Millions of years ago, the world was quite a bit different. This steamy, volcano-laden landscape is where the long-necked Diplacusis wandered. Thanks to its really 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 called Diplodocus. When you’re hearing two sounds simultaneously, that’s a hearing condition known as diplacusis.
Diplacusis is an affliction which can be challenging and confusing resulting in difficulty with communication.
Maybe you’ve been hearing some unusual things
We’re used to regarding hearing loss as a kind of progressive decreasing of the volume knob. Over time, the idea is, we just hear less and less. But there are some other, not so well recognized, types 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? The meaning of the medical term diplacusis is simply “double hearing”. Normally, your brain takes signals from your right ear and signals from the left ear and joins them harmoniously into a single sound. That’s what you hear. Your eyes are doing the same thing. If you place a hand over your right eye and then a hand over 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 differ so wildly that your brain can no longer blend them, at least not well. Monaural diplacusis is a result of hearing loss in only one ear while binaural diplacusis is caused by hearing loss in both.
Two types of diplacusis
Different individuals are affected differently by diplacuses. However, there are typically two basic types of diplacusis:
- Diplacusis dysharmonica: This kind of diplacusis happens when the pitch of the right ear and the pitch of the left ear seem off. So the sound will be distorted when someone speaks with you. One side might sound high-pitched and the other low-pitched. This can cause those sounds to be difficult to make out.
- Diplacusis echoica: With this, what you hear will seem off because your brain receives the sound from each ear out of sync with the other rather than hearing two different pitches. Artifacts similar to echoes can be the outcome. And understanding speech can become complicated as a result.
Symptoms of diplacusis
The symptoms of diplacusis could include:
- Hearing echoes where they don’t actually exist.
- Off pitch hearing
- Hearing that seems off (in timing).
That said, it’s helpful to think of diplacusis as akin to double vision: Yes, it can produce 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.) Diplacusis, in these cases, is probably a symptom of hearing loss. Consequently, if you experience diplacusis, you should probably make an appointment with a hearing specialist.
What are the causes diplacusis?
In a very basic sense (and perhaps not surprisingly), the causes of diplacusis align quite well with the causes of hearing loss. But there are a few specific reasons why you could develop diplacusis:
- An infection: Ear infections, sinus infections, or even just plain old allergies can cause your ear canal to become inflamed. This swelling, while a natural response, can impact the way sound travels through your inner ear and to your brain.
- Your ears have damage related to noise: If you’ve experienced enough loud noises to damage your ears, it’s possible that the same damage has resulted in hearing loss, and as a result, diplacusis.
- Earwax: Your ability to hear can be affected by an earwax blockage. That earwax obstruction can cause diplacusis.
- A tumor: Diplacusis can, in rare situations, be the result of a tumor in your ear canal. But stay calm! In most cases they’re benign. But you should still speak with us about it.
It’s clear that there are many of the same causes of diplacusis and hearing loss. Meaning that you most likely have some level of hearing loss if you have diplacusis. So you should absolutely come in and talk to us.
Treatments for diplacusis
Depending on the underlying cause, there are a few possible treatments. If your condition is caused by a blockage, like earwax, then treatment will concentrate on the removal of that blockage. However, diplacusis is often brought on by irreversible sensorineural hearing loss. Here are some treatment options if that’s the situation:
- Hearing aids: Your hearing can be equalized with the right set of hearing aids. This means that the symptoms of diplacusis will likely fade. You’ll want to talk to us about finding the right settings for your hearing aids.
- Cochlear implant: In cases where the hearing loss at the root of diplacusis is profound, a cochlear implant may be the only way to provide relief from the symptoms.
All of this starts with a hearing assessment. Think about it this way: whatever kind of hearing loss is the cause of your diplacusis, a hearing exam will be able to establish that (and, to be fair, you may not even recognize it as diplacusis, you might just think things sound weird these days). Modern hearing assessments are really sensitive, and good at detecting discrepancies between how your ears hear the world.
Hearing well is more fun than not
Getting the proper treatment for your diplacusis, whether that’s a hearing aid or some other treatment option, means you’ll be more capable of participating in your daily life. It will be easier to talk to people. Keeping up with your family will be easier.
So there will be no diplacusis symptoms interfering with your ability to hear your grandchildren telling you all about the Diplodocus.
If you think you have diplacusis and want to have it checked, give us a call for an appointment.