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I hear water flowing in my ears, could it be tinnitus?

Have you ever been anxious about whether there is a problem with your ears because you suddenly start hearing the sound of flowing water, whistling wind, or a high-pitched beeping sound? These noises, which become clearer as the quiet night falls or as you get stressed, take away the peace of daily life and even interfere with sleep, distressing many people. Even if you go to the hospital, you often hear that there is "no particular abnormality" and feel frustrated. However, the sound of flowing water or wind heard in the ears can be an important warning signal from our body that should never be overlooked.

💡 [Key Answer] The 3 most common causes of "I hear water flowing in my ears": ① Autonomic nervous system imbalance: Stress, overwork, etc., over-activate the sympathetic nervous system, overloading the brain's auditory system. ② Auditory system hypersensitivity: The brain cannot filter out unnecessary internal signals and perceives them as sound. ③ Systemic balance issues: Imbalances in surrounding structures such as the temporomandibular joint and cervical spine lead to nerve stimulation. Dalimchae Clinic solves the root cause of tinnitus symptoms by restoring the balance of body and mind through autonomic nerve stabilization.

Most abnormal noises such as water flowing or wind in the ears correspond to 'tinnitus'. Tinnitus refers to the phenomenon of feeling sound in the ears or head even when there is no external sound stimulus. Many people think it is simply a problem with the ears, but in fact, it is often a signal informing the imbalance of the brain and systemic health as well as the ears. In particular, for modern people who suffer from stress and overwork, tinnitus is deeply related to the disruption of the autonomic nervous system. Excessive stress activates the sympathetic nervous system of our body, making the brain hypersensitive, and the auditory system perceives even unnecessary internal signals as sound. For this reason, tinnitus often appears along with various symptoms such as headache, dizziness, insomnia, and anxiety.

In Oriental medicine, tinnitus is interpreted not simply as a sound from the ears, but as an overall imbalance of our body, especially the brain and autonomic nervous system. In particular, chronic tinnitus is closely related to the instability of the autonomic nervous system caused by stress and overwork, that is, the state of sympathetic nervous system over-activation and parasympathetic nervous system decrease.

In a study titled 「Autonomic conditions in tinnitus and implications for Korean medicine」 published in 『Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine』 in 2013 by a research team at Kyung Hee University Korean Medicine Hospital (Eun-jung Choi et al.), the state of the autonomic nervous system of tinnitus patients was objectively analyzed. As a result of comparing heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in a total of 40 tinnitus patients (19 acute, 21 chronic) and 40 healthy controls, it was confirmed that high frequency (HF) components and total power (TP) significantly decreased and the low frequency-high frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio) significantly increased in the tinnitus patient group (p < 0.05). This suggests that tinnitus patients are experiencing parasympathetic activity decrease and sympathetic over-activation, that is, autonomic imbalance. The researchers concluded that these results provide evidence that Korean medicine treatments such as acupuncture or qigong practice can help improve tinnitus symptoms by regulating cardiac autonomic function.

Based on these data, Dalimchae Clinic in Incheon takes autonomic stabilization treatment as a core principle for tinnitus patients who complain of sensory discomfort such as water flowing in their ears. Beyond simply suppressing the sound, it is to help our body return to a comfortable and stable state by restoring the balance of the autonomic nervous system and reducing the brain's hypersensitive reaction.

Dalimchae Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment is a specialized approach for brain and autonomic nervous system diseases. Modern people easily lose the balance of the autonomic nervous system due to chronic stress and overwork. When the balance of the autonomic nervous system is broken, the brain cannot rest and continues to operate like an overheated engine. Our body's autonomic nervous system is like a circuit breaker switch of a building called the brain. If this switch is unstable, the electricity in the building becomes unstable, and if the autonomic nervous system is unstable, the function of the brain also becomes unstable, resulting in symptoms such as tinnitus, dizziness, and headache.

At Dalimchae Clinic, we focus on lowering the excessive heat of the nervous system and creating an environment where the brain can fully rest. In Oriental medicine, this is called Suseunghwagang (水昇火降). It helps to improve tinnitus symptoms naturally by restoring the balance of the autonomic nervous system through the circulation of the body that makes the head cool and the lower abdomen warm. Through acupuncture treatment, herbal medicine treatment, and pharmacopuncture treatment, we stabilize the over-activated sympathetic nervous system and strengthen the function of the lowered parasympathetic nervous system to relieve brain fatigue and lower the hypersensitivity of the auditory system. These treatments are effective in alleviating not only tinnitus but also symptoms such as sleep disorders, anxiety, and nervousness that accompany tinnitus.

If 3 or more of the following items apply, you should suspect tinnitus caused by autonomic imbalance and receive professional consultation at an Incheon tinnitus clinic such as Dalimchae Clinic Incheon.

• The sound of water flowing, wind, or beeping is heard louder in a quiet place.
• Tinnitus becomes more severe when stressed or tired.
• It is difficult to fall asleep or wake up frequently due to tinnitus.
• It is difficult to concentrate and the nerves become sensitive due to the sound from the ears.
• Symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and neck and shoulder stiffness appear along with tinnitus.
• You easily feel anxious or nervous, and your heart often flutters.
• Digestion is not good, or defecation problems such as constipation and diarrhea frequently occur.
• You are often tired and lethargic without a special reason.

Diagnosis results:

• 3 or more: Suspected autonomic imbalance-type tinnitus -> Please review Dalimchae's combined treatment.
• 5 or more: It is recommended to start precise diagnosis and treatment through an immediate visit.

Many people suffer in silence until the symptoms worsen because of the misconception that "tinnitus is just something you have to live with." However, tinnitus should never be left alone until it becomes chronic. The longer the tinnitus symptoms last, the more the brain becomes accustomed to abnormal auditory signals, and the treatment period can become longer. In particular, tinnitus can lead to other neuropsychiatric problems such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders by giving continuous stimulation to the autonomic nervous system, so active treatment in the early stages is important.

Dalimchae Clinic, an Incheon autonomic nervous system clinic, solves the root cause of tinnitus through customized treatment for each individual's constitution and symptoms, and helps to regain a healthy daily life by restoring the balance of the entire body. Now, do not suffer alone from the sound of water flowing in your ears anymore.

Q. Can tinnitus with water flowing sounds in the ears heal naturally?

A. Some acute tinnitus improves naturally, but most chronic tinnitus does not disappear on its own. In particular, tinnitus related to autonomic imbalance can worsen or become chronic if neglected, so early treatment is important.

Q. How long does tinnitus treatment take?

A. The duration of tinnitus treatment varies depending on the timing of symptom occurrence, severity, accompanying symptoms, and constitution of the individual. In general, if you combine steady treatment and lifestyle improvement, you can expect symptom improvement over several weeks to several months. Dalimchae Clinic Incheon helps effective recovery by establishing a customized treatment plan.

Q. I have tinnitus and dizziness together, can they be treated together?

A. Yes, both tinnitus and dizziness are often closely related to the imbalance of the brain and autonomic nervous system. Dalimchae Clinic's autonomic stabilization treatment aims at integrated improvement by treating the root cause of both symptoms together.

Q. Is Oriental medicine treatment really effective for tinnitus?

A. Yes, Oriental medicine treatment is known to be effective in alleviating tinnitus symptoms and improving accompanying symptoms. In particular, acupuncture treatment can help regulate autonomic function and calm the over-activation of the brain, and herbal medicine treatment prevents the recurrence of tinnitus by restoring systemic balance.

Tinnitus, such as the sound of water flowing in the ears, is not a problem that can be solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals from your body that have been sent for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring your symptoms as they are. We will find the cause together at Dalimchae Clinic.

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This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions actually received in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Dalimchae Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Yang Yuchan (Tinnitus Column)