Musical Ear Syndrome: Rare Cause Of Musical Hallucinations
Back to list
Hearing, one of the five key senses provides us with access to the world we live in and allows us to share moments with those closest to us. However, it can be unsettling and stressful to hear voices and sounds that do not actually exist. Musical ear syndrome is a disorder that causes patients to hear musical hallucinations with no apparent source. While it can be difficult to diagnose and treat, understanding what it is and what you can do to alleviate the symptoms can be important first steps to recovery. We have put together a thorough guide on what musical ear syndrome is, what causes it, and what you can do to minimize the effect it has on your life.
Why Do L Hear Music When It Is Not Playing In My Head Is It A Problem
Hearing music in your ears when none is playing is thought to be a form of Tinnitus.
Tinnitus is a sound or sounds that you can hear in either your ears or head that other people cannot hear. It’s usually described as a sound such as ringing, whistling, hissing or a roaring. You might only notice these sounds when it is very quiet, such as at night. Or they might be so loud that they intrude on your everyday life. Either way, tinnitus can be distressing and worrying, but you are not alone.
Audiologists are very experienced in dealing with people with tinnitus and know how to ensure it does not affect hearing test results.
If your Tinnitus is distressing or keeping you awake at night you should talk to your GP.
Why Do I Hear Music When There Is None
Musical Ear Syndrome causes auditory hallucinations, which is why they are so frequent. It is caused by hearing loss, in which the brain detects a lack of auditory input and responds by “filling in the gaps,” or producing sensations where none exist. These sound waves are called “phantom sounds.”
The patient with this condition believes that these noises are coming from somewhere else, not knowing that they are actually within their own heads. Phantom sounds can be musical notes, voices, ticking clocks, or other common sounds. They are always distorted and exaggerated in some way for example, a note played on a piano will sound like it is coming from very far away.
These phantom sounds can be annoying to live with, but they don’t usually last long. The brain does its best to fill in the gaps created by lost hearing ability, so patients just have to wait until the next time they can hear something real.
Read Also: How To Transfer Music From Ipod To Itunes
What Is The Meaning Of Hearing Frequencies
Have you noticed youve started to hear vibrations? Or maybe youve noticed a buzz in one of your ears, or heard a high pitched frequency?
If you have and youre like most people, you have likely wondered about the cause.
This sort of sensation can be a bit disconcerting Not to mention annoying.
So the question remains Why is this happening to you?
Hearing Loss: The Science Of The Symphonies
MES is most common in individuals who experience bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural loss, which can be unilateral or bilateral is caused by damage to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain, also known as the cochlea. Studies suggest that sudden bilateral loss of inner ear function releases neuronal groups that store auditory memory. As a result, the lack of inhibition can result in the release of the stored musical sensations, despite a lack of external stimulus. These sensations are the memories of tunes and voices, which are the complex sounds associated with MES. The vibrations of nearby air conditioners or refrigerators can also stimulate these sensations. Further conditions that can predispose people to MES include:
Aging
Don’t Miss: How To Transfer Music From Itunes To Ipod
Amplification With Hearing Aids
As musical ear syndrome is correlated with sound deprivation, one of the main treatment strategies is amplifying the sound that the patient is exposed to. For instance, assistive hearing devices such as hearing aids have been effective at reducing musical hallucinations in MES patients experiencing hearing loss. By amplifying the sounds musical ear patients hear, hearing aids give the brain the auditory stimulation it requires. When someone with MES is getting enough auditory input, it may reduce the occurrence and severity of musical hallucinations they experience.
How Common Is Musical Ear Syndrome
A study done on a population with acquired hearing loss suggested that around 1% of that population had experienced musical hallucinations at some point, and this number might be too small as musical hallucinations are typically underreported. Another survey of patients completing hearing tests found that 3.6% of the cases has reported musical hallucinations.2
Read Also: How Do I Get My Music On Spotify
When To Talk To Your Doctor
Crackling in your ears is not usually dangerous unless you also have ear pain or a fever. You only need to ask your doctor for their advice if the noise bothers you or lasts a long time.
You should reach out for medical advice if you experience pain, pressure, headaches, or fever in combination with the crackling sound. These can all be signs of more serious problems like ear infections. Untreated ear infections can lead to permanent hearing loss. Itâs better to be safe than sorry.
Show Sources
What Happens When Sounds Enter Your Ears
Have you ever thought about what happens once sound enters your ears? Just as the brain interprets the images your eyes see, the brain is also responsible for interpreting the sound your ears collect. Very simply, heres how it works:
- Your outer ear acts like a satellite dish to collect sound in our environment and funnel it to the inner ear.
- The inner ear translates the sound into electrical impulses and sends it along the auditory nerve.
- Once the electrical impulses reach the brain, it interprets them into recognizable sound.
Don’t Miss: How To Read Drum Music
What Is The Treatment For Musical Ear Syndrome
- Treatment. Other than treatment by medicinal means, individuals have also successfully alleviated musical hallucinations by cochlear implants, listening to different songs via an external source, or by attempting to block them through mental effort, depending on how severe their condition is.
Related
Auditory Pathways And Tinnitus
Sound waves travel through the ear canal to the middle and inner ear, where hair cells in part of the cochlea help transform sound waves into electrical signals that then travel to the brain’s auditory cortex via the auditory nerve. When hair cells are damaged by loud noise or ototoxic drugs, for example the circuits in the brain don’t receive the signals they’re expecting. This stimulates abnormal activity in the neurons, which results in the illusion of sound, or tinnitus.
Read Also: How Great Thou Art Hymn Sheet Music
How Can I Prevent Noise
The best way to prevent noise-induced hearing loss is to protect your ears from loud noises:
- Move away from loud sounds or speakers.
- Turn down the volume when listening to music or watching TV. When wearing earphones or earbuds, you should be able to hear conversations around you.
- Take breaks after listening to music with headphones or earbuds for more than 1 hour at a time.
- Wear ear plugs at concerts or if you play in a band.
- Wear ear plugs or ear muffs when mowing the lawn, using power tools, or anytime you are around loud machinery.
- Talk to your doctor about getting a hearing test if you have tinnitus that doesnt go away or you are concerned about your hearing.
Treatment For Musical Hallucinations
More research into potential treatments for musical hallucinations is still needed, but there are a few treatment methods that are being studied with some positive results. If the underlying cause of a patients musical ear syndrome is hearing loss, oftentimes a hearing aid is helpful in maximizing other sounds around the patient and minimizing musical hallucinations. Other treatments include enriching the patients own environment/home with sound to reduce the amount of sound being created by their brain. If these auditory hallucinations are affecting a patients quality of life, being educated about musical ear syndrome has shown to decrease concerns about a patients own mental health. Lastly, some drugs have shown to be successful in treating musical hallucinations in some patients, in addition to cognitive behavioral therapy.1,4
Don’t Miss: How Can I License My Music
Signaling The Ascension Shift
Hearing frequencies can also be a sort of announcement from God/ your guides/ The Universe, regarding the ascension shift and your shift in vibration.
As you may or may not be aware, our planet, and actually the entire universe is experiencing an ascension process Without going too in depth here, ascension is the process of increasing and raising frequency. This is happening on a planetary, personal, and collective level.
Hearing vibrations or high-pitched frequencies offers a sort of signal that this change is happening.
The frequency may be a sign that youre awakening to the higher dimensions, and tuning into more of your innate power as a divine spiritual being in physical form.
The high-pitched frequency or vibration you are hearing may also offer validation and seve as a sort of indication that the ascension process, including activating and upgrading your DNA is taking place.
What Is Musical Hallucination What Is Musical Hallucination
Musical hallucination What is musical hallucination? Musical hallucination is the experience of hearing music when none is being played. Hearing sound that no-one else can hear is quite common, but the experience is normally of a simple sound such as a buzzing, ringing, or sizzling: this is known as tinnitus.
Related
You May Like: Where Is The Country Music Hall Of Fame
Why Do I Hear Music When There Is No One Playing
But what happens when you think you hear a song that isn’t actually playing? Musical ear syndrome is a disorder in which you hear music or singing when there is none. If this is occurring to you, you may be concerned that MES is a precursor to dementia. However, studies have shown that people with MES don’t experience any memory problems as a result of this condition.
The cause of MES is not known. However, it has been suggested that stress can play a role in the development of this condition. If you are worried that you might have MES, see if hearing songs that aren’t played makes any difference to you. If it does, follow your intuition and seek help from an expert as soon as possible.
Why Do You Hear Music In Your Ears And How To Get Rid Of It
If someone told you that they could hear music in their ears while stimulated by absolutely no melodies in the real world, you might think it to be cool. Its like you always have your very own, private party. If thats what you would think about it, though, then it means that you havent actually thought about it seriously and that you havent taken into account how scary this can be for most people, especially when they become aware of it for the first time.
To put things simply, its highly unlikely that you would be amused if something like that happened to you. The fact that you have found your way here tells me that it has either happened to you already or to a person in your circle of family and friends. That further means that you must have realized the seriousness of the situation and that it has stopped being cool and amusing. Not that it ever was cool and amusing, though.
The point is that you have become interested in learning why this happens, as well as what it is that you can do about it if theres anything you can do at all. Well, before I get to some more detailed explanations, let me put your mind at ease right away. This is called musical ear syndrome and even though it might be scary at first, it is definitely not a serious health threat. The best part is, you can treat it. Yet, we will get to that later.
Recommended Reading: How Can I Add Music To My Instagram Story
An Influx Of Ascension Energy
Ascension happens in waves. And since the ascension process is happening throughout our solar system, and is tied to our solar system relocating to the center of the galaxy, there are quite frequently waves of ascension energy pouring onto the planet to further elevate the vibration and carry out the ascension shift.
When a wave is peaking, and youre tuning into a higher vibration than ever before you may hear a physical representation of this in the form of ringing, high-pitched frequency, or a buzzing in your ears.
Who Gets Musical Ear Syndrome
Musical ear syndrome is believed to be somewhat common in older people with hearing loss, but it can occur with those who lose their hearing at any age.
Neurology professor and author Oliver Sacks said: “that 2 percent of those losing their hearing will have musical auditory hallucinations.” Neil Bauman, who first described the syndrome, says it affects between 10 and 30 percent of people who are hard of hearing.
Bauman says that people predisposed to it are more often elderly, hard of hearing, lack adequate auditory stimulation, have tinnitus, and often are anxious or depressed.
Musical ear syndrome can also be seen in adult cochlear implant patients. One study found that 22 percent of the implantees experienced it before or after the implant. Of the 18 cases studied, most heard both instrumental music and singing, while some heard only instrumental music and some heard only singing. Most coped with it well, but three of the 18 people found it intolerable. Some people report that musical ear syndrome keeps them from getting a good night’s sleep.
You May Like: How To Keep Music Playing When Screen Turns Off Android
What’s The Difference Between Musical Ear Syndrome And Tinnitus
People with musical ear syndrome hear music while there is none. Patients with tinnitus hear ringing noises in their ears even though there is no external source causing the ringing. Tinnitus can also cause noises like clicking, hissing, buzzing, humming, or roaring in the ear.3 Musical ear syndrome tends to affect smaller populations and evoke a stronger emotional response in patients. Sometimes patients report hearing music that they remember from their youth. Both musical ear syndrome and tinnitus are often linked to hearing loss, however the primary mechanism that causes musical hallucinations other than hearing loss is still unknown.
How Common Is Tone Deafness
But researchers have found that only 1 in 20 people truly has amusia, the technical term for tone deafness. Tests have shown that some people with bad singing voices hear music just fine. … But researchers have found that only 1 in 20 people truly has amusia, the technical term for tone deafness.Aug 26, 2007
Related
Recommended Reading: Am I Allowed To Play Music On Twitch
Can Musical Ear Syndrome Go Away
Treating Musical Ear Syndrome Because we dont know the exact mechanism of the auditory hallucinations, there is no single treatment for musical ear syndrome. Some people treat their hallucinations by changing their medications, or taking up meditation to manage stress levels.
How do I stop music in my ears?
Distracting yourself from the noise with other external sounds can help divert your attention away from the ringing. Listen to a podcast or some quiet music. Avoid playing these sounds at maximum volume, since this can be as damaging to your ears as attending a concert.
Is it normal to hear music in white noise?
The most likely cause is Musical Ear Syndrome, apophenia, or audio pareidolia. Your brain uses pattern recognition to try to make sense of sounds. Sometimes it misinterprets what it hears. For example, pareidolia is when you interpret those meaningless noises into something youve heard before, such as music.
What Are Musical Hallucinations
Musical hallucination is a type of auditory hallucination, where the listener is hearing and perceiving musical sounds that donât exist in their current environment. Musical hallucinations present themselves as either psychiatric or non-psychiatric manifestations. Psychiatric manifestations of musical hallucination are associated with mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. However, musical ear syndrome is a non-psychiatric manifestation of musical hallucinations. Musical hallucinations in a patient with musical ear syndrome are not related to cognitive and psychiatric affiliations. In fact, many MES patients can attribute their musical hallucinations to hearing loss.
Also Check: How To Get Apple Music Off Lock Screen
Five Things You May Not Know About Your Hearing
Contributed by Debbie Clason, staff writer, Healthy HearingLast updated December 10, 20192019-12-10T00:00:00-06:00
Stop for a moment and notice what you hear. Really pay attention. Beyond the likely suspects of people talking or the volume of the television, whats going on in the background? Can you hear traffic? Is the neighbors dog barking? Are any of your appliances humming along?
Truth be told, much of your hearing is on autopilot. Our brain is processing the sounds our auditory system collects as automatically as we inhale and exhale. In fact, the way we hear is a fascinating and, sometimes mysterious, process. So, in honor of hearing enthusiasts everywhere, here are five things you may not know about how your hearing works.
Your brain interprets the sounds yourears collect.
Is There A Cure
MES is even less understood than tinnitus. But like tinnitus, there are some ways you can minimize its effects.
Awareness.
For many people, a great deal of stress and anxiety is alleviated when they can put a name to what theyre experiencing. Knowing others experience it also provides relief its nice to know youre not alone in your MES.
Stress management.
Stress has been shown to make symptoms worse, so finding ways to minimize your stress might minimize the severity of your MES. For example, deep breathing can relax your body, but it also pulls your attention away from the MES, allowing it to fade into the background. Some patients have also had success with cognitive behavioral therapy.
Bring more sound to your environment.
MES is a product of sound deprivation give your brain plenty to listen to! If you dont have hearing aids, get some. If you have hearing aids, be sure to wear them as much as possible. Get out in nature and socialize more. Natural sounds and conversations are ideal stimulation for a bored brain.
Adjust your medication.
MES has been reported as a side effect for almost 300 medications, both common and little known. Dont make any changes on your own, though consult your doctor if you suspect the MES is a side effect of a current medication.
Musical ear syndrome is real, and its more common than you realize. If you or someone you love suspects they have tinnitus musical or otherwise contact us today for a consultation!
You May Like: What Music Comes With Amazon Prime