Millions of years ago, the world was much different. This steamy, volcano-laden landscape is where the long-necked Diplacusis wandered. Thanks to its extra long neck and tail, Diplacusis was so large that it was afraid of no predator.
Actually, the long-necked dinosaur from the Jurassic Period is known as Diplodocus. Diplacusis is a hearing affliction that causes you to hear two sounds at the same time.
Diplacusis is a condition which can be challenging and confusing leading to difficulty with communication.
Perhaps your hearing has been a little strange lately
Usually, we think of hearing loss as our hearing getting muted or quiet over time. Over time, the story goes, we just hear less and less. But in some cases, hearing loss can manifest in some peculiar ways. One of the most fascinating (or, possibly, frustrating) such manifestations is a condition called diplacusis.
What is diplacusis?
Exactly what is diplacusis? The meaning of the medical term diplacusis is simply “double hearing”. Typically, your brain takes information from the right ear and information from the left ear and joins them harmoniously into one sound. That’s what you hear. Your eyes are doing the same thing. If you place a hand on your right eye and then a hand on your left eye, you see slightly different images, right? It’s the same with your ears, it’s just that typically, you don’t notice it.
Diplacusis occurs when the hearing abilities of your ears vary so wildly that your brain can no longer combine them, at least not very well. Monaural diplacusis is a result of hearing loss in only one ear while binaural diplacusis is caused by hearing loss in both.
Diplacusis comes in two kinds
Diplacusis does not affect everybody in the same way. Usually, though, people will experience one of the following two types of diplacusis:
- Diplacusis echoica: With this, what you hear will sound off because your brain receives the sound from each ear out of sync with the other rather than hearing two separate pitches. Artifacts like echoes can be the result. This can also cause challenges with regard to understanding speech.
- Diplacusis dysharmonica: This type of diplacusis happens when the pitch of the right ear and the pitch of the left ear seem off. So when your grandkids talk to you, the pitch of their voice will sound distorted. One side may sound high-pitched and the other low-pitched. Those sounds can be difficult to understand as a result.
Diplacusis symptoms
The symptoms of diplacusis can include:
- Phantom echoes
- Hearing that seems off (in pitch).
- Off timing hearing
That said, it’s helpful to view diplacusis as similar to double vision: Yes, it can develop some symptoms on its own, but it’s usually itself a symptom of something else. (It’s the effect, essentially, not the cause.) In these cases, diplacusis is nearly always a symptom of hearing loss (either in one ear or in both ears). So your best strategy would be to make an appointment with us for a hearing exam.
What causes diplacusis?
In a very general sense (and probably not surprisingly), the causes of diplacusis align quite nicely with the causes of hearing loss. But there are a few particular reasons why you might develop diplacusis:
- Noise-related damage to your ears: If you’ve experienced enough loud sounds to damage your ears, it’s possible that the same damage has brought about hearing loss, and consequently, diplacusis.
- An infection: Inflammation of your ear canal can be the result of an ear infection, sinus infection, or even allergies. This inflammation, while a normal response, can impact the way sound travels through your inner ear and to your brain.
- Earwax: Your hearing can be impacted by an earwax blockage. Whether that earwax causes a partial or complete obstruction, it can lead to diplacusis.
- A tumor: In some extremely rare cases, tumors in your ear canal can lead to diplacusis. Don’t panic! They’re normally benign. Still, it’s something you should talk to your hearing specialist about!
It’s clear that there are many of the same causes of hearing loss and diplacusis. This means that if you have diplacusis, it’s likely that something is impeding your ability to hear. So you should definitely come in and talk to us.
How is diplacusis treated?
The treatments for diplacusis differ based on the underlying cause. If your condition is the result of a blockage, such as earwax, then treatment will concentrate on the removal of that blockage. But permanent sensorineural hearing loss is more frequently the cause. In these situations, the best treatment options include:
- Hearing aids: The right pair of hearing aids can equalize how your ears hear again. Your diplacusis symptoms will slowly fade when you benefit from hearing aids. You’ll want to talk to 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.
A hearing exam is the first step to getting it all figured out. Think about it like this: whatever kind of hearing loss is the cause of your diplacusis, a hearing test will be able to establish that (and, to be fair, you may not even recognize it as diplacusis, you may just think stuff sounds weird these days). Modern hearing tests are quite sensitive, and good at finding inconsistencies between how your ears hear the world.
Hearing clearly is more fun than not
You’ll be better able to enjoy your life when you get the proper treatment for your diplacusis, whether that’s hearing aids or something else. Conversations will be easier. Keeping up with your family will be easier.
Which means, you’ll be able to hear your grandchildren 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 get your diplacusis symptoms assessed.