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Persistent Ringing in Ears? It's a Warning Signal from Your Brain.

Have you ever suddenly started hearing a 'beep' sound in your ears, and that sound continues without rest, interfering with your sleep and daily life? The ringing in your ears, which you hear more clearly when you are in a quiet space, can be more painful because it is a noise that only you can hear and others cannot. Tinnitus is not just a problem with the ears, but is likely an emergency signal sent by the brain and autonomic nervous system, our body's most sophisticated systems. Constantly ringing noise means overload of the brain, which is an important clue to the imbalance of overall health.

💡 [Key Answer] 3 most common causes of persistent ringing in the ears: ① Autonomic nervous system imbalance / ② Brain fatigue and overactivation / ③ Decreased hearing function (stress, aging, noise exposure, etc.) Dalimchae Oriental Clinic helps the brain recover on its own and become insensitive to noise through autonomic nervous system stabilization treatment.

The cause of tinnitus, where the ringing in the ears continues, is more complex than you might think. Many people think of it as only a problem with the ear itself, but in reality, it is closely related to the brain's overreaction and the imbalance of the autonomic nervous system. Our brain has the ability to create sounds of certain frequencies even without external sound, and when the brain is excessively activated due to stress or overwork, this phenomenon appears as tinnitus. It's like an overheated engine making abnormal noises. When the balance between the brainstem and the autonomic nervous system, which regulate the auditory system, is disrupted, the brain cannot rest and continues to perceive unnecessary sound signals.

Tinnitus and the autonomic nervous system are closely connected. The autonomic nervous system is a system that regulates all unconscious functions of our body, reacting to stress by promoting the sympathetic nervous system and activating the parasympathetic nervous system during rest to achieve balance. However, if this balance is broken due to persistent stress or overwork, the sympathetic nervous system becomes excessively promoted, placing the brain in a state of tension, which can worsen or cause tinnitus symptoms. The brain becomes unable to rest in an overheated state, like a car with a warning light on. The intensity and duration of tinnitus can be seen as reflecting the degree of imbalance in the autonomic nervous system.

A 2017 study published in the journal 『Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine』 investigated the autonomic nervous status of tinnitus patients. This study compared and analyzed heart rate variability (HRV) parameters in 40 tinnitus patients (19 acute, 21 chronic) and 40 healthy controls. As a result, the high-frequency component and total power significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and the ratio of low-frequency to high-frequency significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the tinnitus patient group. This suggests that tinnitus patients are in a state of decreased vagus nerve activity and sympathetic nerve overactivation, and concluded that chronic tinnitus has a stronger effect on the autonomic nervous status than acute tinnitus. These data emphasize the importance of regulating autonomic nervous function in tinnitus treatment and support that Dalimchae Oriental Clinic's autonomic nervous system stabilization treatment can be a core approach to resolving the root cause of tinnitus.

Yes, it is definitely possible. Especially for tinnitus patients for whom it was difficult to find the cause in modern medicine or whose treatment response was minimal, Korean medical treatment can be a new hope. In Korean medicine, tinnitus is viewed not as a simple ear problem, but as the result of various syndromes such as overall imbalance of Qi and Blood, Liver-Kidney Yin deficiency, Phlegm-turbid, and Blood stasis. Among these, the brain's overreaction due to an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system can be explained as 'Heart fire flaming upward' or 'Liver Yang rising' in Korean medicine. Dalimchae Oriental Clinic Songdo Branch focuses on treatments that help correct such imbalanced autonomic nervous systems and stabilize the brain.

A 2014 systematic review and meta-analysis study on acupuncture treatment for tinnitus published in 『European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology』 verified the effect of acupuncture treatment. This study analyzed randomized controlled trials of acupuncture treatment and reported that acupuncture treatment gave subjective benefits to tinnitus patients compared to other control groups (Relative Risk 1.18, 95% CI 1.02-1.37, p=0.03). Although methodological limitations were mentioned, this study suggests that acupuncture treatment can have a positive effect on improving tinnitus symptoms. These research results show that the complex Korean medical treatment of acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine used for tinnitus treatment at Dalimchae Oriental Clinic can bring significant improvement to patients suffering from tinnitus. In particular, acupuncture treatment can be an effective alternative for tinnitus caused by stress or autonomic nervous system imbalance.

Dalimchae Oriental Clinic understands tinnitus as a 'state where the brain cannot rest' and focuses on creating an environment where the brain can stabilize itself by restoring the balance of the autonomic nervous system. If the balance of the autonomic nervous system is broken, the brain cannot rest. It's like the breaker switch keeps going down and the electricity is cut off, or conversely, unnecessary signals are constantly sent due to overload. In Korean medicine, this is sometimes explained as an imbalance of 'Suseunghwagang' (Water ascending and Fire descending). If the phenomenon of heat rising to the head and the lower body becoming cold persists, the nervous system becomes hypersensitive and the brain cannot stabilize.

At our Songdo Tinnitus Clinic, we objectively identify the patient's current autonomic nervous state through an autonomic nervous system test and establish a personalized treatment plan for each individual. Through acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine prescriptions tailored to the individual's constitution and symptoms, we relax the over-promoted sympathetic nervous system and induce parasympathetic activity to lower the brain's excitation level. Creating an environment where the nervous system's heat is lowered and the brain can rest — in Korean medicine, this is called Suseunghwagang — is the core of tinnitus treatment. Also, those who complain of headaches or dizziness together can see improvement in accompanying symptoms through autonomic nervous system stabilization treatment. Many people seeking a Songdo Autonomic Nervous System Clinic are breaking free from the distress of tinnitus through such fundamental treatment.

If 3 or more of the following items apply, there is a high possibility of tinnitus due to autonomic nervous system imbalance.

• 1. The tinnitus sound is louder when you are in a quiet place.
• 2. Tinnitus worsens when stressed or tired.
• 3. It is difficult to fall asleep or you wake up frequently after falling asleep.
• 4. The neck or shoulders are always stiff and uncomfortable.
• 5. You frequently experience headaches or dizziness.
• 6. There are many times when digestion is not good or you feel frustrated.
• 7. Your heart often beats fast or you feel anxious.
• 8. You have become sensitive and irritable, and your concentration has decreased.

Judgement:

• 3~4 items apply: Susppected stage of autonomic tinnitus. Consider lifestyle improvement and complex Korean medical treatment.
• 5 or more items apply: Tinnitus due to autonomic nervous system imbalance is very likely. We recommend an immediate visit for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Q. If there's a beep in my ear, do I have to go to a hospital? A. For tinnitus, active treatment in the early stages of symptom manifestation has a significant impact on the prognosis. Symptoms may appear for a short time and then disappear, but if they persist for more than 2 weeks or interfere with daily life, it is better to visit a specialized medical institution such as a Songdo clinic for accurate cause diagnosis and treatment.

Q. Can tinnitus heal naturally? A. Some acute tinnitus can improve naturally, but if it progresses to chronic, natural recovery is difficult. In particular, tinnitus whose cause is autonomic nervous system imbalance is highly likely to worsen without fundamental treatment.

Q. I have both tinnitus and hearing loss; can they be treated together? A. Many tinnitus patients are accompanied by hearing loss, and hearing loss is often the cause of tinnitus. Dalimchae Oriental Clinic identifies the complex causes of tinnitus and hearing loss and treats them simultaneously, focusing on reducing the hypersensitivity of the auditory system due to hearing loss and stabilizing brain function.

Q. How long does Oriental tinnitus treatment take? A. The treatment period varies depending on the severity of the patient's symptoms, the duration of onset, and the individual's recovery power. Usually, through steady treatment, significant symptom improvement can be expected within weeks to months, and in the case of chronic tinnitus, sufficient time may be needed for brain recovery.

Tinnitus, where the beep in the ear continues, is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach it in the right direction, your body reacts faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are currently experiencing as they are. Dalimchae Oriental Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. Herbal medicine is, after all, Dalimchae Oriental Clinic. Check your similar symptoms first with the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Oriental Clinic website!

This article is health information summarized together by the Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the consultation room. Medical Supervision | Brain/Autonomic Nervous Treatment Standards Dalimchae Oriental Clinic Songdo Branch Oriental Medical Doctor Oh Hyunmin (Tinnitus Column)