DEAR DR. GOTT: I have a problem I have never read about in any of your columns and I have read all of them. I am ashamed to go to my doctor because I am under a lot of stress right now. My husband of 64 years of marriage is in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s. Sometimes he knows me and other times he doesn’t. So here is the problem. I hear music in my head. It’s about to drive me mad. I even wake up in the morning with it. It’s a church hymn! What is causing it? Will it ever go away?
I am 87 years old and live alone. My daughter is a Godsend to me and lives about 30 minutes away. I do not have the nerve to tell her my problem. I figured I would tell you first because you have been a great help to me.
DEAR READER: Known as earworms, random portions of songs or melodies can pop into a person’s head, repeating again and again similar to a broken record. This is a common experience that can occur every week in up to 90% of all people.
A British study in the journal Psychology of Music has attempted to understand this origin. Triggers for earworms identified in the study found the most common cause being exposure to music. For example, and without even realizing it, you may have subconsciously heard a portion of a song or a catchy jingle. You may have attended a concert or church with choir music that had an impact on you. Another reason reported memory triggers, meaning a person may hear a specific beat that may remind him or her of a song. Still another possibility is an emotional frame of mind such as happiness, or stress that can trigger musical imagery. Whatever situation triggers the repetitive music, reading a book, concentrating on a jigsaw or crossword puzzle, watching a television show, or speaking with a friend may help divert your attention and allow the annoyance to disappear.
Conditions such as auras can result in hearing music that others do not hear. If the issue continues, you might choose to have your physician test you or refer you to a neurologist for a possible seizure disorder. This does not imply you have epilepsy. Perhaps you have skipped one or more doses of prescribed medication, had a head injury from a fall, aren’t eating nutritious meals, have an infection, or have been under emotional stress. Something as simple as a vitamin deficiency might be to blame. This can be ruled out with a simple blood test. Heaven knows that a husband who lived with you for so many years and is now in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s could elevate your stress level.
Neuroscientists have indicated that our brains use special networks of neurons to perceive music. When sound enters the brain, a region near the ears known as the primary auditory cortex processes that sound. The auditory cortex then passes those signals on to other regions of the brain that have the capability of recognizing rhythm, melody and key changes. Hearing songs, notes and scores isn’t a sign of mental instability. Therefore, you may wish to speak with your physician about this new-found condition. I can already imagine you saying you can’t do that because he will think you are crazy but you certainly don’t appear unstable to me at all. Living alone can present an alarming situation. How do you get the trash out to the curb for pickup, or to the grocery store in a snow storm? Things that were once so simple can become insurmountable on some days. You haven’t progressed this far in life because you are weak. Seek help and hopefully put that hymn behind you. Save your strength for those visits to see your husband. Good luck.
Readers who would like information related to hearing disorders can order my Health Report “Ear Infections and Disorders” by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 US check or money order directed to my attention at P. O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039-0433. Be sure to mention the title or print out an order form from my website www.AskDrGottMD.com.
