Misophonia Specialist
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Sharp Hearing Care Professionals
Audiology located in Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and Tarzana, CA
If you have an uncontrollable, negative reaction to an everyday sound like coughing, chances are you have misophonia. Misophonia has only recently been recognized in the medical world, the audiologists at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals, are some of the few expert audiologists with the expertise to help you overcome this difficult condition. To learn more about misophonia and your treatment options, call one of the offices in Oxnard, Santa Barbara, Tarzana, and Santa Monica, California, or request an appointment online.
Misophonia Q & A
What is misophonia?
Misophonia is a very strong reaction to a specific sound. If you have misophonia, you have an immediate and uncontrollable physical and emotional response to that sound. The cause of misophonia hasn’t been determined, but experts believe that certain areas of the brain respond differently in patients with misophonia compared to those who don’t have the condition.
What symptoms develop due to misophonia?
Every time you hear the sound that triggers your misophonia, you may experience:
- Anger
- Rage
- Hatred
- Disgust
- Pain or discomfort
- Emotional distress
Whatever emotion you feel, it can be strong enough to interfere with your daily life. And it may take hours to calm down and get back to your normal activities.
What triggers misophonia?
A trigger can be any specific sound, but some are more common than others. These include:
- Sounds associated with eating
- Breathing sounds
- Dinner table sounds
- Dogs barking
- Coughing
- Whistling
- Tapping your fingers
The number of possible triggers is too high to list comprehensively.
How do you treat misophonia?
Your audiologist at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals begins with a thorough audiology assessment to determine if you have hearing or ear problems that may contribute to your misophonia. In most cases, however, misophonia is not associated with hearing loss.
Your individualized treatment plan may include misophonia retraining therapy. You’ll listen to pleasant sounds to reduce the impact of your triggers, and eventually, that reduces your reaction. Over time, you become desensitized to your trigger and can gradually let go of your reliance on listening to pleasant sounds.
Your audiologist may also recommend noise-canceling headphones during times when you may be exposed to your trigger, such as at the dinner table. In severe cases, a custom-made earmold that streams music, white noise, or other pleasant sounds directly into your ear may help.
The use of hearing protection that completely blocks all sound should only be used under the supervision of your provider at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals. Improper use of earplugs may lead to an altered perception of loudness, resulting in lower tolerance to more sounds.
If you’re overreactive to a specific sound, help is available at Sharp Hearing Care Professionals; call one of the offices or request an appointment today.
