Tinnitus is a condition where you hear noises in your ears. These noises can vary from buzzing to ringing to clicking, and when the condition is chronic it can impact your quality of life by causing anxiety, headaches and maddening distraction.
There are various causes of tinnitus: sudden hearing loss can contribute, but so can something as banal as whiplash or going to a loud concert. Tinnitus can also appear as a side effect of prescription drugs or even taking over the counter drugs like aspirin. Many people may not even be aware that they’ve had tinnitus at some point, because the condition may not have lasted long enough.
The severity of the condition varies: it can present as an occasional light ringing, or be so intrusive, constant and loud as to cause sleep loss, and impede a person’s ability to concentrate.
While Western medicine offers no reliably effective treatment, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine have shown themselves to be valuable options in managing and relieving tinnitus.
Acupuncture works by stimulating specific points of the body. Because tinnitus is linked to nerve sensitivity, acupuncture treatments concentrate on stimulating the nerve’s natural response to pressure, which in turn helps to alleviate the symptoms.
Diet can also play a significant role in the onset and subsequent treatment of tinnitus. Many traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that excessive consumption of raw or greasy foods can lead to an accumulation of mucus and congestion, which can exacerbate tinnitus.
It’s important that you should first consult your regular doctor before deciding on any treatment for tinnitus. Your physician can help diagnose the condition and determine whether any medication you may be taking is a contributing or causal factor.
