Does the sound of your partner eating drive you insane, or does someone sniffing make you want to scream? Most of us find some noises annoying, but for some people an everyday sound can trigger anxiety and even violence. This extreme emotional reaction is caused by a condition called misophonia, which is thought to affect one in five of us.

TV presenter Ruth Langsford, has revealed that she’s a sufferer, confessing on This Morning that husband Eamonn Holmes’ tea slurping forces her to leave the table.

She has said in the past: "If someone's breathing quite heavily near me I just tune in. I think what happens is I just tune in so there's certain noises.“

She added: “If someone is clicking a pen, everything else around me becomes kind of dulled and all I can hear is that. Even if it’s a stranger, sometimes I have to go, ‘Excuse me, can you stop that!’ I blurt it out and then I’m really embarrassed.”

Ruth's husband added that she tends to “swear quite a lot“ and “become angry“ as it's a “stressful situation“ for Ruth to be exposed to certain noises.

Sharing an example, Eamonn has said: “Sunday breakfast turns up, it's a massive row. So I just throw the breakfast there and we storm off and we don't talk for the rest of the day.“

What happens with misophonia?


Individuals with misophonia often report they are triggered by oral sounds -- the noise someone makes when they eat, breathe, or even chew. Other adverse sounds include. keyboard or finger tapping or the sound of windshield wipers. Sometimes a small repetitive motion is the cause -- someone fidgets, jostles you, or wiggles their foot.

The disorder appears to range from mild to severe. Individuals report a range of physiologic and emotional responses, with accompanying cognitions. If you have a mild reaction, you might feel:

  • Anxious
  • Uncomfortable
  • The urge to flee
  • Disgust

If your response is more severe, the sound in question might cause:

  • Rage
  • Anger
  • Hatred
  • Panic
  • Fear
  • Emotional distress

How do you get misophonia?

The age of the onset of this lifelong condition is not known but some people report symptoms between the ages of 9 and 13. Misophonia is more common with girls and comes on quickly, although it doesn’t appear to be related to any one event.

Doctors aren’t sure what causes misophonia, but it’s not a problem with your ears. They think it’s part mental, part physical. It could be related to how sound affects your brain and triggers automatic responses in your body.

Because your ears are normal and your hearing is OK, the doctor may have trouble with a diagnosis. Misophonia is sometimes mistaken for anxiety or bipolar or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some doctors think it should be classified as a new disorder.

Is it curable?

It is not curable, but you can manage it.

Treatment often involves a multidisciplinary approach combining sound therapy by audiologists and supportive counselling in which coping strategies are emphasized.

You might try a device like a hearing aid that creates a sound in your ear similar to a waterfall. The noise distracts you from triggers and reduces reactions.

Other treatments include talk therapy.