TINNITUS AND AYURVEDA

In absence of external sound there is continueous perception of  unnatural sound like hissing, whistling,buzzing,ringing,swishing,chirping  in one or both ears or in the head is called as tinnitus.

In Ayurveda it is called as “Karnanaad”. Karna means ear and Naad means sound.generally this condition remains for short period of time but some time it remains persistent.If it persist for longer then it hampered day to day activity of a person.

Tinnitus Causes

The exact cause still not known

Exposure to loud noises

Wax build-up in the ear canal

sinus infections –

Any Infection of Ear Cannal

4· Jaw misalignment –

5· Cardiovascular disease –

Like Hypertention,ventricular hypertrophy leads to symptoms of tinnitus

6· Tumour of brain,vestibule,auditory cannal

Excess use of headphones

Trauma to the ear,head or neck

Some medications like .- aspirin, quinine and some antibiotics.

Ayurvedic Perception

According to Ayurveda it is caused by pran vayu  disturbance.

Causes of Tinnitus

lack of adequate sleep,

 Worries and stress,

excess fasting,

 excess exercise,

 sudden shock/grief/fear,

 excess intake of  bitter medicines/vegetables etc

 excess indulgence in sex

Excess cold water head bath

Improper Nasya therapy

Panduroga

Pathogenesis-

Accordind to Sushruta ,when vitiated vayu goes in to body parts through circulation ,it get located in sound carrying channels,which leads to improper or faulty perception of sound, that time  patient perceives various types of sound;this disease is known as pranada or Karnanada(ringing in the ears).
According to Ayurveda vata dosha is responsible for all  body activities  like circulation, digestive ,sensory movement etc. Due to vataprakopak ahar-vihar, vata gets vitiated which cause  disturbance in all the body functions of movements. This leads to pressure in the head , nervous system, dryness in the senses, tinnitus, loss of sleep, dry scalp, dry skin , tendency of unstability, anxiousness, nervousness etc.

Complications: 
Karnabadhirya- hearing loss

 hyperacusis

Depression,  

Panchakarma for Tinnitus

Nasya: Administration of oil through nasal canal is called as Nasya.

Nasya of Vacha tail  (Acorus calamus) helps in calming and balancing of the Prana vayu.

While nasya of bala tail or kseerbala tail provide strength to the nerves of ear and brain

Abhyanga :(Massage) Shiroabhyanga(head massage) and padabhyanga(Foot massage), wherein the soles of the feet are massaged with warm sesame oil, has a specific effect in calming the prana vayu. At bedtime, warm sesame oil should be applied to the soles of the feet and also to the scalp. This treatment rapidly normalizes the prana vayu.

Karnapooran:-Administration of oil through ear canal. For balancing the vata dosha,10 drops of til tail administration in ear canal is nessasary The oil is allowed to remain in the first ear for five or ten minutes, then that ear is cleaned, and the same procedure is followed with the other ear, with the patient lying on the other side. Oils used for this purpose are .Bilwadi tail,Apamargkshar tail,Dashmool tail

Kawala & Gandush:Gargling of medicated oils or certain liquids/Kwath is Kawala.It strengthens the nerves of eyes and ears .

It pacifies aggravated vata.

Gandush is Withholding medicated oils or certain liquids in the mouth for a certain period of time

Ayurvedic Herbs

Ashwagandha Ghana,Ashwagandharistham

Jatamansi ghan

Dashmool ghan,

Sarivadi Vati

Yograj guggul

Bruhat vata chintamani rasa

Suvarnayukta Brahmi vati

Saraswatarishtam

Drinking a cup of fenugreek seed tea each morning, noon, and night is reported to abolish disturbing ear noises.

To alleviate this root cause-aggravation of vata in the nervous system-prepare a tea made from equal amounts of comfrey, cinnamon, and chamomile. Steep up to 1 teaspoon of this mixture per cup, and drink 2 or 3 times a day.

Lifestyle Changes for Tinnitus management

– Use hair oil daily

– Use oil massage using Sesame oil or Mahanarayan Tailam for about 20 minutes to whole body and take hot water bath thereafter. The massage and bath just before bedtime will aid the sleep also.Oil massage calms down the Vata. Skin is an important seat of Vata, since it is widely distributed over the body.

– Observe silence for a few days and note the change in ringing.

– Tinnitus appears to have some connection with the number of hours one spends daily in front of computer monitor. The radiation emitted by monitor is hitting the user all the time. A number of cases having auditory or vision nerve problems are coming to light.

– Do not travel or walk in an extreme cold climate. Do not take bath frequently.

– Do not stop natural urges when body wants to eliminate the wastes.

– To increase blood circulation, rub by a mud soap at bath time also gives the effect of massage. In addition, it cleanses the blood to some extent.

– In addition, there are certain breathing techniques invented by Guru Padmasambhava two thousand years ago, which have to be learnt in presence of Guru. These are known to help in most of vatic ailments affecting the body.

– Peace of mind and Vata vitiation are inversely proportional. In fact Vata dosha unbalance causes a vascillation and constantly thinking mind. Hence, in case of all Vata disorders meditation appears to help.

– excess television watching, excess use of computers, or sleeping near an electrical outlet should be avoided.

– Moderation in sensory activities.especially ear sense -avoid too much exposure to loud noises, music, speakers, and professional activities which involve high frequency sounds.

Lifestyle adjustments are thus an essential part of the effective treatment of tinnitus.