right.
It hurt my ear a lot at the time and i just sat there and cried. Even my mother was taken aback, and she wasnt exactly an angel of mercy herself. But she was also his target on many occasions; I remember the day he hauled off and threw a very large and heavy leatherbound KJV bible directly in her face from about three feet away during morning bible study. Its that christian love, you know it.
I have been no contact with my father since 1985. He may well be dead now, I have no idea.
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u/Many-Waters 7h ago
That girl's life is ruined forever and the man who did it is getting off Scot-free.
Unbelievable.
Especially in America of all places. I can't imagine that her treatment, specialist appointments, medications, and soundproofing equipment has been cheap.
But the perpetrator gets to live his life and probably abuse 6 other kids without consequence.
Wow.
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u/CrimsonFlam3s 13h ago edited 3h ago
Don't get Hyperacusis guys, can confirm it's hell on earth and mine is only moderate, not even severe.
Takes forever to heal, will likely be susceptible to setbacks in the future and comes with a fun bag of other conditions like Reactive Tinnitus which increases or spikes in response to regular sounds(Fridge hum/ac/car & road noise) and can stay elevated for hours/days if the exposure is bad enough making concentrating and sleep extremely difficult. Also bad sleep/stress worsens the symptoms turning it into a never ending cycle.
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u/Miss_L_Worldwide 13h ago
Pisses me off that the parents of this child aren't advocating for her with legal action. It's her life that is ruined and they are making a shitty choice for her.
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u/pixiedream095 15h ago
I have this condition, mine is severe and I have to wear noise cancelling headphones even just to wash my hands because the sound of the faucet causes me pain. There’s pretty much no treatments for it and inducing deafness wouldn’t even work. It’s miserable.
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u/Acrobatic-March-4433 8h ago edited 8h ago
I remember going to my junior high's orientation day so many years ago and whenever the mom of one of my classmates lost sight of her daughter in that huge crowd of people, she'd blow a whistle without warning. She did that twice right by my ear. I didn't see who was blowing the whistle right away and just clamped my hands over my ears and whined, "Who the hell keeps doing that?" Honestly, I didn't even care then if that was considered "disrespecting my elders." Plenty of so-called "grown-ups" (especially parents) are just fucking idiots with main character syndrome.
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u/sentrygentry 14h ago
There is a new movie that just came out where the lead character has this exact condition. 'Tuner'. A piano tuner eventually starts cracking safes because he can hear the tiniest of slide pins in the combination lock. It was really enjoyable and Dustin Hoffman stars as well.
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u/Hailfog 16h ago
A lot of grown men are complete dumbasses that aren’t qualified to have authority over any living person, including their own children or anyone else’s. And yet they’re given this authority.
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u/SirRickIII 16h ago
While getting used to my tinnitus I had a brief period where any sound at all (the hum of a fridge, someone talking, a car going by the house outside) was all given the same “importance” to my ears, and it started to feel painful. I spent days where I had ear plugs under my over-ear construction hearing protection.
I cannot imagine having it for the rest of my life, and no doubt what she had was much more painful than this.
Hearing is really important!
Also if you have tinnitus, please try to talk to someone about it. The mental toll it takes on a person is much more than a lot of people assume.
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u/Webgardener 15h ago
Descriptions of the ear pain are remarkably consistent — a burning feeling like molten metal along with a knifelike stab. She was never able to return to school. They’re decided not to pursue legal action against her friend’s family, since the stepfather has a family of six to support. That poor girl, I would have a really hard time not wanting to torture that stepfather.
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u/AppropriateSea5746 3h ago
I’m an audio engineer. I’ve seen coworkers literally punch people in the face for doing shit like that. Our entirely livelihood is dependent on our hearing.
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u/DJ_Degen 13h ago
A friend of mine went on a first date with a guy who took her to a shooting range and insisted she use his ear protection. It was wholly insufficient and she now suffers from the same condition. She’s still.teal on ig if anyone is interested in learning about hyperacusis
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u/Apprehensive_Bus1582 12h ago
Her family decided not to pursue legal action against the stepfather because he had a family to support.
I hope someone at least beat him up.
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u/BillyBean11111 4h ago
It's really annoying that someone can have their life affected so significantly by someone who did something incredibly stupid on a whim.
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u/Pilatesdiver 15h ago
They didn't pursue charges because he has 6 mouths to feed. What? He's proven himself to be irresponsible at best and abusive at worst. I put my money on abusive. They needed to press charges for assault.
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u/NeedaMiracle10 14h ago
I’ve had tinnitus and mild hyperacusis since 2021 and this story makes me want to smash this stepfather to a pulp (if I could fight that is). I wouldn’t wish ear problems on my worst enemy.
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u/cookieaddictions 16h ago
I was at a World Cup watch party the other week and a guy had an air horn and it was so crazy loud and he kept using it and he thought it was hilarious when people would jump from the sound (we were indoors). I hate people like that