Over sensitive hearing

I'm not a TCM practitioner, but understand what your client is going through - I've never been diagnosed with 'ultra sensitive hearing' but even at the age of 55, I can still hear well above the normal spectrum - for instance, I can hear midges and mosquitos quite clearly, which drives my husband nuts as he can't hear a thing, but gets eaten! I also listen to our resident bats chatting in the roof space!! I cannot cope with crowds or loud music - I haven't been to a cinema for nearly 20 years!

I sleep with ear plugs - the silicon sort, which I mould to fit my ear - usually I just use half a 'plug'. I have done this for years and years, just to try and get some sleep - they have not affected my jaw. I have to say that I don't sleep 'well' - deeply for about 3 hours, but then fitfully and am normally out of bed before 5am. Soooo boring! However - I have always been like that so not out of the ordinary.

Indo

This isn't coming from a TCM perspective - however sensitivity to noise is [url]a symptom of low magnesium status[/url]. It can be easily corrected by magnesium supplementation - though you need to give them the right form of magnesium since magnesium is difficult to absorb. I'd suggest [url]magnesium citrate powder[/url] because it is 29% absorbed (cw 4% for magnesium oxide) and being a powder you aren't dosing up on fillers and binders you'd get in capsules/tablets:

1/2 teaspoon in 250ml liquid (not milk) with breakfast
1/2 teaspoon in 250ml liquid (not milk) with dinner
1/2 teaspoon in 250ml liquid (not milk) at bedtime

If you suggest your client buys those cheap plastic measuring spoons this will ensure she'll get 300mg of magnesium, rather than guessing by using a conventional teaspoon. If you are taking more magnesium than your body needs you'll get diarrhea. If that happens tell your client to gradually reduce the dose until she gets comfortably loose bowels. She may wish to supplement 50mg of B Complex with the breakfast dose, as magnesium requires a couple of the B Complex vitamins to be metabolised.

As for why she might be low in magnesium: magnesium status is affected by among other things stress, diet high in simple carbs, high alcohol consumption, excessive exercise (sweating). Perhaps more relevant to your client is that [url]poor sleep contributes to low magnesium status[/url] because IGF-1 is produced during good sleep... and this substance regulates the amount of magnesium excreted by the kidneys. So, the less sleep you get - the more magnesium you excrete, and the more your sensitivity to noise is increased, and the less you'll sleep (vicious circle). Magnesium is very good for insomnia, independent of the noise or IGF-1 correlations.

Ava x

Hi

I have come across this phemonema and happy to hear different PoVs, but yes I do think you are right Chris about it being a TCM Liver issue. How about SJ5 & GB41 if it is Liver Yang Rising? What other symptoms does your client have?

Best Wishes

RP

I do not have anything to offer, but this thread makes me wonder if acupuncture could help me.
I cannot stand police/ambulance sirens.
I put my fingers in my ears until the ambulance has gone by.
I also do the same thing when the wheels screech when I am in a carriage on the tube. No-0ne else seems bothered
I have only ever seen one other person put their fingers in theri ears when a siren shrieks by....a little girl

tigress

Hi

I have come across this phemonema and happy to hear different PoVs, but yes I do think you are right Chris about it being a TCM Liver issue. How about SJ5 & GB41 if it is Liver Yang Rising? What other symptoms does your client have?

Best Wishes

RP

Hi Dave! have used both these points as there was also pain of the jaw and clenching. It seems strange that the stagnation stays in this area rather than full rising into headaches or muzzyiness. Could possibly be some dampness to dispell.

INDO

AVA, many thanks for the input, i had discovered that magnesium deficiency can cause these problems to which i have suggested a supplement. The insomnia, jaw discomfort, sensitive hearing are all common signs i beleive.

Tigress, it seems like your personal protection system is working very, very well 😉

Is it only sounds associated with danger that make you sensitive?

In regards to Acupuncture helping...there is a chinese saying that i always stick to and thats...'if the bones are not borken and the body is not bleeding....Acupuncture will have positive results'

INDO

Indo

From a different perspective the hmoeopathic remedy Nux Vomica is frequently used for this condition. However just as in TCM so in homoeopathy there are various caveats and the person's total symptom picture is important but Nux Vom is the most frequently prescribed remedy for this ailment.
Worth a try.

Kaif

Just a shot in the dark. Reading Indo's first post and then Tigress's, may be over sensitive hearing in this case is fear/shock issue and since in TCM ears, hearing and fear are related to Kidneys - flight & fight? I'm going to sleep on that idea and see what comes through.

RP

PS, I know that shock can relate to the Heart also!

Hi Indo

My chinese professor always used the following formula for points selection

1. Always use points from the area affected (pathology permitting)
2. Where possible select points on the channels connected to the affected area
3. Select points that have special functions, in relation to the main problem

I would add to this-
Select points to treat any existing internal pathology

Apologies if this looks a bit obvious, but its got me out of trouble plenty of times when the patterns overlap or are difficult to distinguish, and certainly seems to fit the maxim "treat what you see".

SI 19 and SJ 17 should be a good place to start on the ear itself, and will double for the jaw clenching as well- just make sure the jaw is open during insertion or it can hurt for days after (ask me how I know!) SI 3 might be a useful distal point. BTW, is there supporting evidence for LV yang rising, such as migraine or red eyes?

Regards
David

Tigress, it seems like your personal protection system is working very, very well 😉

Is it only sounds associated with danger that make you sensitive?

no, I dont think it is the danger, it is the loudness.
In a cafe in Dublin last month I asked them to turn the radio down..it was difficult to eat egg on toast with fingers in my ears!!

tigress

That partly blows my theory apart. This is the problem with online diagnosis, harder to get a broader picture.

Hi Indo

SI 19 and SJ 17 should be a good place to start on the ear itself, and will double for the jaw clenching as well- just make sure the jaw is open during insertion or it can hurt for days after (ask me how I know!) SI 3 might be a useful distal point. BTW, is there supporting evidence for LV yang rising, such as migraine or red eyes?

Regards
David

Have used these points, (SJ17/SI19) which gave good relief for a few days. The condition began with redness of the eyes and there has been migraine. Which is why i have been treating it as Liver Yang Rising. LV3, LI4 & DU20 definately calmed things down. I will add some ear points next time as i have had good results with this in the past.

INDO

That looks like a useful combination. I might be tempted to try LV2 instead of LV3. I had a long and robust conversation with a Shanghai professor (thank you Zhang Lao Shi!) about the use of DU20 to regulate excess Yang. She was of the opinion that the idea of using Baihui to descend excess Yang was some sort of mistranslation, and that strong stimulation of this point is more likely to raise Yang, and containdicated in cases of LV yang rising.

It would be interesting to know if anyone has other ideas. I've recently been using this point with some success for uterine prolapse, which seems to reflect a raising action.

BTW, I saw today that ST37 is indicated in cases where patients are unable to stand to hear people speaking (Deadman). Just a thought.

In all text books DU20 is always suggested for 'releasing' Yang energy, and is most commonly used for emotional problems to calm the mind, which would suggest this property of release.

It also (as you mentioned) has greater properties for raising energy at the lower end of the channel, for prolapse, etc.

I suppose the question is...is it better to drain excess liver energy ( LV2 & 3) or calm the mind with point such as D20. I would think the idea would be to use LV3 and DU20 to remove heat from both ends.

Bearing this in mind there does seem to be a worsening of the symptoms the following day after the use of DU20 but the next day everything is much better. I find this with P6 too! its like the energy is gathered and expelled rather quickly.

INDO

Hi Chris

How was your McStew and roasties last night 😉 (Facebook earwigging)

Recently been treating someone (early 30s) who recent asthma attack, which resulted with hospitalisation. Symptoms seems to be Kidney & Lung Xu with External Wind-Cold (living in a van and eating cold food doesn't help - it's all a very long story) which I have been focusing on. Anycase that some background stuff, she also has over sensitive hearing. On her 3rd appointment this Friday, she reported that her over sensitive hearing has reduced and doesn't have to wear ear plugs anymore. On the 2nd appt I did include Liv3 into the mix as she was getting pre-menstrual and massaged/reiki-ed GB20 (more for neck tension, but of course can help the ears).

Just wanted to report that eventhough the hearing wasn't the direction of the treatment (which was to boost Lu/Kid and expel Wind-Cold) the over sensitivity decreased.

Best Wishes

RP

Davey!!!!

hearing is less sensitive, and jaw pain has deminished. Used LV2, GB34 & LI11 last treatment.

I think that SJ5, LV2, SJ 17, LI11 & GB34 would have been a good combination for this initially, which i will try if this pops up again.

INDO

Just a recap!

Over sensitive hearing is a symptom in Liver conditions, most usually Liver Yang Rising. Could also be an early sign of LYR as in the extreme causes sudden deafness, I remember there has to be a Yin Xu : Kidney or Liver Yin Xu for LYR to appear.

In this case there were aching of the Jaw and Migraine, occasional mild dizziness and visual floaters.

Previous bouts of lower back pain and frequent urination, and cold feet and hands with aversion to cold. Last year.

Used LV3, GB41, LI4 reduced for Liver Yang and SP6 & ST36 tonified for Liver blood & Yin. Also added DU20 for internal wind.

As suggested before, SI3 would be a good swap for LI4.

INDO

Hi Indo

Great result!
I think that LYR might also result from severe LV Qi stagnation, as stagnation may cause Heat that flows up the GB channel to the head, and might be seen as stress related migraine. Only, cold hands and feet, low back pain and frequent urination would suggest to me Kd Yang Xu rather than Yin Xu. KD Yin Xu would be associated more with heating in the evening, thirst, reddish tongue etc. Of course Yin Xu and Yang Xu can coexist, making differentiation problematic.

Out of interest, what were the signs of internal wind?

Regards
David

Hi Indo

Out of interest, what were the signs of internal wind?

Regards
David

Deviated tongue, the dizziness that was mentioned was more akin to vertigo than circular revolution, also tingling in the fingers. Also mention pains that move around the body.

INDO