Your ears have an intricate working mechanism that collects sounds from several sources and processes them. The auditory system transfers the sounds to your brain, where it makes decisions based on the sound received. Typically, your ears receive sounds in various pitches. Some people report certain abnormalities in how they receive the sound. Today we will learn about double hearing, its causes and available treatments.

What is double hearing?

When the difference in sounds become too bold to the extent that your brain interprets them as two different sounds, you might be diagnosed with a condition known as diplacusis. In layman’s language, diplacusis is also referred to as, double hearing. If you are suffering from diplacusis, you will notice that you hear a different pitch in each ear. In short, you will hear two different sounds from the same source.

What are the causes of diplacusis?

Generally, experts cite the cause of diplacusis as hearing loss from either or both ears. The roots are further categorized into the following:

• Conductive hearing loss - conditions such as entry of foreign objects such as insects or dust, ear infections, and blocked ear passages from accumulated ear wax may cause temporary double hearing. Also, factors such as blocked sinuses, sinus infection and clogged eustachian tubes can cause temporary hearing loss that may trigger temporary diplacusis.
• Sensorineural loss of hearing - similar to other types of loss of hearing sense, diplacusis can be the outcome of head trauma or exposure to loud noise that can trigger permanent ear damage. This type of loss of hearing sense may also occur due to medical conditions or medication side effects. In this case, the double hearing becomes permanent.

How is diplacusis treated?

Treatment for diplacusis hugely relies on the underlying cause of the condition. Double hearing termed as temporary, is likely to go away on its own after the cause of the condition is treated. For instance, professional ear cleaning will clear the ear passage and eventually, the double hearing will disappear on its own.

Nonetheless, double hearing caused by troubled hearing senses from the inner ear is not always easy to treat. Our specialist may suggest hearing aids or cochlear implants as hearing care devices. The hearing devices could help reduce the negative symptoms of double hearing. In cases where the damage is too advanced, your audiologist may recommend therapy to aid in overcoming the suffering.

If you are experiencing these double hearing signals, don’t panic. Contact us today for a proper consultation, diagnosis and hearing care services. We will work to help you restore your hearing back to normal.