Q My tinnitus has lasted more than 2 years. If it's already become chronic, is it no longer possible to improve?
A Even for chronic tinnitus, managing it to reduce the bothersomeness and sleep disruption is meaningful, rather than aiming for complete elimination. By addressing the body's condition along with stress and sleep, even long-standing tinnitus can change in how intensely it is felt.
Detailed Answer
Chronic tinnitus may be difficult to eliminate completely because part of it has become entrenched in the auditory central circuitry. However, focusing less on the tinnitus and recovering quality of life through sound therapy (TRT, white-noise devices), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and lifestyle management is possible even with chronic tinnitus. Redefining the treatment goal from "removing the sound" to "suffering less from the sound" allows you to experience far more realistic improvement.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
For long-term tinnitus patients, Dongjedang focuses on releasing the tension of the nerves and constitution that react sensitively to the sound, rather than the sound itself. With steady treatment that tonifies the qi and blood depleted by Kidney deficiency and calms Liver-Fire and Phlegm-Fire (ganhwa, damhwa), there are cases where even tinnitus of more than 2 years changes in a direction where the bothersomeness that used to explode after overtime decreases and it interferes less with sleep. Even if it takes time, managing the internal background is the key.
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