Clinicians and individuals with misophonia commonly observe that when a person is feeling physically and mentally well, trigger sounds tend to be less distressing than when that person is feeling unwell. In general, overall health and well-being are inversely related to the severity of misophonia reactions. This does not mean that someone with excellent health cannot have severe misophonia. Rather, it suggests that for many individuals, misophonia symptoms are more intense during periods of physical discomfort, stress, fatigue, or illness.
Some individuals report that moderate alcohol consumption worsens their misophonia the following day. Others notice a similar effect after eating foods that their bodies do not tolerate well, such as excessive sugar or refined carbohydrates. Food sensitivities vary widely from person to person. If a particular food causes physical discomfort, inflammation, or digestive distress, it may indirectly worsen misophonia symptoms. However, there is no single diet that works universally. A dietary change that benefits one individual may have no effect on another.
In general, practices that support physical and mental well-being—such as regular exercise, adequate sleep, balanced nutrition, and stress management—may help reduce the intensity of misophonia symptoms. These practices do not eliminate misophonia, but they can make symptoms more manageable while also improving overall health.
There have been reports of misophonia improvement following treatment for unrelated physical pain. In one example, a person experienced reduced misophonia symptoms after addressing chronic pain with a magnesium supplement. Further discussion revealed that the supplement reduced the individual’s pain, and the reduction in pain was followed by reduced misophonia severity. In this case, the supplement did not appear to treat misophonia directly, but rather reduced a physical stressor that was amplifying the response.
Misophonia includes a physical reflex component. When that reflex causes muscle tension or discomfort, any additional source of pain may intensify the overall reaction. Reducing physical pain or bodily stress can therefore lessen the severity of misophonia responses, even though the underlying condition remains.