Why noisy eaters are annoying

So for those of us living with misophonia, Kumar is offering a reprieve. Misophonia was first identified in But for years, the medical community was undecided about its legitimacy. Kumar and his team used MRI brain scans to study frontal lobe activity in people with misophonia as they listened to a handful of sounds. Turns out, when study participants with misophonia heard the trigger sounds, brain activity went up in the frontal lobe area and the anterior insular cortex AIC.

The AIC is in the grey matter part of the brain and is tied to processing emotions. In volunteers without misophonia, activity went up only in the AIC but went down in the frontal lobe.

The researchers think this difference may be key to explaining why some people are sensitive to this noise. These are just preliminary steps, though. Kumar said he hopes his research will unravel more details, including treatment options.

His full findings were published in the journal Current Biology. World Canada Local. The sounds made by fingernails scraping on a chalkboard, repetitive sniffing, or water dripping are a few other examples. For most, it is a minor inconvenience, which despite causing some annoyance, is not problematic enough to disrupt their day-to-day lives. However, in others, these sounds can trigger a strong emotional or physical response in a condition known as misophonia.

Hashir Aazh, a specialist in misophonia rehabilitation tells The Independent. The mirror system helps us process movements made by other individuals by activating our own brain in a similar way, Kumar explained.

While there is no cure, some specialists across the UK offer therapy to help people deal with the effects of misophonia. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies.

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? We are who we are. We are all different and different is good. Different brings new. New ideas, approaches, talents and knowledge. Therefore, unless this colleague is excruciatingly unbearable leave it alone. You be you. Thanks a lot.

If you have a work problem - whether it relates to unpleasant sounds or unbearable conditions - send a question to Work Therapy: jonathan theinkbureau. How to deal tactfully with noisy eaters in the office.