Misophonia Treatment in Calgary, High River, and Grande Prairie

Do you find that certain sounds — like chewing noises or heavy breathing — provoke a strong sense of anger or revulsion? You may consider it a phobia if even the anticipation of the sound elicits a strong negative response. Misophonia is more than a personality quirk. The audiologists at Soundwave Hearing Care can assess your auditory system together with the pattern of your reactions to sounds to determine its underlying causes and provide treatment to alleviate your hearing discomfort.

We treat people of all ages for hearing disorders and impairment from our four locations in Alberta. Contact us today to arrange for a hearing test or sound sensitivity assessment.

What is Misophonia?

Misophonia, also called selective sound sensitivity syndrome, is caused by an involuntary response from the limbic system, the portion of the brain that controls behavioural and emotional reactions, to specific sounds. This system is activated when you’re concerned with matters of survival, such as fight or flight situations. When an individual with misophonia hears a triggering sound, their limbic system gets activated as if the sound were revolting or threatening.

Misophonia Treatment

Misophonia treatment typically involves retraining the brain to process unpleasant sounds to limit your reaction. The brain often filters out sounds that it perceives as harmless or insignificant. The goal of misophonia treatment is to teach your brain and nervous system to understand that the sounds you find troublesome present no threat.

Because misophonia involves similar neural processes as tinnitus, you may benefit from tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). You may also learn psychological strategies to help you better cope with misophonia.

What To Expect From Your Assessment

When you come to Soundwave Hearing Care, the first thing we’ll do is test your hearing and conduct an sound sensitivity assessment. We’ll seek to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing the misophonia. You may need to see your primary care physician if we identify any underlying conditions.

When we arrive at a definitive diagnosis, we’ll discuss a treatment strategy with you. It may require a combined regime that includes your audiologist, primary care physician and a psychological professional. Although treatment duration varies, most patients who follow the prescribed program begin to see results within the first few months of misophonia therapy.

Misophonia Treatment in Alberta

If you suffer from sound-related pain or discomfort, Soundwave Hearing Care can provide hearing tests and auditory processing assessments to understand your condition and provide you with the treatment you need. With locations in Calgary, Lethbridge, High River and Grande Prairie, our operation is 100 per cent independent, Canadian and audiologist owned.

Contact us today to schedule your hearing evaluation.