Shi, male, 62, first visit was on February 25, 1982

[Chief Complaint]

Loss of hearing in the left ear for three months

[Present Medical History]

Three months ago, the patient had a common cold, which affected the hearing of his left ear and was accompanied by tinnitus. He went to the Beijing Tongren Hospital for an examination that found him to have a sunken tympanic membrane; he was diagnosed with sudden deafness of the left ear. He often had a dry mouth and dream-disturbed sleep.

[Examination]

BP 150/90 mm Hg. Pale flabby tongue with toothmarks, wiry and slippery pulse.

[Diagnosis]

Sudden deafness (due to phlegm fire disturbing upward)

[Treatment Principles]

Remove obstruction from the ear, clear fire, transform phlegm

[Treatment]

Even method. On March 1, 1982 he came again. RN 12 (zhōng wăn) and ST 36 (zú sān lĭ) were added to the treatment. The hearing of his left ear was greatly improved.

[Note]

The gallbladder channel runs up to the corner of the forehead and down to the back of the ear, where it enters into the brain. Phlegm and damp are brought upward by the liver and gall bladder fire and attack the ear, causing the sudden deafness.

DU 20 (băi huì) is selected to regulate yin and yang as well as qi and blood. GB 20 (fēng chí), SI 19 (tīng gōng) and SJ 17 (yì fēng) remove obstructions from the ear. SJ 5 (wài guān) and SJ 3 (zhōng zhŭ) circulate the qi of the shaoyang channel. LV 3 (tài chōng) and LI 4 (hé gŭ) move qi and invigorate the blood to remove obstructions. ST 36 (zú sān lĭ), SP 6 (sān yīn jiāo) and RN 12 (zhōng wăn) strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach, transform phlegm and damp. GB 34 (yáng líng quán) relaxes the wood and strengthens the earth.

Fan, male, 60, first visit was on October 25, 1994

[Chief Complaint]

Loss of hearing of the right ear for two years

[Present Medical History]

This patient’s wife died after which he suffered from severe depression. He suddenly started to experience dizziness accompanied by tinnitus and a decline of hearing and then a loss of hearing. Gulou Hospital diagnosed him with sudden deafness. Medication was not helpful. At the time of his visit the hearing in his right ear was completely gone, and he felt an obstruction in the ear, especially on rainy days. This patient often experienced irritability. His sleep, appetite, urination and defecation were normal.

[Examination]

Pale red tongue with a white sticky coating, wiry and slippery pulse

[Diagnosis]

Deafness (due to liver qi bringing the phlegm upward to disturb the ear)

[Treatment Principles]

Calm the liver and regulate qi, strengthen the spleen and transform phlegm, remove obstructions from the ear, restore hearing

[Treatment]

Even method. Retaining the needles for 20 minutes and manipulating once every 10 minutes. After removing the needles, indirect moxibustion with ginger was applied at GB 2 (tīng huì), 5 cones were used till the skin became reddish. The patient was treated once a day.

After two treatments, he felt the tinnitus and obstruction was reduced. Professor Xiao thought this was a sign that the auditory nerve began to recover, so he changed the even method to a draining method to excite the auditory nerve and taught the patient to do Self-Blow of qi. After 11 treatments, the patient could distinguish the sound of music and speaking. One month’s treatment helped him hear clearly.

[Note]

This patient was depressed and worried because of the death of his wife. Constraint from depression damages the liver and worry damages the spleen. There was liver qi stagnation and phlegm formed due to failure of the spleen in transportation and transformation. The liver qi brings the phlegm upward to disturb the ear, causing deafness. GB 2 (tīng huì) and SJ 17 (yì fēng) are local points for deafness. Treatment of Diseases in Verse says:
“For distention and obstruction in the ear GB 2 (tīng huì) and SJ 17 (yì fēng) are the points to treat.” These two points regulate the qi of the san jiao and shaoyang. LI 4 (hé gŭ) and LV 3 (tài chōng) are the four gates, they strongly move qi and invigorate blood to calm the liver and relieve depression. ST 36 (zú sān lĭ) and SP 6 (sān yīn jiāo) strengthen spleen and stomach, transform phlegm and restore hearing. As for the techniques of needling, according to Professor Xiao, the local points should be needled deeply, otherwise the treatment is useless. So SJ 17 (yì fēng) and GB 2 (tīng huì) are inserted as deep as 1.5 inches. Indirect moxibustion with ginger at the local area can warm and remove obstruction from the channels, it is good for chronic cases and deficiency syndromes.

Wang, female, 40, first visit was on May 20, 1992

[Chief Complaint]

Congestion, swelling and pain of the eyes for four days

[Present Medical History]

This patient’s eyes were congested, swollen and painful; due to photophobia and lacrimation it was difficult for her to open them. She had blurred vision for four days already. Gentamycin intramuscular injection and chloromycetin eye drops did not help.

[Examination]

Swelling of the eyelids, seriously congested palpebral conjunctiva, big patches of bleeding at the bulbar conjunctiva on the temporal side of the eyeballs, and a large amount of sticky discharge. Red tongue, wiry rapid pulse.

[Diagnosis]

Congestion, swelling and pain of the eyes (due to hyperactivity of pathogenic heat)

[Treatment Principles]

Clear heat, remove toxins, relieve swelling, stop pain

[Treatment]

Tài yáng (EX-HN5) was bled (in case the bleeding is not enough, cupping with a small cup can be used to draw out more blood.) BL 2 (cuán zhú) and ĕr jiān (EX-HN6) also were bled, as well as the ear points for the eye and liver.

After one bleeding treatment, the patient had a reduction in pain. On the following day the swelling and pain disappeared and congestion subsided. Two more bleeding treatments at tài yáng (EX-HN5), BL 2 (cuán zhú) and ĕr jiān (EX-HN6) were done and she was cured.

[Note]

Bleeding is very effective in the treatment of eye diseases, such as acute conjunctivitis, keratitis, sties, corneal opacity, trachomas, and electric ophthalmia. Using a three-edged needle to bleed tài yáng (EX-HN5) can improve the blood circulation of eye tissues to dispel wind, invigorate blood, clear heat and promote vision. As written in the Jade Dragon Verse: “For the congestion, swelling and pain of the eyes with aversion to light, puncture BL 1 (jīng míng) and bleed tài yáng (EX-HN5) for a cure.”

BL 2 (cuán zhú) functions to smooth the channel qi and dispel wind, clear heat, remove obstructions from the channels, and stop pain. Ĕr jiān (EX-HN6) functions to reduce fever, treat inflammation, calm the mind and stop pain. The ear points: eye and liver have the functions to clear liver fire, cool blood and promote vision. This group of points is effective in clearing heat, removing toxins, relieving swelling, and stopping pain, they give good therapeutic results.

Xu, male, 73, first visit was on May 16, 1992

[Chief Complaint]

Decline of vision in both eyes for four years

[Present Medical History]

In 1988, he was diagnosed with optic atrophy, he had blurred vision with a corrected vision 0.2. When he was tired, his blood pressure would be higher.

[Examination]

Greasy yellow coating, the left pulse was thready and wiry, the proximal pulse of both sides was weak

[Diagnosis]

Blurred vision (due to liver and kidney deficiency)

[Treatment Principles]

Reinforce the liver and kidney, replenish blood, promote vision

[Treatment]

SP 6 (sān yīn jiāo), KI 3 (tài xī), BL 17 (gé shù), BL 18 (gān shù) and BL 23 (shèn shù) were tonified, other points were treated with an even method.

After four courses of treatment, the patient reported the eyes did not get tired so easily, and the blurred vision improved. After two more courses for consolidation, he could see clearly and he stopped treatment.

[Note]

The liver opens into the eyes, the kidney stores essence and dominates the pupils. This patient is elderly, his liver blood and kidney yin are deficient, thus unable to nourish the eyes, so he has blurred vision.

Ge, female, 31, first visit was on August 17, 1984

[Chief Complaint]

Decline of vision for 22 years, worse in the past four years

[Present Medical History]

Twenty-two years ago, this patient suffered from acute hepatitis. After it was cured, she noticed that her vision began to decline and gradually became worse. Tongren Hospital diagnosed her myopia. Four years ago after giving birth, her vision in both eyes was 0.1 and there were excess secretions. Appetite and sleep were normal.

[Examination]

Pale dark tongue with a thin white coating, thready pulse

[Diagnosis]

Myopia (due to liver blood deficiency)

[Treatment Principles]

Strengthen the spleen and tonify the liver, tonify deficiency and promote vision

[Treatment]

Tonifying method. After 70 treatments, her vision was greatly improved.