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On this page: Overview
Key Takeaways
Not necessarily. Studies find misophonia more often in ADHD and autistic adults, but it is a separate experience, not a sign of either.
A representative UK study found 18.4 % of adults reported misophonia symptoms that caused them significant difficulty (Vitoratou et al., PLOS ONE 2023, n = 772).
Misophonia is about specific sounds, such as chewing, at any volume. Sensory overload builds from the total amount of noise, light, touch and crowding over time.
The NHS advises against wearing earplugs all the time, as it can make you more sensitive to noise. Use them for a chosen moment, such as a meal or a commute, then take them out.
With a GP, who can refer you to adult ADHD or autism assessment services, or to audiology for sound tolerance.
Research reports an association, not a cause. A 2026 study of 492 adults found misophonia-type reactions markedly higher in adults with ADHD than in a comparison group (Dwyer et al.), but a UK birth-cohort study found no such link. A GP is the place to start for an ADHD assessment.
No. Misophonia is a distinct experience that is reported alongside autism more often than expected. In a 2026 study of 1,050 autistic adults, autistic traits predicted stronger misophonia scores, with sensitivity in hearing and vision linking the two (Smit et al.).
No. Misophonia is a strong reaction to specific sounds, such as chewing or breathing, at any volume. Sensory overload builds from the overall amount of noise, light, touch and crowding, and usually eases with a quieter space or a break.
A comfortable reusable earplug you put in for a chosen moment and take out afterwards, such as a passive silicone plug rated around SNR 24 dB. It makes sound quieter, not silent. Our guide on how to choose earplugs for misophonia covers fit, material and rating.
Searches for misophonia ADHD and misophonia and autism tend to start with the same question. Why does the sound of someone eating seem to hit harder for so many adults who are ADHD or autistic? Research does find them together more often than chance would predict. Nobody has shown that one causes the other.
At Bollsen, we make reusable silicone hearing protection trusted by 1,000,000+ people, German-tested, independently certified 24 dB. Our hub on earplugs for misophonia covers the product side. Here we stick to the research on adults.
For context, a UK study by Vitoratou and colleagues (PLOS ONE, 2023) found that 18.4 % of a representative sample of 772 adults reported misophonia symptoms causing them significant difficulty. It is common, with or without ADHD or autism.
Is misophonia linked to ADHD in adults?
Adult studies report an association between misophonia-type reactions and ADHD, not a cause: ADHD does not create misophonia, and misophonia is not a symptom of ADHD, but strong reactions to everyday sounds show up more often in adults with ADHD than in comparison groups.
The clearest recent evidence comes from Dwyer and colleagues (Journal of Attention Disorders, 2026). They compared 492 adults: 122 with ADHD only, 130 autistic only, 141 with both, and 99 with neither. Auditory hyper-reactivity, which includes misophonia-type reactions, was markedly higher in the ADHD and autistic groups than in the comparison group, and the gap between ADHD and autism was small.
Clinic data leans the same way, though less strongly. In 575 adults with confirmed misophonia seen at Amsterdam UMC (Jager et al., PLOS ONE 2020), ADHD was recorded among the co-occurring diagnoses, but in a minority, well behind obsessive-compulsive personality traits and mood difficulties.
And the picture is not settled. A UK birth-cohort study (Rinaldi and Simner, 2025) found that people who developed misophonia had more childhood anxiety and low mood, but not more ADHD. Different samples give different answers, so “linked to” is as far as the evidence goes.
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Life+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsMusic SoundPRO★ 4.8 · 514 reviewsWatersafe+★ 4.8 · 684 reviewsLife+★ 4.7 · 3,700 reviewsIs misophonia part of autism, or something separate?
Misophonia is a separate experience from autism, not a part of it, but the two are reported alongside each other more often than expected, and autistic traits such as sensory sensitivity are linked to stronger reactions to trigger sounds in adult studies.
The largest adult study so far, by Smit and colleagues (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2026), surveyed 1,050 autistic adults using the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale-Revised (AMISOS-R) and the 28-item Autism Spectrum Quotient. Moderate to extreme misophonia symptoms were more common than in the general population, and autistic traits predicted misophonia scores even after other factors were accounted for. Women and people with more than one diagnosis scored higher.
Smit’s team also found that sensitivity in hearing and vision sat between the two. A Sussex study (Rinaldi et al., 2023) came at it from the other side. Its 379 adults with misophonia showed more autistic traits than controls, such as attention to detail and difficulty switching attention.
Misophonia does not currently have its own diagnostic code in DSM-5 or ICD-11. Researchers describe it as a distinct pattern of reactions that can sit alongside autism, ADHD, both or neither.
Why might trigger sounds come up more often alongside ADHD and autism?
The leading idea is shared sensory sensitivity and differences in attention: if the brain gives more weight to incoming sound and finds it harder to switch away from it, a repetitive sound like chewing or pen clicking is harder to tune out.
Dwyer’s study tied auditory hyper-reactivity to hyper-focus, inattention and hyper-vigilance, and hyper-reactivity in turn went with anxiety. That fits what many adults describe. A sound someone else barely notices becomes the only thing in the room.
These are questionnaire correlations, though. Plenty of ADHD and autistic adults have no trouble with chewing or breathing sounds at all.
How is misophonia different from sensory overload?
Misophonia is set off by specific sounds, often quiet ones around 40–65 dB at 1 m, and the reaction is strong whatever the volume, while sensory overload builds from the total load across senses (noise, light, crowds, touch) and grows with time and input.
You can have both, sometimes on the same day. What helps is different for each.
| Misophonia | Sensory overload | |
|---|---|---|
| What sets it off | Specific trigger sounds: chewing, breathing, sniffing, throat clearing, pen clicking, typing. See common misophonia trigger sounds and what earplugs do with them. | Total input across senses: background noise, bright or flickering light, crowds, touch, smells, building up together |
| At what volume | Any volume; many triggers sit around 40–65 dB at 1 m, quieter than normal speech | Rises with overall loudness and how long the input lasts, not with one particular sound |
| What helps in the moment | Distance from the source, a masking sound, or earplugs for a chosen moment such as a shared meal, then out again | Lowering total input: a quieter space, a break, dimmer light, fewer people, planned recovery time |
| Where to read more | Our misophonia hub and articles on trigger sounds and timing | Our noise sensitivity articles and pillar page |
If overload sounds like the bigger part of your day, our page on earplugs for noise sensitivity covers that wider picture, including where earplugs fit and where they do not. For where misophonia ends and hyperacusis or general noise sensitivity begins, see misophonia vs hyperacusis vs noise sensitivity.
What helps in the moment: trigger sounds or overall load?
For sensory overload, the environment comes first (a quieter room, a short break, less light, fewer demands), while earplugs make most sense for misophonia as a situational tool for a chosen trigger moment, worn for that moment and then taken out.
Earplugs are a poor first answer to all-day overload. The load comes from several senses at once, and blocking one of them for hours brings its own problems. The NHS page on hyperacusis advises against wearing earplugs or ear defenders all the time, as this could make you more sensitive to noise, while short-term use may help.
A chosen trigger moment is different. A shared meal, a train commute or a 45–90-minute focus block beside a colleague who eats at their desk all have a clear start and end. For a sound that bothers you at night, such as a partner’s breathing in bed, our article on misophonia and sleep looks at the bedroom specifically. Timing has its own article too, on when to wear earplugs and when to take them out.
Our Life+ passive SNR 24 dB reusable silicone earplug is the one we suggest for these moments. It is a passive earplug rated SNR 24 dB (H 24 / M 21 / L 19), and its attenuation rises with frequency. It makes sound quieter, not silent: a 60 dB conversation lands at roughly 36–40 dB, and a 45 dB chewing sound at around 21–23 dB. A voice stays audible simply because it was louder to begin with.
Life+ is made from hypoallergenic silicone with a conical two-lamella design that sits flush in the ear, and each pair lasts up to 100 uses. If standard sizes never feel right, the AI-fitted Life+ version offers AI ear measurement from two photos, so the same earplug arrives in your size. Stop using them if you feel pain or itching. And if you find yourself reaching for them all day, that is a good moment to talk to a GP.
How do adults in the UK get an ADHD or autism assessment?
In the UK, adults usually start with a GP, who can refer them to adult ADHD or autism assessment services (often grouped as neurodevelopmental services), and, where everyday sounds are the main concern, to audiology.
The NHS guidance on ADHD in adults says to make an appointment with a GP, who may refer you to an ADHD specialist. Autism assessments follow a similar GP route, and waiting times vary widely by area. Notes on which sounds bother you, where and for how long can help at that first appointment.
Misophonia itself has fewer dedicated NHS services. Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust runs one of the few specialist psychology clinics that works with it, and we cover the wider options in where to find support for misophonia on the NHS.
What about children and teenagers?
We have kept this article to adults, because the studies above used adult samples and child findings do not always carry over. For younger children, our kids articles on earplugs for autistic children and earplugs for children with sensory processing differences look at school, events and sizing.
For secondary-school age, our piece on teenagers and trigger sounds covers the years when misophonia often first shows up.
Where should you start?
Notice which kind of day you are having. If one sound at the dinner table is the problem, that is a trigger-sound moment, and a short, chosen spell with earplugs in may make the meal easier. If everything feels like too much by mid-afternoon, look at the room, the light and your breaks before anything goes in your ears.
If ADHD or autism may be part of the picture, a GP appointment is the first step. Life+ comes with our 40-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it at a meal or on a commute and see whether quieter is enough.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.