The world was very different millions of years ago. This steamy, volcano-laden landscape is where the long-necked Diplacusis roamed. Diplacusis was so big, due to its long tail and neck, that no other predators were a threat.
Actually, Diplodocus is the long-necked dinosaur from the Jurassic Period. Diplacusis is a hearing affliction that causes you to hear two sounds instead of one.
Diplacusis is an affliction which can be challenging and confusing resulting in difficulty with communication.
Perhaps your hearing has been a bit weird lately
We’re accustomed to regarding hearing loss as a kind of gradual lowering of the volume knob. According to this idea, over time, we just hear less and less. But there are some other, not so well recognized, forms of hearing loss. One of the most fascinating (or, possibly, frustrating) such presentations is a condition called diplacusis.
What is diplacusis?
So, what is diplacusis? Diplacusis is a medical term that means, pretty simply, “double hearing”. Usually, your brain will combine the sound from your right and left ear into one 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? Normally, with your ears, you won’t even notice it.
Diplacusis occurs when the hearing abilities of your ears differ so significantly that your brain can no longer blend them, at least not very well. Monaural diplacusis is a result of hearing loss in only one ear while binaural diplacusis is due to hearing loss in both.
Two forms of diplacusis
Different people are affected differently by diplacuses. However, there are usually two basic types of diplacusis:
- Diplacusis dysharmonica: When the pitch of the right and left ear are off it’s a sign of this type of diplacusis. So the sound will be distorted when someone speaks with you. Maybe your right ear thinks the sound is low-pitched and your left ear thinks the sound is high-pitched. This can cause those sounds to be hard to understand.
- Diplacusis echoica: With this, what you hear will sound off because your brain gets the sound from each ear out of sync with the other rather than hearing two different pitches. This may cause echoes (or, instead, artifacts that sound similar to echoes). And understanding speech can become difficult because of this.
Symptoms of diplacusis
Here are a few symptoms of diplacusis:
- Hearing echoes where they don’t actually exist.
- Hearing that sounds off (in pitch).
- Hearing that seems off (in timing).
The condition of double vision might be a helpful comparison: Yes, it can develop some symptoms on its own, but it’s normally itself a symptom of something else. (Essentially, it’s the effect, 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 course of action would be to make an appointment with us for a hearing test.
What causes diplacusis?
In a very basic sense (and probably not surprisingly), the causes of diplacusis line up rather well with the causes of hearing loss. But you may experience diplacusis for a number of particular reasons:
- Earwax: In some circumstances, an earwax blockage can hinder your ability to hear. Whether that earwax forms a partial or full obstruction, it can cause diplacusis.
- Your ears have damage related to noise: If you’ve experienced hearing loss caused by noise damage, it’s feasible that it could trigger diplacusis.
- An infection: Ear infections, sinus infections, or even normal allergies can cause your ear canal to swell. This swelling, while a typical response, can effect the way sound travels through your inner ear and to your brain.
- A tumor: Diplacusis can, in rare cases, be the result of a tumor in your ear canal. Don’t panic! They’re normally benign. But you still should speak with us about it.
Obviously, diplacusis and hearing loss have many of the same typical causes. Which means that if you’re experiencing diplacusis, it’s a good bet something is interfering with your ability to hear. Which means it’s a good idea to visit a hearing specialist.
Treatments for diplacusis
Depending on the underlying cause, there are a few possible treatments. If your condition is caused by a blockage, such as earwax, then treatment will focus on the removal of that obstruction. But irreversible sensorineural hearing loss is more frequently the cause. In these cases, 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 take advantage of hearing aids. You’ll want to talk to us about finding the right settings for your hearing aids.
- Cochlear implant: A cochlear implant may be the only way of dealing with diplacusis if the root cause is profound hearing loss.
A hearing exam is the first step to getting to the bottom of the problem. Here’s how you can think about it: whatever kind of hearing loss is the source of your diplacusis, a hearing exam will be able to establish that (maybe 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
Getting the appropriate treatment for your diplacusis, whether that’s a hearing aid or some other treatment option, means you’ll be more able to participate in your daily life. Talking with others 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 checked.
