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This article says that:

If you avoid bright light, loud noises, heavy perfumes and itchy clothing, you may find that you avoid hot and cold foods because you have sensitive teeth.

I've heard before that people who suffer sensitive teeth are more likely to need sunglasses in bright sunlight and from my own anecdotal, personal experience the quotation above is 100% true. But is there any scientific explanation for this? Do certain individuals really have overly-sensitive senses or is it just coincidence?

Much of what I can find online appears to be extrapolated from the single study discussed in the link above.

Mad Scientist
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Mike
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1 Answers1

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Yep, particularly common among those with autism. It can present itself either as over or under-sensitivity. It can be affect just about any of the senses (of which there are more than five).

It's considered to be just an error in the brains filter. We are likely all that sensitive, most of us just filter it out.

Wikipedia has a reasonable summary. Other good link with more depth about hypersensitivy.

'Supersensitive' hearing - found in the child Generally not perceived as a problem who can hear a 'silent dog whistle' or the 'far end' but may be factor in hyperacusis - of a telephone conversation. (i.e. hypersensitivity to sound).

Hyperacusis - often associated with tinnitus. Avoidance of particular situations. Makes Stressed by particular sounds that do not socializing, shopping, travelling etc. bother other people. Such sounds generally extremely difficult. seem much louder than they actually are & the person is unable to block them out easily. The sounds are individual & can include people eating, television, vacuum cleaners & also quieter sounds like a zip being pulled. Hyperacusis is also found in over 40% of people with tinnitus as well & may prove to be a factor in the development of some tinnitus.

Oddthinking
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Russell Steen
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  • To be clear, is this suggesting that someone with one overtly sensitive sense is also likely to have more sensitive other senses? Your quotes seem to focus on hearing. – MrHen Jun 09 '11 at 19:01
  • The quote focuses on hearing yes. The links discuss sight as well as other things. – Russell Steen Jun 09 '11 at 19:05
  • hearing sounds outside the range of what is considered normal human hearing is not indicative of sensitivity in the sense of the word meant in the original question. It seems that the OP means "loudness" or "signal strength", not dynamic range. – horatio Jun 22 '11 at 19:00
  • @horatio -- that's only one of the things covered by the articles. – Russell Steen Jun 23 '11 at 02:50