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Misophonia (Sound Trigger Sensitivity) Evaluation and Treatment
Misophonia may be defined as an immediate intense dislike for a very specific sound, often soft, repetitive pattern-based sounds such as chewing, sniffling, or throat clearing. It is also referred to as Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome (4S). The reaction is not a preference or a personality trait. It is a brain-based response in which certain sounds trigger a strong emotional or physical reaction. Misophonia is not widely understood in the general medical community. By working with a specially trained audiologist, significant progress can be made for this emotionally distressing condition.
Misophonia and the auditory-brain connection
Misophonia is not caused by hearing loss. It involves how the brain has learned to respond to specific sound patterns, effectively treating certain sounds as threats and triggering a strong reaction. This is why our Brain & Hearing evaluation, which goes beyond standard hearing testing, is important. For some patients, misophonia overlaps with hyperacusis, a general sensitivity to sound rather than a reaction to specific triggers. Distinguishing between the two shapes the treatment approach.
About Dr. Katherine Pollard
Dr. Katherine Pollard is a tinnitus, hyperacusis, and misophonia specialist who trained at the Emory Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Center under Drs. Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff, pioneers in tinnitus retraining therapy. She holds her Doctor of Audiology from the Arizona School of Health Sciences and is a founding member and past President of the Georgia Academy of Audiology. Learn more about Dr. Pollard.
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