Tinnitus is a condition in which a person experiences a persistent sound that other people do not hear. Hyperacusis is a condition in which ordinary sounds seem unusually loud. Both conditions occur in mild or in temporary forms.

The Clinic is a component of the Audiology Clinic of the Callier Center for Communication Disorders, which in turn is a component of the University of Texas at Dallas.

Tinnitus is a common problem affecting a significant portion of the general population. For some individuals, however, tinnitus is very invasive, causing significant suffering. This is called problem tinnitus. Individuals with problem tinnitus perceive it as a threat to their well-being. For these people, tinnitus interferes with their work, daily life, and even with their sleep. Often associated with tinnitus, but also experienced alone, hyperacusis can be equally disruptive. Hyperacusis is a condition in which ordinary sounds seem unpleasantly loud or even painful. In both tinnitus and hyperacusis, the cause may be an excessive responsiveness of the central auditory system.

There is help for individuals with problem
tinnitus and/or hyperacusis!

The Callier Tinnitus and Hyperacusis Clinic offers a comprehensive program for tinnitus habituation and hyperacusis alleviation. This program is based upon a long-term therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Pawell Jastreboff at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Center. Dr. Jastreboff proposed his treatment for tinnitus, known as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, in the mid 1980s. Dr. Jonathan Hazell together with Ms. Jacqueline Sheldrake were first to implement the approach in the United Kingdom in 1988. It has been utilized for the past eight years in Baltimore, MD, and success has been achieved with over 80% of the patients.

This therapy is based on a neurophysiological model of tinnitus generation, which was developed through years of animal and clinical research. This approach incorporates the use of low levels of broad-band sound to retrain the way the brain identifies and handles the tinnitus. Directive counseling regarding the roles the auditory system, the limbic system, and the autonomic nervous system play in tinnitus is important in teaching patients to view their tinnitus as non-threatening, further diminishing its presence and negative side effects. A similar approach has been successful in alleviating hyperacusis, the related disorder in which excessive loudness is experienced.

Treatment Program

Typically the program requires 18 to 24 months. During these 18 to 24 months, as mentioned above, the way the brain handles the tinnitus or intensity of sound is gradually altered via the use of low levels of sound. If tinnitus is the major complaint, success and graduation from the program occurs when the patient no longer views tinnitus as a problem, when the patient reports experiencing long periods of time when he/she is no longer aware of the tinnitus, and when, if tinnitus is heard, it is no longer bothersome. After treatment, patients will usually report occasional awareness of tinnitus, but they are not bothered by it. If hyperacusis is the main complaint, success and graduation from the program occurs when the patient no longer experiences discomfort in everyday listening environments and can resume normal activities.