Hyperacusis:
Assessment & treatment for sound sensitivity
WHAT IS SOUND SENSITIVITY?
Sound sensitivity, often called hyperacusis, is when everyday sounds feel uncomfortable, overwhelming or painful at levels most people find easy to tolerate. It’s more common than many people realise. Around one in ten adults report some degree of sound sensitivity (Paulin et al., 2016), and it often occurs alongside tinnitus. It usually reflects changes in how the brain processes and responds to sound, which is why it can improve with the right support.
When everyday sounds feel too loud,
irritating or painful
TYPES OF SOUND SENSITIVITY
Researchers describe four main types, and many people experience more than one (Tyler et al., 2014).
Loudness: moderate sounds seem far too loud.
Annoyance: certain sounds, like chewing or tapping, trigger strong irritation. This is often called misophonia.
Fear: you worry about sounds and avoid them in case they cause harm.
Pain: some sounds cause ear pain or a burning feeling.
Your assessment helps us work out which types affect you and the treatment plan required.
ABOUT THIS SERVICEOur assessment & treatment approach
WHO IT’S FOR
Everyday sounds feel too loud, even when others seem comfortable. Certain sounds, like chewing or tapping, may cause a strong reaction, or some sounds may seem painful. You may have started avoiding places, people or activities because of noise.
THE ASSESSMENT
Your Initial Hyperacusis Assessment is a 90-minute appointment (telehealth or in-person). We look at which sounds are hard for you, how you react to them, and what you've started avoiding. Sound sensitivity takes different forms, and knowing which one you have helps your clinician with treatment planning. Afterwards, you receive a summary formulation report and we meet again on a call to talk through your results. The fee is $400, or $350 for seniors, pensioners and students.
THE PROGRAM
The program is built on an established, evidence-based program for sound sensitivity used in specialist hearing clinics. Over at least five weeks of telehealth sessions, we work on your thoughts and feelings about sound, communication, sleep and concentration. You also learn to bring sound back into your life gradually, at a pace that feels manageable. Some people go on to sound therapy, such as Neuromonics, for ongoing support.
THE SCIENCE
Sound sensitivity often improves with approaches that combine education, gradual sound exposure and CBT (Pienkowski et al., 2014). In a randomised controlled trial, CBT reduced discomfort with everyday sounds and avoidance of noisy situations (Jüris et al., 2014).
How to book
Every patient begins with a hyperacusis sound sensitivity assessment. You don’t need to know what type of sound sensitivity you have before you book. We work that out together. The assessment fee is $400 or $350 for pensions/seniors card/students.
References
Jüris, L., Andersson, G., Larsen, H. C., & Ekselius, L. (2014). Cognitive behaviour therapy for hyperacusis: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 54, 30–37.
Paulin, J., Andersson, L., & Nordin, S. (2016). Characteristics of hyperacusis in the general population. Noise & Health, 18(83), 178–184.
Pienkowski, M., Tyler, R. S., Roncancio, E. R., Jun, H. J., Brozoski, T., Dauman, N., Coelho, C. B., Andersson, G., Keiner, A. J., Cacace, A. T., Martin, N., & Moore, B. C. J. (2014). A review of hyperacusis and future directions: Part II. Measurement, mechanisms, and treatment. American Journal of Audiology, 23(4), 420–436.
Tyler, R. S., Pienkowski, M., Roncancio, E. R., Jun, H. J., Brozoski, T., Dauman, N., Coelho, C. B., Andersson, G., Keiner, A. J., Cacace, A. T., Martin, N., & Moore, B. C. J. (2014). A review of hyperacusis and future directions: Part I. Definitions and manifestations. American Journal of Audiology, 23(4), 402–419.