Kidney opens at the ears

Also kidney governs the ears. From Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn, jīn guì zhen yán lùn). The kidney determines hearing ability. The kidney is said to open at the ears since only when kidney qì is abundant is hearing acute. The Magic Pivot (灵枢 líng shū) states, The kidney qì reaches the ears, and if the kidney is in harmony, the ears perceive the five sounds. The ears are connected with the brain, the sea of marrow, which is dependent upon the kidney for nourishment. Insufficiency of kidney essential qì causes tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing impairment. Debilitation of essential qì in old age often leads to deafness. The Magic Pivot (灵枢 líng shū, hǎi lùn) states, When the sea of marrow is insufficient, the brain spins and the ears ring.