Music sounds very different

[Beagen]

Songs that I know well now sound different to me.  The vocals sound detached from the instruments, and both seem to have a different pitch or speed or tone. I can hear the songs clearly, so there's no reduction in the sound I perceive. News radio and podcasts sound normal.  It's just the music that sounds distorted.  I do have some hearing loss in one ear, but this problem is new. I'm age 59. I have an appointment with and ENT later this week.  Any insight appreciated.  Thanks!

[Sara_MHModerator]

Hello and welcome to the forum.  Were you able to meet with your doctor to discuss?  Something that can distort hearing is Eustachian tube dysfunction. https://www.healthline.com/health/eustachian-tube-dysfunction Are you experiencing any other symptoms?

[Beagen]

Hi Sara. Thank you for your response and the link!  Last Thursday I saw an ENT here in metro Detroit who focuses mostly on hearing.  He seemed unfamiliar with my condition and focused on symptoms common to Menier's disease, the main being vertigo and a feeling of ear fullness , neither of which I have.  He then asked about my salt intake as a factor (there's no additional or unnecessary salt in my diet).  Then, he cleaned my ears with a device that was new to me:  a rubber tube vacuum with which he probed around removing wax, as opposed to the high-pressure blast of warm water I'm used to.  (I'm one of those who produces a lot of wax.)   Then a hearing test that showed moderate loss, followed by a temporary hearing aid I wore while listing to a familiar song.  The song still sounded weird to me.  During the visit I mentioned experiencing the same problem 18 months ago and seeing a colleague of this ENT in this large, multi-location practice.  At that time the other doctor said he heard about this condition and focused on the eustachian tubes issue you referenced, saying the problem would resolve on its own after several weeks.  It did.  Currently, this has been going on for about a month.  Next step here is an ECochG test tomorrow to check further into Meniere's as a possibility.  (This having happened 18 months ago, pausing and then starting again would seem to rule out Menier's, but I'm doing the test anyway.)  If this remains unresolved, I would then take another, more involved test available at a hospital in Detroit or Ann Arbor.  One thing I've noticed is that music often sounds normal to me in the morning, then the issue of it sounding detached and strange worsens as the day goes on.  Based on what you shared, I'm going to raise the prospect of the eustachian tubes again.  Thank you again.  I'll keep you posted in hopes of helping others.

[Sara_MHModerator]

Thank you!  Sounds great and we'll wait for your update.