Ella’s journey with rare condition hyperacusis

This week is Gibraltar Hearing Loss Week and young Ella Garcia is sharing her story to raise awareness for hearing issues.

At just nine years old, Ella Garcia is facing a challenge that few in Gibraltar understand. She has hyperacusis, a rare condition that makes everyday sounds painfully overwhelming. For Ella, noise isn’t just a nuisance—it physically hurts.

Since she was little she always noticed sounds affected her differently from others.

“My ears hurt a lot and sometimes they bleed.”

Hyperacusis is an auditory disorder where the brain perceives normal sounds as unbearably loud or painful.

According to the NHS, a person may be badly affected by sounds like jingling coins, a barking dog, a car engine, someone chewing or a vacuum cleaner.

It stated that the sensitivity to noise can affect relationships, school or work and a person’s general well-being.

Hyperacusis can affect one or both ears and can come on suddenly or develop over time.
Locally hyperacusis remains relatively unknown.

“Ella's the only one with hyperacusis in Gibraltar so it’s been a whole journey as doctors still don’t know how to handle it,” her mother Kirsty Garcia told the Chronicle.

“I’ve been working with GHITA for years now and Edgar [Triay] has been our backbone in all this.”

“Thanks to him, we went to the UK to seek the professional help Ella needed and even though doctors here can't do much, at least I have the correct guidance on what to do.”

For Ella, loud sounds are an unavoidable part of life.

“At school, when the other kids are playing the drums for music or they shout, it will hurt my ears,” she said.

“My mummy gives me my ear defenders so I can do the same as everybody else without my ears hurting.”

However, some experiences remain difficult.

“Without my ear defenders, I can’t go to a party or the fair or anywhere with loud noises,” she said.

Last year, for the first time, she was finally able to see fireworks, an experience she had previously been unable to enjoy because of the overwhelming sound.

But her condition doesn’t just stop at sensitivity.

She also experiences tinnitus, a persistent ringing in her ears, which makes even quiet moments difficult.

“I sleep with the TV on so I don’t have to hear the ringing,” she said.

Although hyperacusis is still largely unknown in Gibraltar, Ella has found understanding among those closest to her.

“My teachers and friends help me a lot. I’m allowed to use my ear defenders at school,” she said.

Awareness is key, not just for those who have the condition but for the wider community.

When asked what she wished people knew about hyperacusis, Ella answered: “How bad it hurts.”

She added: “I don’t wear my ear defenders all day long, but when there are loud sounds, I do.”

“Sometimes it doesn’t hurt in that moment, but it will hurt later.”

Gibraltar is undeniably noisy, with construction sites, traffic, and various other sounds that happen in a built-up area.

“There’s a lot of construction sites in Gibraltar, which make it a little difficult to get around,” she said.

But she has learned to prepare for the unexpected.

“I take my ear defenders with me in case I need them.”

Ella hopes for more awareness campaigns, school programs, and public adjustments for people with hyperacusis, and she would like “to make people aware of what it is.”

This week is Gibraltar Hearing Loss Week which is being held between March 3 to 9.

Mr Triay, the chair of GHITA, said that the World Health Organisation said that “by 2030, over 500 million people are expected to have disabling hearing loss requiring rehabilitation.”

“Over one billion young people face the risk of permanent hearing loss due to prolonged exposure to loud sounds during recreational pastimes such as listening to music and video gameplay.”

“How we hear in the future depends on how we care for our ears today as many cases of hearing loss can be avoided through the adoption of safe listening and good hearing care practices.”

“For those living with hearing loss, early identification and access to timely rehabilitation are essential to achieving their highest potential.”

“You can take steps today to ensure good hearing health throughout life.”

He also called on the Gibraltar Health Authority and Public Health Gibraltar must do more to ensure waiting lists to see an ENT are less than six months, as well as holding hearing screening initiatives and targeted awareness campaigns throughout the year, eg for the elderly and the youth.

For regular information on hearing loss in Gibraltar visit the website: https://www.facebook.com/GibDeaf