The Many Faces of Tinnitus

Sensory Organs

The Many Faces of Tinnitus

Inspiration from the Naturopathic Practice

Hardly any other symptom is as feared and ambivalent as tinnitus. Those affected know what major restrictions on quality of life can be associated with this. Many of them have a veritable odyssey of examinations and treatment attempts of various procedures behind them in order to at least experience relief. Therapeutically, it should be said that there is no one method that is promising for tinnitus.

Rather, it takes a precise analysis of the living conditions of the other person, a lot of patience and the willingness to take unusual paths to take away the horror of tinnitus. I would therefore like to take you on a holistic journey with a wide variety of considerations and treatment approaches.

A Dreaded Phenomenon

Tinnitus aurium is a ringing in the ears that occurs in the patient himself, but does not have to have an objective external cause. The type of noise can be very strongly differentiated into hissing, ringing, beeping, buzzing, rattling, whirring, screeching and humming, whereby rhythm, intensity and volume can be constant or increasing and decreasing.

Often, the ringing in the ears itself does not pose a danger to those affected, but in the long run it can become an enormous mental and emotional burden.

A rough distinction can be made between subjective and objective tinnitus. In subjective tinnitus, only the patients themselves perceive the sounds, in the objective form these can also be recorded by special examinations. In terms of duration, acute tinnitus can be distinguished from chronic tinnitus. As well a distinction can be made between tinnitus with and without hearing impairment.

Biesinger et al. (2005) have created a four-degree scale with regard to the severity of tinnitus ^[1]:

• Grade I: Here the ringing in the ears can still be well compensated. There is no suffering.
• Grade II: In phases of silence, tinnitus becomes more noticeable and increases with stress.
• Grade III: Professional and private life are restricted by the ringing in the ears. Consequences on the physical, mental and spiritual level become apparent.
• Grade IV: Tinnitus completely affects life, those affected are unable to work and suffer greatly from anxiety disorders or depression.

Causes

Depending on whether it concerns subjective or objective tinnitus, the causes can be very different.

In the case of objective tinnitus, which is less common, these can include:

• Anemias
• Heart valve diseases
• a benign tumor of the carotid artery
• an open Eustachian tube
• Involuntary muscle twitching in the middle ear or palate

Subjective tinnitus, which occurs much more frequently, can be triggered by, for example:

• Deafness
• Earwax or foreign objects in the ear
• Noise and bang trauma
• Sudden hearing loss
• Benign tumor of the auditory or vestibular nerve
• Tear/hole in the eardrum
• Changed pressure conditions in the ear
• Arteriosclerosis
• Metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or kidney dysfunction
• Central nervous system disorders such as MS
• Functional disorders of the cervical spine
• Dental and jaw problems
• emotional stress

Conventional Medical Measures

As described above, the search for the cause can be very lengthy and an intensive time of uncertainty for patients in the event of existing complaints. If a physical trigger can be clearly assigned, its elimination is of course in the foreground. In general, the German Professional Association of Ear, Nose and Throat Physicians especially recommends the following treatment options for chronic tinnitus ^[2]:

Education and Advice
Especially in the case of chronic forms, care must be taken to maintain the quality of life. Compensation strategies, distraction options and measures for tinnitus habituation are discussed and trained on the basis of tinnitus coping therapy (TBT).

Psychotherapy
Cognitive and behavioral therapeutic approaches as well as analyses of stress and stress factors can have a very significant effect on stress-induced tinnitus.

Relaxation Techniques and Stress Management
In addition to the classic methods such as autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson, breathing techniques or Qigong can also be used.

Hearing Aids and Training
If there is tinnitus with hearing impairment, it must be adjusted to a hearing aid. Hearing therapy is intended to support the auditory perception of inhibitory parts.

But what support options can naturopathy offer in addition?

“Since psychosocial causes should not be ruled out in the case of tinnitus in the absence of physical explanations, hypnotherapy is also a good option in addition to classic psychotherapy.”

Approaches to Hypnotherapy

Since psychosocial causes should not be ruled out in the case of tinnitus in the absence of physical explanations, hypnotherapy is also a good option in addition to classic psychotherapy. This does not represent a replacement, but rather a complement and strongly advocates interdisciplinary cooperation with other disciplines. It is important, in the event conventional medical therapies are already being used, that possible hypnosis procedures are discussed.

In the hypnotherapy I practice according to Gabriel Palacios, I work in a resource-oriented way, with the words and formulations of the patients and do not insist on working on the past if they do not want to. Following are some possible tools from hypnosis.

Associative Hypnosis
One technique that can literally be very vivid in tinnitus is associative hypnotherapy. Here, the patient is guided in the hypnotic trance to imagine tinnitus as a shape, object or form. He then changes these and thus again takes over the “power” of the symptom. This can take the form of installing a volume control that the patient can turn, or horns/hooting that you deflate.
This procedure can then be further trained at home as part of a written down self-hypnosis

Tinnitus and Affect
From the viewpoint of hypnotherapy, tinnitus can certainly have its origin in the subconscious. Behind this may be a deeper symptom that arises as a result of a wide variety of moments with the same stressful feeling. In the case of the tool of the so-called affect bridge, hypnosis follows the affect described by the patient into a moment when it occurred for the first time. By affect we mean a physical sensation such as tightness, pressure or pain in the neck, chest or abdominal area, which is associated with a so-called secondary symptom, in our case tinnitus, and a negative emotion. Whether this is a possible co-trigger for tinnitus can be looked at together.
Consent to work with the past must be given explicitly and a body’s own resource, aligned with the positive feeling of desire, must be sought out in advance. If the affect is changed in the found, past situation, it can also be less and less of a burden in present and future moments.

Post-Hypnotic Suggestions
In the preliminary talk, the exact wording of the client with regard to desired feelings and ideas is noted. On the basis of this, he can then also develop so-called (auto-)suggestions (formulaic sentences), which are repeatedly incorporated in the context of later hypnosis and combined with supporting ideas. This conscious use of the client’s words brings identification. In any case, the sentences should be formulated positively, credibly and crisply.

Perspective of TCM

The understanding of the connections between health and illness in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) differs very significantly from our Western considerations. In the spirit of holism, we therefore also want to incorporate stimulus from TCM with regard to tinnitus.

From the point of view of TCM, chronic tinnitus in particular can be triggered by phenomena such as the blazing liver fire or a lack of kidney life essence (Jing). The ear and related complaints are connected to the functional circuit kidney/bladder. A distinction is made between acute, loud ringing in the ears as part of a state of fullness and slow-onset, weak noises as signs of a state of emptiness. Following you will find various approaches from TCM for working with tinnitus:

Acupressure
In addition to performing acupuncture, it is advisable to strengthen the patients’ self-efficacy. This can be made possible by acupressure. Wu and Lauer (2014) describe the point GB-20 “wind pond”, which lies four fingers’ width behind the earlobe in the hollow behind the bone^[3]. On both sides, the point should be pressed for one minute.
Hillebrecht (2024) mentions, among other things, the points SI-2, which lies on the outside of the little finger at the end of the flexor crease and can be stroked (in case of emptiness, stroke towards the middle of the body and in case of fullness towards the end of the finger) and SI-18 at the lower edge of the zygomatic bone, perpendicular to the outer corner of the eye, which is gently kneaded^[4].

Remedies
The use of TCM remedies in particular should not be done on your own, but only after consultation with experts. For tinnitus, black sesame in the form of pills, powder or paste is a good choice. In addition, chrysanthemum is also recommended as a decoction, tea, juice or paste. With all herbs, allergic reactions may have to be considered.

External Use
Here, TCM recommends, among other things, clove oil, of which three drops of the warmed oil can be given into the affected ear. To do this, boil five whole cloves with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. Then let the oil cool.

Qigong
Depending on the type of constitution, gentle and flowing movement patterns, such as those found in Qigong, can not only bring inner peace, but also direct the focus away from the ringing in the ears. Wu and Lauer (2014) recommend the following exercise^[3]:

Exercise: “Buddhist wind blows into the ears”
Here you stand upright in a shoulder-width stance, the arms are bent and the hands are in front of the stomach, with the palms of the hands at a distance of about 30 cm from each other and the fingers pointing forward. They now bring their hands up to their ears at an angle, as if the head were the tip of a triangle. Imagine transporting the air into your ears. At the end, bring your hands back to the starting position. Repeat this a few times.

Naturopathic Considerations

Naturopathy includes the various sources of tinnitus, which means that the different approaches can vary greatly. In addition to oxygen therapy, however, ear candles, herbs, recommendations of Hildegard von Bingen and various homeopathic remedies can also be used.

“In phytotherapy, preparations are mainly used that improve blood circulation in general and the flow properties of the blood.”

Herbs and Vital Substances
In phytotherapy, preparations are mainly used that improve blood circulation in general and the flow properties of the blood. Mistletoe, garlic onion and wild garlic, among others, are suitable. To increase cerebral blood flow, an extract of ginkgo leaves can be used.
To relax the nervous system in tinnitus, also supply the intake of magnesium (in high doses).

Ear Candles
The candles, which are about 20 to 30 centimeters long and made of beeswax, essential oils, gauze and powdered plant parts as well as cotton, are inserted into the ear while the patient lies on his side. Safety is the top priority here: The auricle should be as free and clean as possible and burns must also be ruled out, which is why the burning must be closely observed. Ear candles should only be used by trained people and never alone. Due to the special composition and the change in pressure in the ear, support for tinnitus should also be possible.

Hildegard von Bingen
For tinnitus and ringing in the ears, Hildegard von Bingen recommends, for example, a creeping vine compress. Here, the herb is placed in warm water and boiled. The herb is skimmed off and wrapped in a cloth. Primarily, a compress tied around the ears frees you from pressure.
In the case of tinnitus due to circulatory disorders, Hildegard von Bingen advises Greek clover mixed powder, of which two to three “knife-tips” [pinches] should be eaten three times a day on a piece of bread before and after a meal.
For nervous causes, Hildegard von Bingen swears by her nutmeg and cinnamon biscuits, which are not intended as a snack, but rather as medicine. Three to five biscuits can be consumed daily, and in acute cases two biscuits per hour. Most of the remedies and powders are available ready-made in [German] stores today.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy requires a detailed social, family, environmental and life situation anamnesis and therefore requires a deep examination of the client’s stories. Wiesenauer (2024) advises differentiating the ringing in the ears based on their characteristics and occurrence and asking for additional factors (Table 1)^[5].

Other Procedures

Even various procedures, which may seem unusual at first glance, can help to bring tinnitus into change in a gentle way in the sense of holism. I would like to discuss three such approaches:

Energy Work
No matter which energy method you prefer, you can do a lot of good for your head, skull bones and ears, release excess tension and thus stimulate healing powers that are otherwise more difficult to activate. In Jin Shin Jyutsu (Japanese Healing Flow), they offer the so-called Security Energy Lock 4 (at the base of the skull), which can be held for a few minutes.
However, craniosacral therapy also uses techniques that not only harmonize the movements of the skull bones, but also involve the ears. Worth mentioning, for example, is the “ear-pull-grip”, which can also be very comforting for tinnitus. By gently working on the back of the head, neck and along the sacrum, the craniosacral rhythm can be brought back into balance and blockages that promote ringing in the ears can be released more easily.

Sounds
As paradoxical as it may sound, sounds and vibrations can also have a very beneficial effect on tinnitus patients. In addition to the use of singing bowls, especially on the back and neck, I have personally had good experiences with tuning forks. These can be placed on the acupressure points mentioned above, among other things, but also carefully on the base of the skull or on the trapezius muscle. Very exciting experiences can also be gained with so-called “binaural beats”. Here, patients can use headphones, although the sounds on both sides differ very slightly. In this way, the brain is supposed to be confused, relaxation is promoted and noise regulation is also changed.

Bioresonance
Depending on the device and the mode of operation of the corresponding bioresonance method, the symptom “tinnitus” and possible associated factors can be addressed in a subtle way. For example, it can be asked whether there are conditions on a physical, mental and spiritual level that promote ringing in the ears. If there is confirmation, you can go deeper and remove a wide variety of burdens, tensions, possible associated subconscious issues and emotions as well as stressors. Working with bioresonance methods may sometimes resemble a detective game, similar to homeopathy, but it also brings very exciting findings to light.

Result

Tinnitus often seems unpredictable and, like a chameleon, almost intangible, which can make effective therapeutic steps all the more difficult. Although even the best intentions of the therapist cannot guarantee healing, an approach on different levels using naturopathy, TCM, hypnosis and order therapy can bring the necessary pieces of the puzzle to sustainably mitigate the spectre of “tinnitus”. As with all complementary procedures, their own initiative must be made clear to patients: the more they get involved, the more they can achieve.

Philipp Feichtinger

 Keywords: Hypnosis, Sensory Organs, Phytotherapy, Tinnitus, Traditional Medicine

An Exclusive Translated Article for P2P Supporters
From the Monthly Publications of P2P
Published September 2025

From an article in CO’med, Volume 31, April 2025
Translation & redaction by: Carolyn L. Winsor, P2P Consulting
© Copyright 2025, CO‘med, Philipp Feichtiner, Germany
AI Digital and online translation assistance utilized.

Literature

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3. Wu L, Lauer N. Praxishandbuch Energiemedizin. München: Gräfe & Unzer, 2015. S. 177.
4. Hillebrecht M. Akupressur. Das große Praxisbuch. Stuttgart: Trias, 2024. S. 64.
5. Wiesenauer M. Quickfinder Homöopathie. Mün­chen: Gräfe und Unzer, 2024. S. 35.
6. barmer.de/gesundheit-verstehen/koerper/ohren/binaurale-beats-das-steckt-hinter-dem-phaenomen-1134034
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