Musical Ear Syndrome

Dear All,

This is my first question with the forum.

I have 2 twin aunts, 81 years of age, who both claim to hear singing and musical sounds when there is no TV or radio on in their home.  One aunt in  particular is not coping with this very well and is now accusing neighbours of making this sound, especially in the small hours of the night.  The sounds have been going on for at least 4 years, and the source of the music has been looked for in the telephone system, home wiring, home equipment, TV ariels, outside wiring, travelling ice cream vans, local nightclcubs, local football stadiums, young people playing musical instruments -all without success.  Any suggestion by their own Doctor or health workers that the problem is inside their own  head meets with outrage, and comments like "they all think we are going nuts". "they want to see us in the barmy house" .No one can shake them from the belief that the sounds are not self generated.  My husband has even placed a recorder in the bedroom at night only to be told that it must have been faulty when no sound was recorded.

One aunt had an operation on the inner ear and has subsequently had a stroke.  She suffers from tinnitus and is cared for by the other healthier aunt.  You would expect that the poorly aunt would be the one most upset by the sounds, but it is the healthier aunt, with no hearing loss, who is most affected by the sounds.  She sleeps on the side of the house with passing traffic and the most outside background noise, whilst the sicker aunt sleeps on the quiet side overlooking the garden.  They both want to stay at home, but if the carer aunt cannot cope with the hearing problem much longer, then they both may have to go into residential care, and we would like to avoid this if  at all possible.

Help and advice please, as we love our aunts very much and want them  to be happy.

regards annwithane