Tinnitus

Tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss often occur together. When the hair cells in the cochlea are damaged, the function of properly transmitting sound (hearing) declines, and tinnitus also develops simultaneously due to the overexcitation of the auditory nerve. With hearing loss, the stimulation the ear receives to process external sounds decreases, causing the tinnitus signal to be perceived more strongly. This is why wearing a hearing aid to reinforce external sounds can sometimes improve tinnitus as well. If hearing loss is suspected, the first step is to undergo a pure-tone audiometry test. In Korean medicine, the ear is considered an organ governed by the kidneys; as kidney deficiency deepens, hearing loss and tinnitus occur together. When tinnitus and hearing loss coexist, Dongjedang supports overall auditory function through herbal prescriptions that replenish kidney energy and strengthen kidney yin, combined with acupuncture treatment at specific ear acupoints (the area in front of the ear, the wrist, and the inner ankle bone). The direction and intensity of the prescription are adjusted by referring to the results of Western audiometry tests as well.