It is not that the sounds startle me or frighten me. I just find music, voices, cooking noise, other normal household noises, especially if there are a lot of them at once, uncomfortable and annoying to the point that I cannot tolerate them or am miserable in their presence. If I can get it down to one noise it is more bearable, especially if the volume is low, but basically my ears crave silence. Silence feels luxurious and restful to them. It feels like they soak in the silence,which is silly since silence is the absence of something. I figure it is mostly adrenals as they are associated with the kidneys and the ears are considered to be the "opening" of the kidneys in Chinese medicine. I had this problem only to a small degree a few days this week. But I know from years ago when I was hypothyroid and adrenal insufficient that the intolerance of sound situation can get more extreme. I am trying to keep it from going there again. It is more of a problem indoors but can happen outdoors too.