The psychologist spoke about misophonia and its effect on people with ASD

Misophonia is a form of sensory sensitivity in which certain sounds cause a person not just irritation, but a strong emotional reaction, such as anger, anxiety, or a desire to avoid contact. Maria Todorova, a child psychologist and correctional educator, told Izvestia about this on September 9.

"From a medical point of view, misophonia is described as a special form of sensory sensitivity, when certain sounds cause a person not just irritation, but a strong emotional reaction: anger, anxiety, a desire to avoid contact. This is fundamentally different from the usual sensitivity to loud sounds: with hyperacusis, the reaction is to the intensity (volume), and with misophonia, to the nature, "quality" of the sound. Most often, these are quiet, repetitive sounds that other people may not even notice," the specialist said.

According to Todorova, the issue of recognizing misophonia as a separate diagnosis is still unresolved. In international classifications of diseases, it does not have the status of an independent disorder and is more often considered as a symptom of other diseases. Misophonia may be part of the sensory profile of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), who tend to be hypersensitive to various stimuli.

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People with ASD have increased sensory sensitivity and difficulty filtering out background stimuli very often, and misophonia may be part of this overall sensory profile. The triggers are not necessarily just the sounds of food. Yes, chewing, slurping, or snuffling are the most common examples, but different people may be irritated by clicking a pen, tapping a foot, breathing loudly, or typing on a keyboard. It's very individual," the psychologist emphasized.

She drew attention to the fact that sensitivity to sounds can increase when a person lacks emotional security, which causes increased anxiety and difficulties with self-regulation. In the case of children with ASD, this is especially pronounced when susceptibility to annoying sounds becomes noticeable in the context of other difficulties.

Endocrinologist Elena Fedorova told Izvestia on July 24 that hypoglycemia, a condition caused by a sharp decrease in blood glucose levels, can manifest itself in various symptoms during sleep, which it is important to recognize in time. According to her, nocturnal hypoglycemia is accompanied not only by excessive sweating, but also by other alarming signs: unreasonable feelings of panic, trembling in the body, rapid heartbeat, severe hunger, dizziness and general weakness.

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