Tinnitus is usually called as "ringing in the ears”. Tinnitus is non-specific symptom which triggered by a mental or physical ‘change’, not necessarily related to hearing in the ear or the hearing pathway. The recent clinical research trials on animals indicated the benefit of acupuncture and that may provide a good relief for some people suffered from tinnitus.
Most patients with tinnitus hear the ringing or other noises in their ears or head when there is no outside source. The tinnitus can be mild and intermittent or in majority of cases is chronic and severe. It is a growing problem among few million people in the UK and Europe who consulted their GPs and ENT specialists for their medical advice and help. Tinnitus with hearing loss can be caused by head or neck injury after a whiplash injury or dental work. The severity of tinnitus is characterized by either mild form with a soft and high-pitched tone (like the sound of ocean waves) or severe form with a sound like screeching brakes.
According to the British national study of hearing, more than 10% of adult population in the UK suffered chronic spontaneous tinnitus (a tinnitus which is lasting for more than 5 minutes in duration). Most doctors in the west usually concentrate on treatment of reassuring the patient that the problem is not life-threatening. Hopefully this reassurance comes after a thorough medical intake and exam. On certain occasions, the surgical intervention specifically directed at eliminating tinnitus is obsolete.
Chronic tinnitus for more than 6 months is usually difficult to treat. However, preventive treatment is the good approach to tinnitus compared to curative one. The western medications for tinnitus are a major culprit. These include aspartame (NutraSweet), aspirin, steroids, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, antihistamines, anti-epilepsy drugs, antibiotics (especially cephalosporins) and pain killers. If the cause of tinnitus is due to hypotension and anemia, then correction of these pathological disorders will have a great impact on prognosis of tinnitus. Other pathological disorder may cause tinnitus such as high cholesterol or triglyceride level, food allergies, ear infection, head injury, perforated ear drum, TMJ (Tempro-mandibular joint syndrome), long time listening to loud music and diabetes.
For fact, Tinnitus is not a disease but a very distressing noise you hear in the ears that is not generated by an outside source. However, Tinnitus does not cause deafness and although there is no simple cure but many other alternative treatments can ease or reduce its.
Acupuncture Treatment Approaches to Tinnitus
Acupuncture points for Tinnitus
Many single or double clinical research studies have indicated that acupuncture could help to improve tinnitus. The patient should search for a qualified acupuncturist who is fully trained and registered with British Acupuncture Council. In Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, chronic or intermittent tinnitus can be differentiated from an acute or sudden onset tinnitus. The principle acupuncture management of tinnitus consists of 12 to 20 sessions in order to achieve a good improvement. Sometimes ear acupuncture can also be useful to be added with an excellent outcome.
Acupuncture is regarded as the best alternative treatment for relieving pressure at different points of stress in the body and this is the same thing applied to tinnitus as it can successfully relieve pressure on the nerve cells that have been triggered in tinnitus. The acupuncture treatment in tinnitus will not induce a sudden relief but it needs few acupuncture sessions to calm both the body and the nerves associated with hearing sensations. According to the Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, needling of acupuncture points located on adjacent and distal area of the disease, can be used for strengthening the curative effect in tinnitus.
If you, or someone you know, is suffering with Tinnitus
, please contact ACUMEDICA CLINICS
or if you want to make an appointment or need further information, feel free to contact us