Being annoyed by loud chewing is a genuine psychiatric disorder

If you can’t stand the sound of someone chewing you actually might have a condition called Misophonia. 

We all have noises that make our blood boil, whether it’s the uncomfortably loud beep the tram makes when the doors open, ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’, or someone shoving their Christmas dinner in their gob.

But most of the time we have a minute of discomfort, brush it off and move on with our lives. Until the next stop at least, anyway.

Some people, however, end up feeling violent anger, disgust and in some cases anxiety. If this is you, you might have a condition called misophonia – which literally translates to ‘hatred of sound’.

Misophonia was thought to be associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but since 2000 has been recognised as its own condition.

Most common triggers include chewing and throat-clearing, but other symptoms that can produce effects include humming, tapping or pen-clicking.

In some misophonia sufferers, breathing sounds can be highly disturbing, triggering elevated heart rates and sweaty palms.

Some bad news for sufferers is that it could be genetic. 23andMe – a personal genomics and biotechnology company – have found one genetic marker that is associated with the rage felt when you hear other people chew.

The genetic marker is just one of the factors that play a role in the phobia meaning that the environment also matters, though.

Now this doesn’t mean it’s down to bad parenting as the old nature/nurture argument goes, but a field of science does explain that if you’re born with a gene the environment could, in effect, ‘turn it on’.

Another study found that the brain plays a significant role in those with misophonia. Those who suffer from misophonia have strong emotional reactions to common sounds. They also have higher amounts of a fatty substance that wraps around nerve endings in the brain called myelination, however, they are not sure if this is an effect or the cause of misophonia yet.

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for this disorder but many researchers have provided a long list of tactics to help living with misophonia more comfortably.

For instance, many people dine alone at restaurants so they can comfortably wear earplugs, or noise-cancelling headphones and listen to calming music. Other people find mindful breathing or taking a walk to redirect your attention to something else really helpful.

Misophonia is a relatively new condition that is not fully understood and much more research is needed to help find treatment methods.

Scientists who have recently been working on a new questionnaire to help measure misophonia have added other triggers. For instance, this research found that sources of triggers are usually human, but a number of newer reports now show that all kinds of sounds can provoke reactions in people with misophonia. 

But one things for sure, if you or someone you know has misophonia, just eat with your mouth closed. It costs £0.00 to eat with your mouth shut so do us all a favour.