Tinnitus is quite common among adults. A survey conducted by European Tinnitus Survey(ETS) showed that one out of every five adults has experienced at least one tinnitus. Don’t expect that tinnitus is a trivial thing that can recover on its own. If it continues to occur, it will not only affect your daily life, but it may also be an alarm in your body.
We are going to analyze the cause of tinnitus from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), and introduce daily health massage methods to improve tinnitus effectively by combination of acupuncture and acupoint massage.
What is the cause of tinnitus?
According to TCM, tinnitus does not have only one cause, it is also associated with a series of exogenous pathogenic factors or visceral diseases, such as emotional anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, or disturbance in life or work.
Presently, the cause of tinnitus is considered to be related to neurodegeneration or degeneration, usually unilateral first, and then both ears. Over time, some people will also suffer from hearing loss. With active treatment, it is necessary to prevent the auditory nerve from deteriorating quickly.
4 Causes of tinnitus with TCM
Invasion of wind and heat
Symptoms: Sudden tinnitus, non-stop around the clock, hearing loss, or accompanied by ear fullness and stuffiness. It may be accompanied by such symptoms as nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, headache, and fever.
Recipe: Yinqiaosan.
Disturbed anger
Symptoms: Tinnitus is like the sound of tides or thunder, and it is often aggravated when you were depressed or stressed. It often accompanied with bitter mouth, red face or eyes, yellow urine, constipation, insomnia, chest tightness, and dizziness.
Recipe: Longdan Xiegan Decoction or Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder.
Phlegm fire stagnation
Symptoms: fullness in the ears, heavy head, dizziness, abdominal distension, accompanied by cough and phlegm, bitter or tasteless mouth, and constipation.
Recipe: Qingqi Huatan Decoction.
Qi stagnation and blood stasis
Symptoms: Hearing loss due to an accident, accompanied by tingling in the ears, but no obvious symptoms in the body.
Recipe: Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction.
Acupuncture points for tinnitus
For patients with sudden tinnitus, comprehensive treatments such as acupuncture and scraping can be used to speed up hearing recovery. In TCM, sudden tinnitus is usually caused by obstruction of Qi and blood. Acupuncture can effectively dredge meridians and improve hearing. The following is an introduction to the four acupoints of TCM for treating sudden tinnitus:
- Yifeng point: It is at the root of the ear behind the earlobe, in the depression between the mastoid process of the temporal bone and the posterior edge of the mandibular branch of the mandible.
- Wangu Point: It is located on the head, in the depression behind the mastoid behind the ear.
- Fengchi Point: There is a depression in the hairline behind the ear, under the occipital bone.
- Zhongzhu Point: It is between the ring finger and little finger on the back of the hand, in the depression of the front 1/3 of the metacarpophalangeal joint.
*The specific frequency and time of acupuncture shall be in accordance with the instructions of the doctor.
Here are three acupoints for self-care and tinnitus prevention which can improve ear blood circulation, relieve stress, and reduce occurrence of tinnitus. It is recommended to take five minutes of acupoint massage every morning or before going to bed.
Tinnitus acupressure point
Yongquan Point (Kidney Meridian)
Yongquan point (about one-third of the center depression in front of the sole of the foot), massage slowly back and forth along the kidney meridian “Yongquan point” with the palm of the hand, massage the sole of the left foot with the palm of the right hand; massage the sole of the right foot with the palm of the left until the sole of the foot feels warm feeling. It can treat tinnitus, poor hearing and otitis media, and can also strengthen the heart and bladder functions.
Fengchi Point (Biliary Meridian)
Fengchi point (the lower edge of the occipital bone in the back of the neck, the depression of the hairline), press and hold the Fengchi point on the left and right sides with the thumbs of both hands, and fix the other four fingers on the back of the occipital to relieve dizziness, tinnitus, headache, and dizziness. Can relieve cervical pain, promote sleep and relieve eye fatigue, soothe the mind.
Taichong Point (Liver Meridian)
Taichong point (on the instep of both feet, in the depression above the junction of the first toe bone and the second toe bone), press the Taichong point with the pulp of the thumb, and press the points on both sides 10~15 times, the main function is to relieve Liver stagnation, eliminate stress, and then treat tinnitus and hearing loss.
Advice for hearing protection and preventing tinnitus
- Avoid working in high-noise environments, or protect hearingby wearing earplugs;
- When you were in noisy environment, you need to wear earplugsto protect hearing. Do not stuff your ears with tissues or cotton. If doing so, not only can it not effectively isolate noise, but it may also become a foreign body in the ear canal;
- When listening to music with headphones, the volume should be properly controlled;
- Avoid excessive alcohol, quit smoking or refuse second-hand smoke, nicotine may reduce the blood supply to the ear and increase the possibility of tinnitus;
- Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity can lead to high blood pressurewhich may increase the sensitivity of the ears to sound, leading to deafness. Thus, it is recommended to exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.
