Hyperacusis is an intolerance to certain everyday sounds that causes distress and impairment in social, recreational, occupational, recreational, and day-to-day activities. The sounds may be perceived as painful, unpleasant, uncomfortably loud, and frightening.
In hyperacusis brain cells known as neurons that normally respond at louder sound levels begin to respond to sounds with lower levels. Hyperacusis typically elicits a negative emotional reaction to environmental noises or sound in general. When this occurs the hearing/auditory system prioritises that sound and enhances its perception leading to the experience of hyperacusis.
The aim of the therapy is to help the patient to understand and change their cognitive reaction to sound to reduce the hyperacusis-related distress they experience. Once the distress is reduced the improvement in the sensitivity follows.
Hyperacusis is a sound perception disorder where sounds others perceive as normally loud seem uncomfortably and sometimes unbearably loud, painful, and even frightening.
Anyone can develop hyperacusis and while it is currently unclear of the exact cause theories include damage to the auditory or facial nerve and sudden or long term loud noise exposure.
Conditions that are commonly associated with hyperacusis include:
Hyperacusis evaluations always include a comprehensive hearing evaluation. We will check your ears for wax or other blockages, and then perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine if there is hearing loss or other damage within your auditory system. This evaluation also includes a test of your tolerance to different sound levels. To better understand the impact of the hyperacusis on your life and which management strategies may work best for you we also complete questionnaires and speak with you regarding what you are experiencing in your day to day life with your hyperacusis.
For many people with hyperacusis, it’s not the sound itself causing distress but rather the negative emotional response their brain associates with it. These reactions can amplify feelings of anxiety, frustration, or hopelessness.
CBT works by:
By changing the way the brain interprets their trigger sounds, patients can learn to resume their normal daily activities without distress.
CBT can be delivered face to face or via video call, depending on your lifestyle and preferences.
Research published recently in the American Journal of Audiology (2018) showed that on average the impact of hyperacusis on their life reduced from 50 % to 30% in patients who receive hyperacusis-focused cognitive therapy.
