One hearing condition that not many are overly familiar with is Musical Ear Syndrome (MES). This medical condition consists of patients with hearing impairment who report hearing music when no external noise is present. Those who suffer from MES are said to experience auditory hallucinations.

Is MES Related to Tinnitus?

When you first learn about MES, it can be easy to confuse it with another symptom known as tinnitus. It's very crucial to make a stark difference between the two. People with MES hear music ranging from radio songs, popular music, tunes, harmonies, timbres, and orchestra music. People with tinnitus hear a ringing, clicking, buzzing, humming, roaring, or hissing noise. Both tinnitus and MES sufferers hear noise when no external source is present.

How Common is MES?

One of the biggest reasons that most people aren't aware of MES is that an average of 1% of the U.S. population suffers from it. However, some audiologists suggest that this number should be higher. They blame underreporting as to why the MES number is so low. Another survey backs up this claim by showcasing that 3.6% of patients who completed a hearing test reported music hallucinations.

What are the Risks and Treatments of MES?

While the root cause of MES is still widely unknown, research has shown that hearing loss is common among these patients. Some other risk factors that have shown a correlation with this condition include living alone, advanced age, and tinnitus. In general, women tend to suffer from MES more than men. However, audiologists hypothesize that men are underreporting their condition and could make up a larger percentage of the patient population.

Research into effective treatments is still ongoing as audiologists continue to try and understand the root cause of MES. However, some treatments have been proven effective for current patients. Hearing aids tend to be the most common treatment since hearing loss is closely associated with MES.

Those experiencing a decrease in their quality of life due to MES have been able to successfully regain that quality by better educating themselves about their condition. Some treatments suggest playing other sounds at the patient's home to help reduce the amount of sound produced by their brain. In smaller cases, some medications alongside cognitive-behavioral therapy have been shown to successfully treat MES in patients.

Contact Us Today

If you're experiencing MES or hearing loss, it's time to set up an appointment with our office. Let our friendly hearing care professionals evaluate your hearing and make recommendations of the best hearing aids to meet your individual needs and budget.