Table 2. An example of the process of abstraction.

Unit of analysis	Code	Sub-theme	Main theme
“I feel I’ve become much, much more sensitive to sounds in general. Things I used to be able to handle are painful now. I almost have to leave the room, otherwise I feel ill …” (Preschool)	Has become more sensitive to sounds and experiences sounds as painful; sounds make her feel ill.	The sound environment is causing hearing-related symptoms	Health-related effects of a challenging and harmful sound environment