What is Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss, quite simply, is a person’s diminished ability to recognize sound. While it is standard for people to begin losing their hearing as early as their twenties, most people don’t notice the issue until years later when they have to have the TV cranked up to maximum volume and can’t hear what someone is saying across the table. This gradual deterioration comes from choices made in youth to be present in noisy environments, get inadequate sleep, and overindulge in a poor diet and toxic substances like alcohol. Other causes of hearing loss include childhood illnesses such as measles and tonsillitis, as well as genetic factors.
How can I treat Hearing Loss?
Traditional Chinese medicine considers hearing loss to be a result of depleted vital kidney energy, as well as aggravation of the liver. Treatment focuses on strengthening these energies, which can be assisted through a diet of smaller, more frequent meals that feature warming, wholesome foods such as organic chicken and lamb, fish, baked tofu, lentils, scallions, and sesame seeds. Other remedies include using earwax removal kits and drinking a tea made with one heaping tablespoon each of oregano, cilantro, rosemary, sage, cinnamon, and three slices of fresh ginger in four cups of boiling water. It is also recommended to practice moderate cardiovascular exercise as well as a daily ritual of tai chi or qi gong.
What should I avoid in my lifestyle for Hearing Loss?
Because treating hearing loss is a warming process, it is best to avoid cold, raw foods and icy beverages as well as dairy products, processed meats, and fried, greasy, and oily foods. Also avoid medications such as aspirin, certain antibiotics like gentamicin, and diuretics such as Lasix.
