Hearing+Loss

Phytotherapeutic Recommendations
-Vinca Minor (Periwinkle)

Orthomolecular Treatment
-Vinpocetine

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Definition:
subjective sensation or objective measurement of hearing impairment of varying degrees

Etiology:
varied: diagnosis of hearing loss is generally separated into the categories of conductive (auditory canal or middle ear) vs. sensorineural (8th nerve)

Nutrition:
therapeutic foods: Kidney Yang Xu (Deficiency): • Warming foods, chicken, lamb, scallions, sesame seeds, fish, baked tofu, soybeans, walnuts, eggs, lentils, black beans lotus seed, ginger, a little wine, cinnamon bark tea, foods that tonify the Kidney

avoid: • Cold and Cooling foods, raw foods, fruits

therapeutic foods: » Kidney Yin Xu (Deficiency): • Cooling foods, mulberries, apples, peaches, pears, fresh vegetables, beans, tofu, soy sprouts, chrysanthemum flowers, foods that tonify the Kidney, Heat-clearing foods

avoid: • hot, spicy foods, alcohol

Botanicals
• Bryonia alba (toxic): partial deafness from cold, from scarlet fever with swollen glands (Felter and Lloyd, p. 369) • Eleutherococcus senticosus: (Anderson Geller) • Ginkgo biloba (standardized extract): increases cerebral circulation • Hydrastis canadensis: deafness due to catarrh (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 114) • Hypericum perforatum: helps nerve regenerate (Hoffman) • Pilocarpus jaborandi (toxic): nervous deafness, deafness following scarlet fever and diphtheria (Felter, p. 545) • Sambucus nigra: deafness due to chronic nasal catarrh (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 187) • Strychnos ignatii (toxic): impaired hearing depending on general atonic condition (Felter and Lloyd, p. 1044) • Verbascum thapsus: oil, externally; for progressive idiopathic cases, uncomplicated cases (Ellingwood, p. 450)

see: tinnitus for hearing loss due to noise in the ears

Chinese Formulae
• Er Long Zuo Ci Wan; Scute C.; Rehmannia Six F. (Liu Wei Di Huang Wan); Ren Shen Lu Rong Wan (patent): Kidney Yin Xu (Deficiency): including drug-induced hearing loss. (Er Long Zuo Ci Wan: Yeung, p. 89; Bensky and Barolet, p. 265; Scute C.: Hsu, 1980, p. 271; Rehmannia Six F.: Hsu, 1980, p. 245; Yeung, p. 152; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 172; Bensky and Barolet, p. 263; Ren Shen Lu Rong Wan: Zhu, p. 292) • Rehmannia Eight F. (Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan); Gejie Ta Bu Wan (patent): Kidney Yang Xu (Deficiency) (Rehmannia: Hsu, 1980, p. 250; Yeung, p. 138; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 173; Bensky and Barolet, p. 275; Gejie: Fratkin, p. 215) • Coptis and Rhubarb C. (Xie Xin Tang) (if constipation); Coptis and Scute C. (Huang Lian Jie Du Tang): Stomach Fire Blazing with Heart Fire Blazing: strong constitution, irritability, mouth and throat dry (Coptis and Rhubarb: Hsu, 1980, p. 190; Yeung, p. 265; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 151; Bensky and Barolet, p. 79; Coptis and Scute: Hsu, 1980, p. 175; Yeung, p. 124; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 295; Bensky and Barolet, p. 78) • Morus Fruit Tablets (patent): Xue (Blood) Heat: acute deafness (Dharmananda, 1990, p. 86) • Gentiana C. (Long Dan Xie Gan Wan) (available as patent); Gentiana 12 (patent): Liver and Gall Bladder Invaded by Damp-Heat. (Gentiana C.: Hsu, 1980, p. 181; Yeung, p. 154; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 229; Bensky and Barolet, p. 96; patent: Zhu, p. 172; Gentiana 12: Dharmananda, 1990, p. 69) • Minor Cinnamon and Peony C. (Xiao Jian Zhong Tang): Spleen Qi Xu (Deficiency): children or fatigued patient with GI disorder (Hsu, 1980, p. 291; Yeung, p. 259; Bensky and Barolet, p. 222) • Minor Bupleurum C. (Xiao Chai Hu Tang): Shao Yang channel disorder: Chronic ear infection with purulent exudate (Hsu, 1980, p. 91; Yeung, p. 255; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 133; Bensky and Barolet, p. 136) • Pueraria C. (Ge Gen Tang): from acute otitis (Hsu, 1980, p. 51; Yeung, p. 105; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 125; Bensky and Barolet, p. 51) • Cyperus and Perilla F. (Xiang Su San): Wind-Cold with Liver Qi Stagnation (Hsu, 1980, p. 41; Yeung, p. 254; Bensky and Barolet, p. 41)

Acupuncture
after assessing the person and palpating, consider these patterns: hearing loss: Kidney Yin and/or Yang Xu (Deficiency); Spleen Qi Xu (Deficiency); Xiao Yang channel disorder; Wind-Cold with Liver Qi Stagnation tinnitus and deafness: Kidney Qi and/or Yin Xu (Deficiency), which fails to ascend; Stirring of Liver Wind; Liver and Gall Bladder Fire Blazing Upward, with uprising of Turbid Phlegm; Liver Yang Rising; Liver and Gall Bladder Invaded by Damp-Heat; Stomach Fire Blazing with Heart Fire Blazing

» illustrative combinations: • SI-19, GB-2, TW-17 and TW-7 for deafness (Shanghai, p. 160) • TW-21 and GB-2: open the ear; spread the Qi; benefit hearing (Flaws, 1989, p. 86; Finkelstein, p. 65) • join TW-21 to SI-19 and GB-22, also with TW-17 and TW-3 for deafness (Shanghai, p. 159); • TW-17, GB-20 and TW-3 for tinnitus and deafness; add Lv-2 and St-40 for Liver and Gall Bladder Fire Rising); and/or add UB-23 and Kd-3 for Kidney Qi Xu (Deficiency) (Lee and Cheung, p. 350; Shanghai, p. 688) • GB-2, GB-20, GB-34 and Lv-3 for hearing loss and tinnitus due to Fire rising from the Liver and Gall Bladder (Jirui and Wang, p. 226) • GB-3, St-7, St-2, GV-20, TW-17, TW-21, GB-4, SI-16, LI-5, TW-1, TW-2 and TW-3 (also consider SI-17, SI-19 and GB-2) for deafness and tinnitus (Lee and Cheung, p. 350) • ting xue, yi long, ting cong and yi ming xia for tinnitus or deafness (Shanghai, p. 162) • yi long, er men joined to SI-19 and GB-2 for deaf-mutism (Shanghai, p. 162) • TW-21, su yi cong and other points for deaf-mutism (Shanghai, p. 159) • TW-16 and TW-9 for sudden deafness (Shanghai, p. 235) • LI-1 and PC-9; TW-21, TW-23 and TW-19; Kd-8 and Kd-4 (listed as "Kd-5"); TW-8, TW-9, GB-41 and GB-44; GB-20, UB-62 and UB-63; GB-3 and GB-2; GB-41, PC-9 and Lv-1 for deafness (Mann, 167, p. 140) • GB-2, TW-17, TW-21, SI-19 and GB-20 (-): clear Obstruction from channels and ear Orifices

Homeopathy
• Borax: chronic suppurative otitis media, when antibiotics have not been completely successful; very sensitive to slightest noise • Calendula: deafness < damp surroundings; hearing best riding a train and distant sounds • Causticum: with tinnitus and reverberation of the voice; ringing, roaring, pulsating; words and steps re-echo • China officinalis: elderly, debilitated persons with deafness and much tinnitus • Chininum sulphuricum: roaring or buzzing in ears • Chenopodium: progressive hearing loss, difficulties to hear human voice (esp. low sounds) but very sensitive to noise in the street; often vertigo; "cannon shot" noise • Graphites: hardness of hearing, hearing > in noise, riding in car; hissing in ears • Hydrastis canadensis: deafness; eustachian catarrh, with high-pitched voice • Kali muriaticum: eustachian catarrhal obstruction; chronic catarrhal conditions of the middle ear; snapping and noises in the ear • Lycopodium: with discharge from the ears, eczema of outer ear, humming and roaring with hardness of hearing • Mercurius solubilis: with "glue ear" < warmth of bed • Nitric acid: hearing > noisy surroundings or riding in car or train • Pulsatilla: catarrhal deafness > open air; hearing difficult as if ear was stuffed; decreased acuteness of hearing • Silicea: catarrhal deafness with sinusitis as well; roaring in ears

Subtle Support
• notes: A#, B, C, D#, E, G, G#

• chords: diminished 8th, C Major, D# Major, G# Major (Gimbel, p. 116)

Mind/Body
• Rejection, stubbornness, isolation; don't bother me; what don't you want to hear? (Hay, 1984, p. 162) • Our capacity for hearing is a bodily expression of how obedient and submissive we are. Those who are hard of hearing are people who will not listen, they simply fail to hear what they do not want to hear. It shows a certain egocentricity and lack of submissiveness. (Dethlefsen, p. 153)

• Kidney ~ Shen stores Jing (Essence) and governs birth, growth, reproduction, development, and aging; houses the Zhi (Will); expresses ambition and focus; manifests through the ears, and displays the constitutional endowment from the parents as well as the debilitating effects of aging, overwork, and extreme stress. » Healthy expressions are gentleness, groundedness, and endurance. » Kidney Xu (Deficiency) signs include indecisiveness; confused speech; dreams of trees submerged under water; cold feet and legs; abundant sweating (Seem, p. 28); hearing loss; fearfulness; apathy; discouragement, and scatteredness; lack of will; negativity; impatience; difficult inhalation; chronic fatigue; low sex drive; lumbago; sciatica; and musculoskeletal irritation and inflammation, especially when worse from touch. » Intense or prolonged fear depletes the Kidney. Overwork, parenting, simple aging, and a sedentary or excessively indulgent lifestyle all contribute significantly to Kidney Xu (Deficiency).
 * Chinese psychophysiology:**

• Liver ~ Gan is the residence of the Hun (Ethereal Soul); it relates to decisiveness, control, and the principle of emergence; stores and cleanses the Xue (Blood); maintains smooth flow of Qi and Xue (Blood); reflects emotional harmony and movement; and expresses itself in the nervous system. » Healthy expressions are kindness, spontaneity, and ease of movement. » Liver Shi (Excess) signs include discontent; anger; pain in lumbar region and genitals (Seem, p. 28); muscular tension; excessive sex drive; insomnia; moodiness; excitability; genital diseases; red, tearing eyes; sudden hearing loss; tinnitus; compulsive energy; and bitter taste in the mouth. Chronically suppressed anger can implode and give rise to Fire in the Liver and Gall Bladder with symptoms of irritability, bitter taste, headaches, etc. » Liver Wind derives from Liver Yin Xu (Deficiency) and/or Liver Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency) and their subsequent inability to embrace the Yang, and can manifest as joint stiffness, dizziness, tremor, paralysis, convulsions, rashes, itching, and neurological problems.

• Mental signs of Gall Bladder channel disorders include bitterness, lack of control, irritability, unfaithfulness, lack of courage, timidity, and hypochondria. (Seem, p. 28)

• Mental signs of Triple Warmer channel disorders include emotional upsets caused by breaking of friendships or family relations; depression; suspicion; anxiety; and poor elimination of harmful thoughts. (Seem, p. 28)