A dinner to benefit Hyperacusis Research, Ltd., a 501 (c) 3 charity, will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2015 from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. at East Congregational Church, 610 Adams Street, Milton.

Hyperacusis is a rare condition where ordinary sounds feel loud and painful. The main cause is noise exposure. For those who are susceptible, noise causes pain rather than hearing loss.

Hyperacusis is a rare condition where ordinary sounds feel loud and painful. The main cause is noise exposure.

One of those susceptible people is Tom Maholchic, 27, of Milton. Tom says,” I have struggled with noise in the house — ringing phones, crinkling newspapers, humming appliances. Everything from the pop-top of a soda can to the running of the faucet causes pain and fullness in my ears.”

The featured guest will be M. Charles Liberman, Ph.D., Professor of Otology and Laryngology at Harvard Medical School and the Director of Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI). Dr. Liberman will talk about the current state of knowledge on hyperacusis and give an overview of his research.  Also on hand will be Bryan Pollard, president of Hyperacusis Research, Ltd.

The dinner will feature a buffet supplied by Abby Park, Milton, a trivia contest, and original artwork available for purchase at a silent auction. The suggested donation is $75 per person. An anonymous donor has pledged to match all gifts dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. As of September 27, 2015, a total of $7,225 has been raised.

Bryan Pollard says, “We need $20,000 to fund an Emerging Research Grant from our partner the Hearing Health Foundation, to increase our understanding of the causes of this condition, and search for effective treatment.” The Hearing Health Foundation is the largest non-profit funder of hearing research in the United States. If you cannot make the dinner, we still welcome your contribution.

Please join us in the fight against noise-induced pain.