What is Tinnitus ?
Most people experience episodes of Tinnitus at certain point in their life. The sounds can be whistling, chirping, clicking, screeching, hissing, static, roaring, buzzing, pulsing, whooshing, or even musical. The volume of the sound that one hear can fluctuate and is often more intense and noticeable at night or during periods of quietness. There can also be hearing loss accompanied with tinnitus. According to Ayurveda tinnitus is caused due to vitiation of Vata Dosha. Tinnitus is correlated to Karna Nada in Ayurveda. Karna nada is triggered when vitiated vata gets lodged in srotas (minute channels). The main reason for tinnitus is generally exposure to loud noise, wax in the ear canal, ear or sinus infections, injury to head or neck. At times strong medication can also result in tinnitus is some patients.
Why does Tinnitus occur ?
Tinnitus can be caused by excessive physical stress, excessive dry diet, having too much cold and stale food. Staying too much in air conditional rooms can also be a cause for tinnitus. Controlling aggravation of Vata is done by the combination of internal and external medicines. Along with that keeping the hair cells and the ear canal healthy and preventing infections can be a good way to control and get rid of tinnitus is a long run.
The noise that patient hear in Tinnitus may vary in pitch from a low to a high squeal. It can occur in one ear or both the ears. At times the sounds are so loud it can case sleep disorder, lack of ability to concentrate, irritability, mood swings etc. Tinnitus may be present all the time, or it may come and go. Tinnitus can be successfully managed with life style changes and incorporation of internal and external Ayurvedic medicines.
How is Yoga helpful in Tinnitus?
Yoga is also one of many possible ways to effectively control or manage Tinnitus. Though yoga should not be relied on to be the end-all, be-all tinnitus treatment, studies and personal testimony consistently suggest it be beneficial.
As you might expect, certain yoga positions are much more effective in treating tinnitus than others. While any pose you feel relaxed and comfortable with is probably worth trying, it will certainly help to have some guidance along the way. These poses specifically address some of the common causes of tinnitus such as stress, neck stiffness, low blood circulation, and many others.
Trikonasana (triangle pose): This pose helps circulate “fresh” blood into the head and neck and one may begin to feel the ears “pop open” as a result.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog): This pose focuses on strengthening and lengthening the whole body, ultimately increasing the oxygen flow in the head.
Bhujangasana (cobra pose): The cobra pose helps open the chest and throat areas, eventually having positive effects on the entire system. This pose can reduce the noise levels of subjective tinnitus and also improve concentration.
Tinnitus is a condition which can have many underlying causes. Physical damage to the ear, Long exposure to loud sounds, high level of stress and anxiety, excessive ear wax, damage of ear cells etc can be a combination of reasons for experiencing tinnitus. Hence a holistic approach with a combination of Yoga, healthy diet, good daily routine and at times use of Ayurvedic medicines can surely help to mitigate the effects of Tinnitus.