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Dad is 80 and has had severe hearing loss since he was 60 years old. Lately, he has been saying that he hears music and drumming from time to time. He thinks this is due to marches or religious processions in the streets. I live with him and I don’t hear anything.


Anyone encountered this before? He isn’t taking any unusual medication apart from those for hypertension and diabetes. No other signs of dementia either. MRI of brain was ok.

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Oh, I've had this for years. It usually happens when I have a fan on. I thought at one time I was losing my mind. I can hear hockey game broadcasts, sometimes music. It's very strange. But once I learned it's normal I just go with it.
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Jasmine, if your Dad has old silver fillings in his teeth, the silver can act like a conductor, along with the saliva, thus one can actually start hearing music or talk radio.

If Dad is hearing this music or religious programs more at night then during the day, then it could be the silver fillings as radio stations tend to be more powerful at night.
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It's called Musical Ear Syndrome. Google it; there are good articles on Mayo Clinic and even Wikipedia.

Knowing what it's called and the fact that it's a condition that others have might be reassuring to your dad.

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/has-anyone-heard-of-musical-ear-syndrome-i-have-asked-so-many-people-including-doctors-and-nurses-452227.htm?orderby=recent
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AlvaDeer Oct 2019
Thank you for this, Barb. I had utterly zero idea such a thing existed! Why I love the forum. And you.
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