Silence Truly Golden for Sound-Sensitive Patients

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Byline: Emily Petsko Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For as long as she can remember, Suzanne Belasik has been a prisoner to sound. Gum cracking, crunching and the clanking of silverware against plates are just a few of the unbearable noises that make her distracted, irritated and even enraged.

While some say she is "overly sensitive," Belasik, 24, recognizes that she has a condition called misophonia, or selective sound sensitivity syndrome.

"Its not common, but its more common than you would think," said Melanie Herzfeld, an audiologist at the Hearing and Tinnitus Center in Woodbury, N.Y., who provides sound management therapy to four or five new misophonia …