Has an earworm crawled into your head and started gnawing on your brain, looping a specific song until you go crazy?

Although not literally worms, the process of having a song stuck in your head affects most of the population.

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But do not fear, there is a cure for the song that has kept you awake in the early hours of the morning or taunted you while you are trying to focus on work.

Dr Tim Byron from the University of Wollongong's School of Psychology has focussed his research on the way music interacts with memory, specifically "earworms".

"Literature often refers to these earworms as involuntary musical imagery," Dr Byron told ABC Radio Darwin's Mikaela Simpson.

"We don't summon these songs, they can just appear when you least expect it."

The term was first used in 1982, borrowed from the German "ohrwurm", said linguist Professor Roly Sussex.

He said that back in the 16th century, the phrase used was earwigs — as in insects.

As for why an insect is now linked to a song buzzing in your head, it is best not to think about it.

Dr Byron said the experience affected 99 per cent of the population, including famous musicians.

"Most famously, Paul McCartney woke up one morning hearing Yesterday in his head — this was prior to the song existing," he said.

How do earworms get stuck?

Dr Byron said memory had a large role to play in getting a tune stuck in your head.

"This process is linked to memory activation; music can very much link to conscious memories," he said.

"Experiences can trigger certain songs, they may be linked to a certain memory, or smell, or even a visual experience."

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Dr Bryon said lyrics could also seep into certain memories and return to you if you repeated specific actions or daily routines.

"Ride like the Wind by Christopher Cross has been circling in my head lately [and] there is something in the melody that I relate to," he said.

"I commute from Sydney to Wollongong daily, and I have noticed as soon as I am driving, this song resurfaces for me."

Myths on how to 'catch' an earworm

Dr Byron explained earworms could be very specific to individuals.

Perhaps you have heard the song repeated daily on the radio, by your children, or in spaces you frequently visit.

"You are more likely to have a song stuck in your head dependent on how often you repeat the song," Dr Byron said.

"There are certain types of melodies that get wedged, and of course, [there is] repetition."

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However, there are many myths attached to "catching" earworms and Dr Byron said just because a track was irritating, it did not mean it would prey on you.

"Before conducting my research, many assumed that only annoying or irritating songs would get stuck," he said.

"However, it's the case that the irritating ones are just the songs we remember.

"If you are drawn to the song — happy or sad — you're less likely to be irritated by it, even if it is looping in your brain.

"We just choose not to recall the songs we were happy to have on loop, even if we were once annoyed by its constant internal replay."

Another myth suggests singing Happy Birthday will remove an earworm, but Dr Byron said this might only encourage the new song to replace the previous earworm.

"Some myths have suggested that if you only hear half a song, your brain wants to complete it [but] I have yet to find research that supports that," he said.

"I believe [with] a full song or half a song, you may still be a victim to earworms."

So, how do you 'Shake it Off'?

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When it comes to exorcising an earworm, Dr Byron suggests several tactics and they all come down to how you use your mouth.

"Interesting research has suggested that chewing gum is the best way to remove an earworm," he said.

Dr Byron explained that when a song was on internal loop, the machinery in our brains compelled us to sing and make a noise, but did not quite send the message to our mouths.

"So when you have a song stuck in your head, ultimately your mouth wants to sing it, even if you aren't letting it out," he said.

"By chewing gum, you're distracting that brain passage by activating your mouth and jaw for another purpose."

He also suggested interrupting your mouth by repeating certain sounds such as Ta or Ti.

"What this means is that there is less memory room for a song to soak up," he explained.