Acupuncture for Tinnitus
     Acupuncture & Natural Medicine                             Dr. Peng in Bethesda, Maryland           
301 340 8444
A 60+ year old male started to hear pitched ear sound both sides of ear. The ringing sound was so
noise that he cannot hear well during the day. At the night, it was worse, interrupting his sleep
frequently. After a period of acupuncture, his tinnitus had been significantly reduced, no longer
hearing ringing on one ear and hearing mild ringing on the other (when he paid attention). The
ringing no longer interrupted his sleep anymore.

Tinnitus is clinical symptoms experienced by a large number of people, especially for ones in the 50 to
60 years old of age. Yet, it is very difficult to treat. So far, no convincing date has proved any drug
effective for tinnitus. People who have ring ear mostly presents high pitched sound. While almost
everyone experiences some short-term tinnitus, some people could have tinnitus for years. Stress or
other mood change often makes tinnitus worse. As for the reasons, the exposure to load music could
cause the ringing ear and taking certain medications (such as long term use of ibuprofen and
naproxen, some antibiotics and some neural drugs). However, most of patients of tinnitus are with no
clear reason.

Tinnitus are present widely present in people beginning to age or aged. Mechanisms of tinnitus was
not clear. Earlier time, tinnitus was viewed as inner ear problem or damage to hair cells of the ear or
auditory nerve. In recent years, tinnitus is viewed as abnormality of auditory cortex of the brain.
There is no FDA approved medication for tinnitus. Over the decades, clinical trials have not
demonstrated any drugs effective to tinnitus. Option for tinnitus is limited as cognitive therapy,
masking (frequency canceling), transcutaneous electrical stimulation and magnetic stimulation have
been studied.

Acupuncture is one of better options for tinnitus. Multiple acupuncture points were written in historical
literatures a thousand years ago for tinnitus. Ringing ear is a common indication for acupuncture.
Combined use acupuncture covering the ear and the area corresponding to auditory cortex generate
a better effect of treatment. While not everyone could response to this procedure, people who
suffering chronic tinnitus often have meaningful reduction of noise after a course of acupuncture. For
acute occurrence of ear ringing, it may make it completely going away.