When you’re struggling with misophonia, the smallest sounds can be the worst trigger. The emotions you feel vary from disgust to anger, rage, and hatred.

If you have this condition, it’s good to be aware of what exactly triggers you. Also, if you have someone around you who deals with misophonia, it’s good to know what kind of sounds can trigger that person. Because nope; it’s not only the chewing and swallowing that can send them into rage.

Pull the Trigger

The following misophonia triggers may surprise you:

• • Sounds made at the table – fork on a plate, fork scraping teeth, spoon on a bowl, clinking of glasses.
  • Sounds of people drinking – sipping, slurping, saying “ah” after a drink, swallowing, breathing after a drink.
  • Other mouth sounds – sucking teeth, lip popping, kissing, flossing, brushing teeth.
  • Associated sounds – opening chip bags, water bottle crinkling, setting a cup down.
  • Breathing sounds – sniffling, snorting, nasally breathing, regular breathing, snoring, nose whistle, yawning, coughing, throat clearing, hiccups.
  • Vocal triggers – consonant sounds (S and P especially), vowel sounds (less common), lip pop, dry mouth voice, gravelly voice, whispering, specific words, muffled talking, several people talking at once, TV through walls, singing, humming, whistling, “uh”.
  • Home sounds – bass through walls, door slamming, refrigerator running, hair dryers, electric shavers, nail clipping, foot shuffling, flip-flops, heavy footsteps, walking of people upstairs, joint cracking, scratching, ticking clocks, pipes knocking, baby crying, toilet flushing.
  • Work/school sounds – typing, mouse clicks, page flipping, pencil on paper, copier sound, pen clicking, pen tapping, tapping on a desk.
  • Other – farm equipment, pumps, lawnmowers, bouncing balls, back-up beepers, traffic noise, beep of car locking, car door slamming.
  • Animal sounds – dogs/cat grooming, dogs barking, rooster crowing, birds singing, crickets, frogs, animal scratching, the dog whimpering.

And then there are even non-hearing sounds that can drive someone with misophonia mad:

Sight (Visual) Triggers – jaw movement (chewing), hand touching face, scrolling on a smartphone, pointing, leg jiggling, hair twirling, putting food into the mouth, drumming fingers, blinking eyes
Odor (Olfactory) Triggers – certain scents (rare)
Touch (Tactile) Triggers – touching a keyboard, touching certain fabrics (rare)
Other Triggers – vibration from anything such as bass, bumping desk, kicking the chair, heavy footsteps