Millions of years ago, the world was a lot different. This steamy, volcano-laden landscape is where the long-necked Diplacusis wandered. Thanks to its really long neck and tail, Diplacusis was so big that it feared no predator.
Actually, Diplodocus is the long-necked dinosaur from the Jurassic Period. Diplacusis is a hearing affliction that causes you to hear two sounds at the same time.
Diplacusis is an affliction which can be challenging and confusing leading to difficulty with communication.
Maybe you’ve been hearing some unusual things
Typically, we think of hearing loss as our hearing becoming muted or quiet over time. According to this idea, over time, we just hear less and less. But there are some other, not so well known, forms of hearing loss. One of the most fascinating (or, perhaps, frustrating) such manifestations is a condition called diplacusis.
What is diplacusis?
Exactly what is diplacusis? Diplacusis is a medical name that means, pretty simply, “double hearing”. Normally, your brain takes signals from your right ear and signals from the left ear and marries them harmoniously into a single sound. That’s what you hear. Your eyes are doing the same thing. If you put a hand on your right eye and then a hand on your left eye, you see slightly different images, right? Usually, with your ears, you won’t even notice it.
When your brain can’t efficiently combine the two sounds from your ears because they are too different, you have this condition of diplacusis. Monaural diplacusis is caused by hearing loss in only one ear while binaural diplacusis is caused by hearing loss in both.
Diplacusis comes in two types
Diplacusis does not impact everyone in the same way. Usually, though, individuals will experience one of the following two forms of diplacusis:
- Diplacusis echoica: This happens when the pitch is nearly the same from ear to ear, but due to your hearing loss, the timing is all wonky. Artifacts similar to echoes can be the outcome. And understanding speech can become challenging because of this.
- Diplacusis dysharmonica: This form of diplacusis occurs when the pitch of the right ear and the pitch of the left ear seem off. So when your grandchildren talk to you, the pitch of their voice will sound distorted. Perhaps your right ear thinks the sound is low-pitched and your left ear thinks the sound is high-pitched. Those sounds can be hard to understand as a result.
Diplacusis symptoms
The symptoms of diplacusis can include:
- Off pitch hearing
- Hearing echoes where they don’t actually exist.
- Off timing hearing
That said, it’s useful to view diplacusis as akin to double vision: Yes, it can develop some symptoms on its own, but it’s normally itself a symptom of something else. (In other words, it’s the effect, not the cause.) In these circumstances, diplacusis is nearly always a symptom of hearing loss (either in one ear or in both ears). So your best course of action would be to make an appointment with us for a hearing test.
What are the causes diplacusis?
The causes of diplacusis line up quite well, in a general sense, with the causes of hearing loss. But you may experience diplacusis for several specific reasons:
- Noise-related damage to your ears: If you’ve experienced hearing loss as a result of noise damage, it’s feasible that it could trigger diplacusis.
- An infection: Swelling of your ear canal can be the result of an ear infection, sinus infection, or even allergies. This swelling, while a natural response, can impact the way sound moves through your inner ear and to your brain.
- Earwax: In some instances, an earwax obstruction can interfere with your hearing. Whether that earwax forms a partial or complete blockage, it can lead to diplacusis.
- A tumor: In some extremely rare instances, tumors in your ear canal can lead to diplacusis. Don’t panic! They’re normally benign. But you still should speak with us about it.
As you can see, diplacusis and hearing loss have many of the same common causes. Meaning that you likely have some amount of hearing loss if you’re experiencing diplacusis. Which means it’s a good idea to visit a hearing specialist.
How is diplacusis treated?
The treatments for diplacusis differ based on the underlying cause. If you have a blockage, treating your diplacusis will center around clearing it out. But permanent sensorineural hearing loss is more frequently the cause. Here are a few treatment options if that’s the situation:
- Hearing aids: The right set of hearing aids can neutralize how your ears hear again. This means that the symptoms of diplacusis will likely disappear. You’ll want to speak with us about finding the right settings for your hearing aids.
- Cochlear implant: In circumstances where the hearing loss at the root of diplacusis is profound, a cochlear implant might be the only way to provide relief from the symptoms.
All of this begins with a hearing assessment. Think about it this way: whatever type of hearing loss is the cause of your diplacusis, a hearing exam will be able to identify that (perhaps you simply think things sound weird at this point and you don’t even identify it as diplacusis). We have very sensitive hearing tests nowadays and any discrepancies with how your ears are hearing the world will be found.
Hearing well is more fun than not
You’ll be better able to enjoy your life when you get the appropriate treatment for your diplacusis, whether that’s hearing aids or some other treatment. It will be easier to talk to people. Keeping up with your family will be easier.
Which means, you’ll be able to hear your grandkids tell you all about what a Diplodocus is, and you (hopefully) won’t have any diplacusis to get in the way.
Call today for an appointment to have your diplacusis symptoms assessed.