Tinnitus treatment with acupuncture in Vienna

Living with tinnitus can be exhausting. Constant ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ears may affect concentration, sleep and quality of life. Many patients come to my practice looking for additional treatment options when tinnitus continues despite conventional therapies. 

Understanding Tinnitus: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment Options and the Role of Acupuncture

Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source. People often describe it as ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing or whistling in one or both ears. For some, the symptoms are mild and only occasional. For others, tinnitus can become a constant companion that affects sleep, concentration and quality of life.

Different Types of Tinnitus

Tinnitus can present in different ways.

Subjective Tinnitus

This is the most common type. Only the affected person can hear the sound. It may be described as ringing, buzzing, humming, hissing or whistling.

Pulsatile Tinnitus

Pulsatile tinnitus is heard in rhythm with the heartbeat. Unlike subjective tinnitus, it may sometimes be related to changes in blood flow and should always be evaluated by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist.

Common Symptoms

People with tinnitus may experience:

• Ringing, buzzing, humming or hissing sounds

• Symptoms in one or both ears

• Constant or intermittent noise

• Difficulty concentrating

• Sleep disturbances

• Hearing loss (in some cases)

• Increased sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis)

Possible Causes

Tinnitus is a symptom rather than a disease itself. Many different conditions may contribute to its development, including:

• Noise-induced hearing damage

• Sudden hearing loss

• Age-related hearing changes

• Ear infections

• Middle ear disorders

• Problems affecting the Eustachian tube

• Certain medications

• Disorders affecting the auditory nerve

• Vascular conditions (particularly in pulsatile tinnitus)

• Disorders of the jaw joint (TMJ)

• Problems involving the cervical spine

• Stress and emotional strain

Because the possible causes vary from person to person, a thorough medical evaluation is important, especially if tinnitus develops suddenly or is accompanied by hearing loss, dizziness or neurological symptoms.

What Can You Do Yourself?

Although tinnitus cannot always be eliminated, many people find that certain lifestyle changes help reduce its impact.

You may find it helpful to:

• Protect your hearing from excessive noise.

• Reduce stress through relaxation techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises or yoga.

• Maintain regular physical activity.

• Get enough sleep.

• Limit excessive caffeine and alcohol if you notice they worsen your symptoms.

• Stop smoking if applicable.

• Use gentle background sounds, such as nature sounds or soft music, especially at night.

Conventional Treatment Options

Treatment depends on the underlying cause.

Possible treatment options include:

• Hearing aids for patients with hearing loss

• Medication in selected situations (for example corticosteroids for sudden hearing loss or other treatments recommended by an ENT specialist)

• Sound therapy

• Tinnitus counselling

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Acupuncture and Tinnitus

Some people choose acupuncture as an additional treatment option for tinnitus.

During acupuncture, very fine needles are inserted into specific points on the body. The treatment is individualized according to each patient's symptoms and overall health.

Current scientific evidence is mixed, and acupuncture cannot guarantee improvement. However, some patients report that their tinnitus becomes less noticeable or less distressing after a course of acupuncture treatment.

The following patient experience describes one individual's personal results after acupuncture treatment for tinnitus.

Case Report: Acupuncture for Tinnitus

Part 1

A patient had been living with tinnitus in both ears for 10 years. During the previous two years, her symptoms had gradually worsened and were accompanied by persistent headaches.

After just two acupuncture sessions, she reported an improvement of approximately 15% in the intensity of her tinnitus. Her headaches had completely resolved, and she noticed a feeling of relief in her ears.

At this stage, treatment was scheduled twice a week. The following updates describe how her symptoms developed over time.

Follow-up – Part 2

After the fourth treatment, the patient reported further improvement. She estimated that the intensity of her tinnitus had decreased by approximately 25–30%.

Even more encouraging was the fact that her headaches had not returned. Occasionally, she noticed a mild rushing sound in her ears, but it disappeared quickly.

She also felt that her hearing had become clearer, particularly while watching television.

Based on these positive changes, we decided together to continue treatment with two additional acupuncture sessions. We remained hopeful that the improvements would continue while carefully monitoring her progress.

Follow-up – Part 3

After the seventh acupuncture session, the patient reported that her improvement had remained stable.

She continued to experience approximately a 25–30% reduction in the intensity of her tinnitus and was pleased with the result. Her headaches had not returned, and she also felt that her hearing quality had improved.

As her symptoms had remained stable, she decided to take a temporary break from treatment to observe whether the improvements would continue without further therapy.

Summary

This case describes the experience of one patient. After seven acupuncture sessions, tinnitus that had been present for 10 years had improved by approximately 25–30%, while headaches that had accompanied the condition for the previous two years had completely resolved.

Individual results vary from person to person, and acupuncture cannot guarantee similar outcomes for every patient.