Misophonia: Why Do Some Sounds Drive People Crazy? | Live Science

Misophonia is characterized by strong negative emotions such as anger and anxiety in response to everyday sounds other people make. These sounds include humming, chewing, typing, and even breathing.

People with this disorder are not just getting annoyed at the sounds. They suffer breakdowns in relationships or even quitting their jobs.

Scientists do not fully understand misophonia but suspect it's caused by the way some people's brains process particular sounds and react to them.

Some studies found that the brains of people with misophonia showed hyperactivation of the salience network, a group of brain areas that direct our attention to important things in our surroundings. Trigger sounds send the salience network into an overdrive. Researchers found these brain areas are structurally more robust in people with misophonia.