Which internal organ dysfunction relates to tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a ringing condition in the inner ear, the ringing frequency can be dissimilar, it can be of high or low pitch, heavy or fine pitch. Some people relate tinnitus to insect sounds or loud airplanes. Many people of varying ages are diagnosed with tinnitus, many of whom are left untreated. The ringing condition comes and goes without notice, especially during the quietest time the ringing becomes more obvious, this can greatly impede one’s life-style, for example, affecting listening ability and sleep, resulting in restlessness whilst sitting up or lying down.
Chinese medicine has special interest in, and effective treatment options for tinnitus. Chinese medicine believes that tinnitus is not simply and auditory disease, rather, it is often related to certain disease changes in a particular internal organ, or the result of certain disease changes. Below highlights the knowledge of tinnitus through Chinese medicine and its treatment and preventative methods.
Kidneys
The Kidneys are considered to be one of the vital disease origins of tinnitus. In Chinese medicine the Kidneys and ears have a close internal relationship because “the Kidneys open up to the ears”. The Kidneys are responsible for promoting Qi and Blood to the ears, and maintaining normal physiological functioning of the ears. When your Kidneys are unwell, or during periods of Kidney deficiency, the ears are unable to receive adequate Blood and Qi from the Kidneys, resulting in tinnitus.
The following are some special clinical features of tinnitus related to the Kidneys. The ringing sound can be as fine as insect sounds, if you use your hands to cover the ears, the ringing sound will be diminished or disappear. At the same time, you may have the following clinical symptoms of lethargy and dizziness, waist/hip pain, lack of strength between the waist/hip and back joint between the thigh and lower calves, and unclear vision.
For this type of tinnitus we commonly treat or nourish the Kidneys to eliminate tinnitus, because tinnitus is related to Kidney deficiency, therefore to prevent the occurrence of tinnitus, one should be vigilant to preserving the health of the Kidneys. One should eat sensible amounts of prawns, beef, yellow soybeans, hawthorn fruit, frequently massage the waist/hip area or upper/lower areas, because these two positions can help nourish the Kidneys. When overworked, or during work one should protect the waist/hip area, because the Kidneys are positioned around the waist/hip area, if the waist/hip area is injured this will easily injure the Kidneys, resulting in poor Kidney function, leading to tinnitus and other diseases.
Liver and Gall Bladder
Another type of tinnitus is commonly related to disease of the Liver and Gall Bladder. This type of tinnitus has a particular sound intensity and feature: it sounds like running water or loud machinery noise. When the ears are covered by the hands, the ringing sound will intensify. At the same time you may have the following symptoms of restlessness and frequent dreaming, reddened face and hot bodied, dry stools and painful abdomen, itchy or blocked ears.
Why does the diseased Liver or Gall Bladder result in tinnitus? Because the meridians of the Liver and Gall bladder runs around the ears, when the Liver and Gall bladder is diseased, especially when the Liver and Gall bladder have blockage and heat, the blockage heat will move along the meridians reaching the ears, blocking the ear circulation, becoming tinnitus.
If you have this type of tinnitus, you should avoid spicy food, adjust your temperament, ensure that your lifestyle or work is less hectic, eat a reasonable amount of food that clears and nourishes the Liver. Celery, carrot, green tea, mint tea, lemon and green leafy vegetables help to clear the disease within the Liver and Gall Bladder, and adjusts ear circulation to reduce tinnitus.
Chinese medicine also believes there are other causes of tinnitus, through motor vehicle accidents, injury to the shoulder blades, nasal inflammation, headaches and severe influenza, which can all affect the circulation and normal functioning of the ear regions.
If have tinnitus, especially long periods of untreated tinnitus, you can seek out experienced Chinese practitioners who will use traditional Chinese medicine tongue and meridian diagnosis, and other collective symptoms prior to sleep, to investigate the disease origin of tinnitus. It can not only treat tinnitus, but at the same time also discover hidden disease changes within the body.
Further reading:
- Disharmonies of the Gall Bladder and associated symptoms
- Seven daily massage positions to prevent the onset of disease and ageing
- The clinical origins and treatment of vertigo
- Imbalances of the five senses can predict disease in the five visceral organs
- Disharmonies of the Liver and associated symptoms