Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

Tinnitus and Hearing Loss｜耳鳴與聽力下降

By Jade Health Acupuncture．玉衡針灸

Overview

Tinnitus is a subjective sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, or humming in one or both ears without an external sound source. The sound can vary — from a high-pitched tone to the sound of cicadas or ocean waves. It is often accompanied by some degree of hearing loss, ear fullness, or dizziness.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), tinnitus and hearing loss are mainly related to dysfunctions of the Triple Burner (San Jiao), Gallbladder, Small Intestine, and Kidney meridians. The San Jiao, Gallbladder, and Small Intestine channels surround the ears and are closely connected with the auditory system. When qi and blood circulation are impaired or the Kidney essence becomes deficient, the auditory orifice loses nourishment, leading to tinnitus and hearing impairment. The causes can be internal or external: internal factors often include anger or fear causing Liver and Gallbladder fire to rise upward and block the Shaoyang meridians, or Kidney deficiency failing to nourish the ears; external factors include invasion of wind pathogens obstructing the clear orifices, or sudden loud noises and shocks that damage the auditory structures.

概述

耳鳴（Tinnitus）是患者主觀上聽到耳內有響聲，如鈴聲、蟬鳴、海潮或嗡嗡聲等，實際上並無外界聲源。常伴隨不同程度的聽力下降、耳悶或頭暈。

中醫認為，耳鳴與聽力減退主要與三焦、膽、小腸、腎經脈功能失調有關。三焦、膽、小腸環繞耳部、與聽覺系統密切相連，而且若氣血運行不暢、腎精虧損時，耳內清竅失養，便可出現耳鳴與聽力障礙。本證的發生，可分為內因與外因：內因多由惱怒、驚恐所致，肝膽風火上逆，少陽經氣閉阻，或因腎虛氣弱，精氣不能上達於耳而成；外因則多由風邪侵襲，壅遏清竅，亦有因突然暴響或震動損傷耳竅所引起者。

Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture aims to restore the smooth flow of qi and blood in the ear region, tonify the Kidney, and clear obstructions in the Triple Burner, Gallbladder, and Small Intestine meridians. Points are selected according to the patient’s presentation, such as excess heat, stagnation, or deficiency patterns.

GB2 (Tinghui) – improves local circulation around the ear.
TE21 (Ermen) – clears obstructions in the Triple Burner channel.
SI19 (Tinggong) – commonly used for tinnitus and hearing loss.
KI3 (Taixi) – nourishes Kidney essence and supports auditory function.
DU20 (Baihui) – tonifies yang, raises clear qi, and balances tinnitus caused by deficiency syndromes.

針灸治療

針灸的目的在於疏通耳周氣血、補腎益精、並調暢三焦、膽與小腸經之氣。根據證型不同，選穴略有差異，可兼顧虛實兩端：

聽會 GB2 — 改善耳周循環、緩解耳鳴。
耳門 TE21 — 疏通三焦經氣、清除耳內鬱滯。
聽宮 SI19 — 治療耳鳴與聽力下降的常用要穴。
太谿 KI3 — 補腎益精、滋養耳竅。
百會 DU20 — 升清陽、平衡虛症所致耳鳴。

Clinical Notes

In clinical practice, acupuncture for tinnitus is often combined with auricular points or scalp acupuncture. Many patients notice gradual improvement over several sessions, especially when overall qi and blood balance are restored. It is also important to rule out middle ear infections, perforations, or cerumen impaction in concurrent Western assessment.

臨床提示

臨床上，針灸治療耳鳴常配合耳穴或頭皮針進行。多數患者在多次療程後耳鳴逐漸減輕，這與全身氣血陰陽平衡的恢復密切相關。治療前亦應排除耳部感染、鼓膜穿孔或耳垢阻塞等西醫常見病因。

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