“Do you hear what I hear? Said the night wind to the little lamb…” (Christmas song by Noël Regney)
(image courtesy of Filomena Scalise)
Have you ever noticed how our hearing becomes more acute in the stillness of a winter night? Every sound then seems magnified to our ears – or does it?
Winter is the season when disorders related to the ears can be more prevalent. According to TCM each organ is is in charge of an orifice to the body; the ear is considered to be the opening to the kidneys which are more vulnerable to the cold weath
er. Perhaps no coincidence that the shape of the kidneys and the ears is similar! Kidney qi deficiency can result in diminished hearing, deafness and tinnitus. Tinnitus symptoms involve hearing sound when no sound exists. Common sounds can be a ringing, buzzing, roaring,or hissing. These sounds can vary in intensity, how often they occur, and may be heard in either or both ears. Hearing sounds that shouldn’t be there are considered to be an indication of an energy problem in the kidneys. Just like the sound of a smoke detector warns us of smoke or a fire, our ears make sounds to warn us of low qi in our kidneys. We are being told that our energy is running low and needs to be topped up. Kidney energy powers our body and when it is low for a long time, the other organs begin to suffer. If musicians have a problem with tinnitus it may be thought that this is a result of constant exposure to loud noise. However, in TCM it would be recognized more as a problem caused by working late nights, when our body is not meant to be active and should be naturally at rest. More energy is expended after midnight than during the day, and this is seen to deplete our kidneys of vital qi. The best treatment for tinnitus is, therefore, a change in lifestyle, paying more attention to keeping in harmony with nature: learn to rest and relax, mentally, emotionally and physically. Acupuncture treatments are also very beneficial not only as an aid to relaxation but, more importantly, to help bring back balance to the kidneys.
So this winter let me know if you are hearing ringing other than the bells of Christmas!
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