Hyperacusis Treatment Options That Work for Los Gatos Residents

The clatter of dishes. A coworker's voice across the office. Traffic humming outside. For most people, these sounds barely register. For someone with hyperacusis, they can feel physically painful or just completely overwhelming.

At Silicon Valley Hearing in Los Gatos, we work with patients dealing with this condition regularly. It's misunderstood, often underdiagnosed, and the good news is that it is treatable.

What Hyperacusis Actually Feels Like

Think of it as a broken volume dial stuck on high. Ordinary sounds feel magnified to an uncomfortable, sometimes unbearable degree. We've had patients tell us they can no longer sit in a restaurant, or that they wear earplugs around their own home just to get through the day.

That second habit, known as constant earplugs, actually makes things worse. It's called overprotection, and it signals to your brain that normal sounds are dangerous. Your brain responds by becoming even more sensitive. Left unaddressed, that cycle can spiral fast.

What's Going Wrong in Your Brain

Hyperacusis isn't really a problem with your ears. It's a problem with how your brain processes sound. Changes in the central auditory system can trigger the emotional centers of your brain and your fight-or-flight response, which explains why anxiety and stress in noisy situations are so common with this condition. Your brain has learned to treat sound as a threat, and it reacts accordingly.

The most common cause is noise exposure, but hearing loss, certain medications, head or neck injuries, and conditions like Meniere's disease can all contribute. It can develop gradually or seem to appear out of nowhere.

The Two Core Treatments

Research and clinical experience point to a combined approach as the most effective path forward. At Silicon Valley Hearing, Dr. Marni Novick draws on Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT), a protocol designed specifically for sound sensitivity conditions like hyperacusis.

Sound therapy is the first piece. Instead of avoiding sound, the goal is gradual, controlled re-exposure. We fit patients with small ear-level devices that emit soft white or pink noise throughout the day. Some patients stream steady, calming sounds through Bluetooth-enabled devices from their smartphones. Over time, this recalibrates your brain's response by teaching it that sound isn't a threat.

Recovery here isn't measured in days. It takes months because that's genuinely how long brain retraining takes. Dr. Novick tracks your progress using loudness discomfort level (LDL) testing, which measures how your tolerance improves objectively rather than just based on how you feel on a given day.

Mental health support is the second piece, and it's not optional. Anxiety and depression frequently go hand-in-hand with hyperacusis, both as causes and consequences. We coordinate care with psychologists who specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and in some cases, patients benefit from working with a psychiatrist on medication as well. A team approach consistently produces better outcomes than any single treatment on its own.

How Long Until You Feel Better

With a structured, combined treatment plan, 50–80% of hyperacusis patients report meaningful improvement (Fackrell et al., Biomed Res Int., 2017). That's a wide range, and it reflects the reality that this condition looks different for everyone. For some, recovery is fairly complete. For others, it's partial; however, even partial improvement can mean returning to social situations, going back to work without misery, and sleeping through the night again.

Patients who stick with both the sound therapy and counseling components consistently do better than those who try to manage it alone.

What Not to Do While You're Recovering

A few things to avoid if you're trying to self-manage in the meantime. Noise-canceling headphones might bring short-term relief, but wearing them all day reinforces the same overprotection cycle as constant earplugs. Completely avoiding noisy places feels logical, but it trains your brain to become more reactive, not less.

Earplugs do have a place, such as concerts, power tools, or loud sporting events. Just not as everyday armor against normal life.

Getting Help in Los Gatos

If you're in the Los Gatos, San Jose, Saratoga, or Campbell area and struggling with sound sensitivity, we'd genuinely like to help. Dr. Novick has personal experience with hearing challenges and brings both clinical expertise and real empathy to every appointment. Every treatment plan starts with a comprehensive hearing evaluation and a thorough conversation about what you've been going through.

Call us at (408) 540-7128 to schedule an appointment at Silicon Valley Hearing. You don't have to keep managing this on your own.