Musical tinnitus is also known as musical ear syndrome, musical hallucinations, or auditory imagery. Despite its many names, this condition remains rare. While some people may hear music without an external source due to a psychiatric illness, most patients develop musical tinnitus after suffering from hearing loss for some time. Since the brain no longer receives signals from the ears, it invents sound to compensate. Some patients with musical tinnitus have neither psychiatric illness nor hearing loss, but for an unknown reason, have become overly sensitive to all sounds and begin to hear music.
What are the causes of musical tinnitus or musical ear syndrome?
While the mechanisms of MES remain poorly understood, medical researchers have identified certain causes.
Hearing loss
Hearing music that doesn't exist is likely due to hearing loss. Although the mechanism is not fully understood, specialists believe that these phantom sounds originate from an oversensitivity of the brain's auditory center, caused by sensory deprivation. Normally, the brain receives information from our senses to help you understand and interact with the world. When hearing is damaged, the brain doesn't understand why the signals stop. It doesn't know how to ignore this sense and continues to seek data. Finding nothing, it fills the void with what it knows about the world. You think you hear sounds when there are none because, in the case of MES or musical tinnitus, the brain chooses to fill in the blanks with music. Why music rather than other sounds? This has not yet been explained.
Cochlear implant
The insertion or removal of a cochlear implant is known to sometimes trigger MES. Further studies are needed to understand why.
What do patients hear?
As your brain fills in the blanks with what it knows, your own musical background will likely determine what you hear. This can range from simple notes forming a melody to full orchestral compositions. Some people hear popular songs or tunes heard on the radio. This perception of music or singing can correspond to the same tune repeated on a loop, or different pieces of music at different times.
How is musical tinnitus treated?
If you hear music without an external source, consult your doctor for a diagnosis. The treatment for musical ear syndrome must be tailored to each individual case.
Hearing aids
Improving your hearing can alleviate symptoms. If a hearing aid allows you to hear more, your brain may stop filling in the blanks with music. Sound therapy through hearing aids can also be helpful.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help you cope with this music in your ears. You can train your brain to pay less attention to it.
Lifestyle changes
Small adjustments to your daily life can reduce the effects of MES. If you hear something, with or without hearing aids, try adding other sounds. This may seem counterintuitive, but listening to real music sometimes dissuades your brain from creating imaginary music.
Other strategies can help you manage stress related to musical tinnitus:
Physical exercise - anything you enjoy: walking, stretching, aerobics, yoga, tai chi
Deep breathing
Meditation and mindfulness
Massages
Aromatherapy
Sound therapy
As with other forms of tinnitus, musical ear syndrome is very effectively treated with sound therapy. By using the advanced programs of your hearing aid or a desktop sound machine, these programs broadcast sounds that push your musical hallucinations into the background.
Medications
If nothing else works, your doctor may try medications that can help you. The following treatments have been used for MES: cholinergic and GABAergic agents, haloperidol, atypical antipsychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Discuss the side effects of these medications with your doctor.
Musical tinnitus, also known as musical ear syndrome, could be the auditory equivalent of Charles Bonnet syndrome. People who lose their sight and develop Charles Bonnet syndrome may have visual hallucinations because the brain, deprived of visual cues, tries to fill in the blanks. Musical tinnitus is rare. Some people are not bothered by these symptoms, but for those who are, there are ways to combat them.
To learn more about everything related to hearing, visit CLARIA today.
