Vertigo / Tinnitus

Q Is it possible for dizziness to disappear completely, or do I have to live with it for life?

A. It depends on the cause. BPPV can improve almost completely with the repositioning procedure and management, while for Meniere's disease and chronic tinnitus, greatly reducing the frequency and intensity of attacks is a more realistic goal than complete elimination.

Q I can't sleep because of the tinnitus, and because I can't sleep, the tinnitus gets louder. I'm stuck in a vicious cycle. How can I break it?

A. Tinnitus and insomnia are in a vicious cycle that worsens each other. In the quiet of night the tinnitus stands out and disturbs sleep, and when sleep is insufficient the nerves become sensitive and the tinnitus feels louder. Both must be addressed together to break the loop.

Q I have a herniated disc in my neck, and dizziness comes along with pain at the back of my head. Is the neck related to dizziness too?

A. Yes. When the neck and shoulder muscles stiffen or there is a problem in the cervical spine, blood flow and balance signals to the head are affected, so dizziness and pain at the back of the head can come together. For this cervicogenic dizziness, treating the neck in parallel is needed for them to improve together.

Q Is there anything I can do right away when dizziness suddenly comes on strong at home?

A. Sit or lie down immediately in a safe place to prevent falling, fix your gaze on one point, and move your head slowly. Resting in a dark, quiet place usually helps it settle. However, if it is the first time you experience severe dizziness or it comes with neurological symptoms, you must go to the emergency room.

Q I'm so afraid of the dizziness that I keep avoiding movement. Does staying still help recovery?

A. It is actually the opposite. Avoiding movement out of fear of dizziness slows balance adaptation. If you steadily perform head and eye movement exercises (vestibular rehabilitation) within a safe range, the brain adapts faster and the dizziness decreases.

Q Along with dizziness, one arm and leg went weak and my speech became slurred. Is it still okay to go to a Korean medicine clinic?

A. No. If dizziness is accompanied by one-sided weakness, double vision, severe headache, or speech difficulty, it may be central dizziness such as a stroke, and you must go to 119 or the emergency room immediately. This is not a case for Korean medicine clinic treatment but an emergency.

Q I'm currently taking a dizziness medication (betahistine) from the ENT clinic. Is it okay to take herbal medicine together?

A. Yes, if you space them out in time. We generally advise spacing herbal medicine and Western medication about one to two hours apart, and once symptoms stabilize, we gradually reduce the Western medication without strain.

Q My BPPV has already recurred for the third time in a year. Is it going to keep repeating like this?

A. BPPV responds well to the repositioning procedure, but it is a condition that recurs fairly often within a year. If recurrences are frequent, rather than repeating the procedure alone, managing the bodily state and overall condition that keep causing the otoliths to dislodge is the way to lengthen the interval between recurrences.

Q It's been about two months since my tinnitus started. If I get treatment now, is there a higher chance of improvement?

A. Yes. The earlier you actively treat tinnitus and sudden hearing loss, the higher the chance of recovery. Once a long time passes and it becomes chronic, progress is slower, but managing it to reduce the irritation of the sound and the disruption to sleep is still very meaningful.

Q Every morning when I turn my head, the ceiling spins for tens of seconds. Why does this happen?

A. When the otoliths (calcium carbonate crystals) in your inner ear become dislodged and flow into a semicircular canal, the lymph fluid sloshes every time you move your head, causing brief but intense spinning vertigo. This is the classic pattern of BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), the most common cause of dizziness.

Q I've had a persistent ringing sound in my left ear for months. What on earth is the cause?

A. Tinnitus is a condition in which sounds are heard in the ear or head even in the absence of external noise. It is based on damage to cochlear hair cells or overexcitation of the auditory nerve, and common triggers include noise exposure, stress, and Meniere's disease. If it persists in only one side, an evaluation of the cause is necessary.

Q I was diagnosed with Meniere's disease and told to cut out salty foods and coffee. Does food really affect dizziness?

A. Yes. Meniere's disease is a condition in which excessive lymph fluid builds up in the inner ear, so salty foods, caffeine, and alcohol disturb the fluid balance and worsen attacks of dizziness and tinnitus. A low-salt diet and limiting caffeine alone often reduce the frequency of attacks.

Q What everyday habits make dizziness and tinnitus worse? I tend to work late a lot.

A. Lack of sleep, overwork, stress, dehydration, and excessive caffeine are the main factors that worsen dizziness and tinnitus. In particular, when sleep is insufficient and the neck and shoulders stiffen, blood flow to the head deteriorates and symptoms become more pronounced.

Q I'm looking for somewhere to go near Dong-gu, Incheon. What happens on a first visit for dizziness and tinnitus?

A. At the first visit, we listen in detail to when and how the dizziness and tinnitus appear and what your hearing and lifestyle patterns are like, and then examine you. Based on that, we establish the pattern diagnosis, a treatment plan, the herbal prescription, and the direction for lifestyle management together.

Q In Korean medicine, in what specific order is dizziness and tinnitus treated?

A. Dongjedang takes a three-stage approach: clearing (cheongsang) the heat and pressure gathered in the head, detoxifying (haedok) to remove blood stasis and phlegm, and circulating (sunhwan) to revive blood flow to the brain and inner ear. We proceed step by step, adding nasal bloodletting and craniosacral chuna to acupuncture and herbal medicine.

Q What should I prepare before the consultation to make the visit more accurate?

A. If you organize when and in which postures the dizziness is worse, the sound characteristics of the tinnitus and any change in hearing, and the medications you are taking and any test results you received (hearing tests, imaging), the visit will be faster and more accurate.

Q After getting the canalith repositioning procedure (Epley maneuver) at the ENT clinic, the spinning stopped, but I still have a lingering floating dizziness like being on a boat. Can Korean medicine help?

A. The canalith repositioning procedure quickly resolves spinning vertigo, but it is common to have residual dizziness, a foggy head, or a floating sensation afterward. This kind of functional residual dizziness is an area where Korean medicine, which boosts inner-ear circulation and overall condition, shows its strength.

Q I was told tinnitus never goes away and I just have to live with it. Does Korean medicine treatment really have any meaning?

A. It may be difficult to reduce tinnitus completely to zero, but the loudness, how bothersome it is, and the disruption to sleep can certainly be reduced. Especially for tinnitus tied to stress and fatigue, managing your overall condition can make a big difference in how you experience it.