Tinnitus Post-COVID
Welcome back to Dr. Ark’s Healing Tribe.
One of the increasingly reported post-COVID conditions I am now seeing at Arkadiy Sarkisov Acupuncture (SAY Acupuncture) is persistent Tinnitus — ringing, buzzing, humming, or high-pitched noise in the ears.
Over the past several years, and especially since COVID, more patients have presented in my West Michigan clinic with a similar pattern: the sound began either during their infection or weeks to months later, and it has not been resolved.
For many, this symptom becomes more than just background noise. It interferes with sleep, concentration, emotional stability, and overall quality of life. Some patients also report dizziness, sound sensitivity, brain fog, anxiety, or heart rate irregularities alongside the Tinnitus, suggesting a broader post-viral nervous system involvement.
DEFINING POST-COVID TINNITUS
From a biomedical perspective, Tinnitus is a symptom rather than a disease. It reflects altered auditory signaling somewhere along the hearing pathway from the inner ear to the brain’s sound-processing centers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes Long COVID, also known as post-COVID conditions, as a legitimate syndrome involving a wide range of persistent symptoms affecting multiple body systems, particularly the nervous system. While Tinnitus is not specifically listed by name on the CDC’s primary Long COVID symptom pages, clinical observation and emerging research suggest that new or worsening Tinnitus can occur after COVID-19 infection.
Proposed mechanisms include lingering inflammation, microvascular changes, immune activation, autonomic nervous system dysregulation, and stress-induced amplification of auditory signals. In many post-COVID patients, nervous system instability appears to play a central role.
Treating Post-COVID Tinnitus
At SAY Acupuncture, in collaboration with the Born Clinic, we focus on addressing nervous system dysregulation and post-viral conditions by treating underlying imbalances rather than masking symptoms.
Many patients arrive after Ear Nose & Throat (ENT) evaluations and hearing tests that return “normal” results. Although the structure may appear intact, the regulatory systems governing sensory processing and autonomic balance may still be disrupted.
Clinically, the most notable feature is the consistent pattern of sympathetic overactivation in a body that remains in a subtle yet persistent fight-or-flight state. Patients often describe heightened stress responses, difficulty sleeping, increased awareness of internal sensations, and worsening Tinnitus during fatigue or emotional strain.
With consistent acupuncture and visceral massage, early changes often include deeper sleep, reduced reactivity to sound, and a calmer baseline state of the nervous system.
As regulation improves, many patients report reduced Tinnitus intensity or intrusiveness, and improved emotional resilience.
Progress is gradual and rarely linear, but stabilization of the nervous system frequently precedes noticeable auditory improvement.
T.C.M.’s Take on Post-COVID Tinnitus
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, post-COVID Tinnitus reflects internal imbalance rather than a purely localized ear disorder.
COVID-19 commonly weakens Lung Qi, thereby reducing overall vitality and resilience. Prolonged recovery also disrupts Liver Qi flow, affecting one’s stress response and autonomic regulation.
For many patients in my clinic, this pattern is compounded by Kidney Yin deficiency. In TCM, the Kidneys open into the ears. When Kidney Yin becomes depleted, Yang energy may rise upward without proper anchoring, manifesting as ringing in the ears, internal heat, agitation, and sleep disturbance.
Spleen Qi deficiency may also contribute by impairing the body’s ability to generate adequate Qi and Blood, leading to fatigue and reduced stress tolerance. When these systems are out of balance, the body becomes more reactive, and internal sensations, such as Tinnitus, may be amplified.
How Acupuncture Helps Post-COVID Tinnitus
Acupuncture provides a comprehensive and integrative approach by supporting both autonomic nervous system regulation and the underlying TCM imbalances observed in clinical practice.
Treatment focuses on calming sympathetic overactivation, restoring smooth Liver Qi flow, nourishing Kidney Yin, strengthening Spleen Qi, and stabilizing the Shen.
Clinically, this often corresponds with improved sleep quality, reduced nervous system hyperreactivity, steadier emotional state, improved circulation to the head and neck, and decreased perception of Tinnitus intensity.
Stages of Post-COVID Tinnitus Recovery with Acupuncture
Recovery from post-COVID Tinnitus through clinical TCM Acupuncture typically unfolds in stages:
Stage 1:
Nervous system stabilization
Improving sleep
Reduced anxiety around the sound
Stage 2:
Decreased Tinnitus intensity or intrusiveness
Improving stress tolerance
Stabilize and improve energy and focus
While timelines vary and complete resolution cannot be guaranteed, acupuncture offers a gentle, non-invasive therapy that works with the body’s natural healing capacity rather than overriding it.
If you are experiencing persistent ringing in the ears after COVID — especially alongside dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, or nervous system symptoms — you may be dealing with a post-viral regulatory imbalance.
These symptoms are real, increasingly reported, and often misunderstood. Acupuncture provides a holistic approach to calming your nervous system, restoring internal balance, and supporting long-term recovery.
Ready to explore how Acupuncture can support your healing journey? My clinic is just a phone call away.
From my hands to your healing,
— Dr. Ark
