Emma Riehl Has Misophonia, A Severe Hatred Of Sound

The sound of a person coughing at a restaurant could annoy anyone. For Emma Riehl, however, that very sound could literally make her sick.

ABC News reports that Riehl suffers from misophonia, the hatred of sound. The condition is rare and causes hwe to overreact to ordinary auditory stimuli.

In her video diary obtained by ABC, Riehl describes her reaction to a student sniffling in class.

"It sends shockwaves of anxiety through my body," she says. "Now my nails are stubs and my brain is flustered."

The New York Times reports that the disorder almost always begins in late childhood or early adolescence and worsens over time.

The misophonia advocacy group, Misophonia UK, says there's no cure for the disorder and, "even generally effective therapy, is at best many years away."

People with misophonia can sometimes find it difficult to stay in relationships.

SoundSensitive.org explains that, after a while, people with the disorder become more and more annoyed with the noises their partner makes.

Perhaps the only place misophonia sufferers might feel at home is the world's quietest room.

Hat tip: Fark