Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the

only weapon against the ringing
It was only in desperation that Peter Pophamopted to try an alternative remedy, and to his
astonishment,
its the only thing that has ever worked

Peter Popham
| @peterpopham
| Sunday 20 March 2016 12:19 GMT | 60 comments

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

In search of balance: Independent writer Peter Popham has been plagued by tinnitus for many years. David Sandison

I have tinnitus. I have had it for 14 years. When my

ears started ringing, I ran around to various doctors
seeking a cure, until one of them took pity on me and explained that there was no cure. I
would have to
get used to it.

In the intervening years, medical science has made no appreciable progress with tinnitus. When I
mentioned the problem to my GP some time ago she confessed that it was little understood and was still
effectively incurable.

But it is not something one ever really gets used to. Find yourself in a tranquil beauty spot and the
blasted ringing is impossible
to ignore. When friends are telling funny stories, you are guaranteed to
miss the punchline. The tone, pitch and intensity vary. Sometimes it afflicts one ear, sometimes the
other, often both, but it never goes away: from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night its
like being chained to a relentless, one-track moron.

I discovered the Chinese approach to

understanding and dealing with tinnitus by
wandering into Acumedics clinic on Camden

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

High Street in north London last year out of

curiosity. Not expecting that they could offer any
help with a condition that leaves Western
medicine baffled, I didnt mention that I had
tinnitus. The female doctor told me to stick out
my tongue tongue analysis
is a basic diagnostic
tool in this system and after examining it, she
READ MORE
asked, Do you have ringing in your ears?
Tinnitus connected to multiple areas of
the brain, scientists find
In Acumedics shop window, there is a chart
entitled Which Tongue Are You? Illustrated
are 10 different tongue conditions, from a uniform pink to a livid red with numerous little fissures. That
ones mine: YIN DEFICIENCY, reads the
caption. Hot flushes, Sweat at night, Insomnia, Irritable,
Ringing in the ears

A tongue such as mine, to the eye of a Chinese doctor, is stark evidence that within my body and mind,
my yin and yang are out of balance. Thats bad in itself. But in middle age, ones inherited material and
functional energy, known in Chinese as qi, is running down.

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

0:00 / 4:50

New volume rules in London clubs after increased risk of tinnitus

As Acumedics director, Dr Lily Hua Yu, explains: After birth, your diet maintains and replenishes
[qi] and this is
then called acquired qi. An imbalance between your organs
affects the harmony
between blood circulation and qi, and this in turn translates into an imbalance of yin and yang. By
closely inspecting ones tongue and taking ones pulse, they obtain an accurate idea of the state of ones
internal organs. They then proceed to treatment.

I have in front of me a paper bag full of dried herbs, which

include goji berries, chrysanthemum
flowers, turmeric, little cubes of white stuff, he haun pi, known in English as bark of the tree of
happiness, slices of beige-coloured fungus and some nine others. After examination of tongue and
pulse and a lengthy face-to-face consultation, Dr Lily writes the names of all these herbs out in Chinese
characters on a prescription pad; downstairs two women divide the result up into daily doses.

You soak the days dose in water for an hour, then simmer it for 30 minutes. The smell when its
cooking is nose-wrinkling, astringent, complex. Youre left with a treacly black mugful, slightly sweet,
mostly sour, and drink it hot.

Health news in pictures

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

19
show all

I had no good reason to suppose it would have any effect, and for two or three weeks the ringing
continued as normal. But then, as
I continued to slurp my daily potion, I realised with surprise that
things had begun to improve. I woke in the morning resigned to the usual
relentless racket and it was
different: first it lost its ringing quality, so all that remained was a sustained shushing; then the
shushing
itself reduced, to the extent that sometimes I was able to forget about it for hours at a time. Dr Lily had
explained that the ringing in my ears was caused by an internal imbalance, which the tea she prescribed
was intended to correct; now, lo and behold, it was taking effect and my baffling condition was getting
appreciably better. Eventually, I would ask myself: am I still suffering from tinnitus? It would take a
conscious check to confirm that, yes, there was still this fuzziness clouding my hearing. But for many
hours and days I would be all but unaware of it.

Then because this medicine is extremely expensive: my months supply comes to 112, and they
charge the same again for the consultation I stopped for a couple of months. And
it soon became clear
that the tinnitus had not been cured, it had merely abated. The level of white noise rose once again.

I returned to Acumedic and it was spelled out that there was

no point in resuming the treatment if I
continued my modest alcohol habit: the problem was located in my kidneys, and that organ is close to
and (in the Chinese understanding) strongly affected by the liver. So I
climbed on the wagon and within
four days the bullying tedium of insistent white noise had again retreated, as close to a cure as I dare to
hope for. That is the situation as I write.

I shared my experience with John Phillips, an ear, nose and throat surgeon and a member of the
Advisers Committee of the British Tinnitus Association, and he conceded that understanding both of
tinnitus itself and of Chinese medicine has a long way to go. There remains a lot that we dont
understand about science,
medicine, the ear and tinnitus, he wrote in an email reply. At the same
time, there is a lot we dont understand about Chinese medicine. I can say that there is no good
evidence that Chinese cures exist, but I cannot say that Chinese cures dont work, as this is an area
where limited robust research has been performed.

http://www.independent.co.uk/...nnitus-how-an-alternative-remedy-is-the-only-thing-that-has-ever-worked-against-the-ringing-a6942451.html[3/14/2017 6:33:51 PM]

Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

He also raised a concept that no-one who puts any faith in alternative remedies would be wise to
ignore: the placebo effect, which means that Dr Lilys herbs are doing me good precisely because I
hope they will.

READ MORE But it is not certain that I am deluding myself:

I'm convinced my tinnitus was caused by loud witness the
trial by doctors in Germany in which
music. Here's what people a group of tinnitus sufferers treated with Qigong,
New audio treatment could cure tinnitus by a Chinese form of meditation, reported highly
'remodelling' the brain
significant improvement in their condition.
New hope for tinnitus sufferers
Satisfaction with the intervention and
stability of the effects for at least three months
underscore the potential of Qigong in the treatment of tinnitus, reported the Journal of Psychosomatic
Research.

The Chinese explanation for how ones body works is exotic and unfamiliar, but it has been 3,000 years
in the making and is the product of perhaps the worlds most sophisticated civilisation. While the West
deals with each organ in isolation, and prescribes cures which often have destructive side-effects, the
Chinese aspiration is to understand and map body and mind as a totality. As a result, they make
connections that sound zany to Western ears.

Acumedics doctors are careful not to make outrageous claims for their work. At my first consultation,
Dr Lily checked my blood pressure, and when it turned out to be high told me firmly to see my GP
about it. Nor have they ever claimed that they can cure tinnitus. But then, the oriental approach is the
opposite of a silver bullet. In the Far East in pre-modern times, a well-to-do family would retain the
services of a doctor and pay him a monthly stipend but cut off the money if someone in the family
fell ill. The doctors function
was less to cure than to prevent one falling ill in the first place. In
an ideal
world, thats what doctors would be doing still.

Postscript, 24 April 2016

This article on tinnitus and Chinese traditional medicine has been shared more than 2,000 times and
attracted dozens of comments. So one month on, you may be interested to know how the cure has
progressed.

I have no doubt that the Chinese herbs are beneficial: a persistent circulation problem in my left arm

http://www.independent.co.uk/...nnitus-how-an-alternative-remedy-is-the-only-thing-that-has-ever-worked-against-the-ringing-a6942451.html[3/14/2017 6:33:51 PM]

Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

has been cured by this treatment, and my general health is excellent - my immune system unaffected by
the winter and spring viruses of those I share my life with.

But I am not sure now that the herbs alone can banish tinnitus. Six weeks ago, on the advice of Dr Lily,
I gave up alcohol completely to give the treatment the best chance of working, and I remained on the
wagon until yesterday. But for much of that period the ringing in my ears came and went with a will of
its own. At the end of the period I was just as baffled by the condition as I had been at the start.

Of course, this little test has been far too brief to be conclusive either way. John Phillips, the ear, nose
and throat surgeon I
quoted in my piece, commented I cannot say that Chinese cures dont work as
this is an area where limited robust research has been performed. Given the thousands of years that the
Chinese have been refining their techniques, this evidence of occidental indifference seems to me
scandalous. Robust research by reputable western bodies is long overdue.

More about:
| tinnitus | Health | hearing | Alternative Medicine

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samantharing 39 days ago

It
is definitely not easy to get rid of it LOTS of trial and error. The thing
that finally worked for me is an herbal supplement called Tinniticil I would
definitely recommend it to anyone with tinnitus it really works!!! Maybe
it's some of the same stuff Peter tried!!!
Reply Share 0 likes

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

Socair 91 days ago

On
careful consideration it is scandalous that more has not been done to
explore Chinese medical techniques, herbs massage etc..

But
on reflection it should come as no surprise well know herbal remedies
used in this country for decades even centuries are not allowed to be sold
as such.

Any herbs, oils, etc that you can purchase from mainly from herbalists and
healthfood shops and of course a few other outlets including dispensing
chemists may not have printed on the bottle packet or be included as an
advice slip any information about what they might be used for.

Why not you may well ask... I'm led to believe that the big pharmceutical
companies lobbied (whatever that really means) our MPs to pass laws to
protect their profits. After all we can't have members of the public getting
hold of low or no cost remedies, hat would be disgraceful no profits for
the pharmas less tax revenue for the government no work for the lobbyist
and no whatever it is that lobbyist use to persuade MPs.

Of course I may have been mislead and

perhaps the laws exist for some
other reasons. make your own mind
and by all means ask your MP about
it.
Reply Share 0 likes

lala123 242 days ago

Is
tinnitus affecting your ability to concentrate, sleep, or enjoy daily life?
Discover how you can eliminate those symptoms naturally. Go To
www.tinnitusterminator.com
Reply Share 0 likes

johnpeterson752 308 days ago

I
do not think home remedies will help with such serious problem as
tinnitus. I have this problem since I was 26 years old. The best way to treat
tinnitus is Zen Therapy. Find more information about this treatment you
can do here http://www.audiologyisland.com/zen-therapy. Hope this info
will be useful because noise in your head can make you crazy...
Reply Share 0 likes

Eric_Larson 329 days ago

As
other have said Tinnitus is not easy to cure. My brother struggled with

http://www.independent.co.uk/...nnitus-how-an-alternative-remedy-is-the-only-thing-that-has-ever-worked-against-the-ringing-a6942451.html[3/14/2017 6:33:51 PM]

Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

it for years. What worked for him was a combination of methods and
involving meditation. By training your mind and doing some sound
treatments you can eventually overcome it.

He used the research and articles from this placehttps://www.mental-

waves-for-happiness.com/ give it a try.
Reply Share 0 likes

NaturalMedicineWorks 356 days ago

Tinnitus
is not easy to cure. There are many causes. However, Chinese
medicine has been used for thousands of years and uses a holistic diagnosis
that might sound crazy to modern ears, but it works. A yin deficiency
correlates to an estrogen deficiency. His hormones are out of balance.
This affects your entire body in many
ways. He should have continued on
the herbs. It would take several months to address this problem. If you
just take it for a month, you are not completely well.

Many people have been completely brainwashed by the drug companies.

Herbal remedies
have been used for thousands of years as medicine. A
medicine that does no harm. The price he paid for the herbs was also
cheap,
in comparison to the amount that would have to be paid for a drug,
if there were one. The herbs treat the underlying cause, not just the
symptoms, like drugs do.

I have to say, I am surprised that so many here are so incredulous about

Chinese medicine.
Reply Share 0 likes

gdxahd 357 days ago

Quite
funny how the "placebo effect" is always dismissed. Yet it has a
considerable effect for many people. There is also the "nocebo effect", that
if you believe something is harmful - it is. So if you remove the nocebo
effect and replace it with a placebo effect that is double the value. In my
own personal view all that the placebo/nocebo does is to make your
unconscious examine the processes that are causing the issue and regulate
them to be more beneficial. As a therapist I do #BrainBargaining, I simply
talk to the clients unconscious to correct a "program" that is not working
properly. Evidence is it can turn off permanently things like hay fever, hot
flushes, old aches and pain, anxiety, depression, etc. purely because it is
over-reacting to the issue and causing more problems than it avoids. Most
of the placebo effect comes from the way the practitioner deals with the
client and the
ongoing way the client feels because of it!

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

Reply Share +1 likes

DB 357 days ago

My
very loud tinnitus stopped completely only when I disconnected my
WIFI.
Chinese medicine is excellent, though I have never tried using it for
tinnitus.
Reply Share -1 likes

Tribeless 358 days ago

Prevention has always been preferable to cure.

Reply Share 0 likes

cjk 358 days ago

Based on my experience, I believe it was the placebo effect that worked for
him.

I
had tinnitus for a few months months in 2010. In my research I came
across the web-site of a specialist who said that tinnitus was the brain
paying attention to background noise that is always present in the ear,
and
that to get rid of it you had to stop having an emotional reaction to it, and
not think about it. By ceasing having an emotional reaction and not
allowing your conscious mind to focus on it, you retrain the low
level
filters in the part of the brain closest to the ear to once again
filter out this
irrelevant information. (Incidentally, I believe I got it as a consequence of
listening out for non-existent hum on a new plasma tv, after reading online
that this was a potential fault with the
model. I think by listening carefully
for a non-existent hum, I inadvertently trained my brain to listen to inner
ear noise it had previously filtered out.)

I suspect that if you believe a fake medicine might be working, this might
lower your focus on
tinnitus sufficiently to set up a virtuous cycle where
the less you worry, the less you hear it.
Reply Share 1 reply +1 likes

walktheotherway 358 days ago

Just get a life

Reply Share -2 likes

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Tinnitus: How an alternative remedy became the only weapon against the ringing | The Independent

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