Don’t panic if you have chronic pharyngitis, you can use moxibustion to help

This is the 4363rd article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Chronic pharyngitis is a chronic inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa. The disease can be chronic from acute pharyngitis or induced by other diseases. It can be aggravated by external stimuli such as tobacco and alcohol. The symptoms are mild and the condition is slow. The patient feels discomfort, slight pain, dry itching, burning sensation, and foreign body sensation in the throat. The patient cannot cough up or swallow the food. The patient often clears the throat or has a dry cough. The patient coughs due to itchy throat and is easily irritated and feels nauseous or retches. The patient has a dry cough with little and thick sputum, or blood in the sputum, dark red pharyngeal mucosa, or dry pharyngeal mucosa. Clinical examination shows that the pharynx is sensitive, slightly dark red, the blood vessels at the bottom of the throat are dilated, there are scattered particles, or there is exudation. Chronic pharyngitis has a long course and is prone to repeated attacks. It is usually difficult to cure it completely in a short period of time.

1. Etiology and pathogenesis

Chronic pharyngitis belongs to the category of deficiency fire throat in traditional Chinese medicine. It is mostly caused by deficiency of lung and kidney yin, damage of body fluid, deficiency fire steaming up the throat, or repeated attacks of acute pharyngitis, which consumes body fluid and causes the throat to lose nourishment. In traditional Chinese medicine, most of this disease belongs to the category of deficiency syndrome, and deficiency of lung yin or deficiency of lung and kidney yin is common. The main clinical finding is yin deficiency. Due to other reasons such as constitution, there will be a few cases of deficiency with excess due to "phlegm coagulation" or "blood stasis" on the basis of yin deficiency. Therefore, the clinical differentiation of this disease must be careful.

2. Moxibustion Treatment

1. Moxibustion operation

Use gentle moxibustion, light one end of the moxa stick, aim the burning end at the acupuncture point, and fumigate 3 to 5 cm from the skin. It is best to feel a local warm sensation without burning pain. Generally, moxibustion for 15 to 20 minutes at each point until the skin is flushed. Do it once a day for 7 to 10 days as a course of treatment. There can be 3 to 4 days between each course of treatment. Moxibustion until it is effective. It varies from person to person. Generally, it takes 1 to 3 months to see the effect.

2. Commonly used acupoints and their locations

1. Taixi: On the inner side of the foot, behind the medial malleolus, in the depression between the tip of the medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon.

2. Taiyuan: On the radial side of the transverse line on the palm side of the wrist, where the radial artery pulsates.

3. Tiantu: in the anterior neck, in the center of the suprasternal fossa, on the anterior midline.

4. Feishu: In the spinal area, below the spinous process of the third thoracic vertebra, 1.5 inches lateral to the posterior midline.

5. Zhaohai: on the inner side of the foot, in the depression below the tip of the medial malleolus.

6. Lieque: On the radial edge of the forearm, above the radial styloid process, 1.5 inches above the transverse wrist line, between the brachioradialis muscle and the abductor pollicis longus tendon.

(III) Precautions for moxibustion

1. The single moxibustion time should not be too long to prevent burns.

2. When performing moxibustion, be careful to avoid flammable objects to prevent fire.

3. Drink hot water after moxibustion, but avoid drinking cold water.

4. For those with insensitive skin, place the index and middle fingers on both sides of the moxibustion site to sense the temperature, so as to avoid burning the skin and achieve the best effect.

5. In case of burns, apply gentian violet and cover and fix with sterile dressing to avoid infection.

6. If you experience symptoms of getting angry, such as irritability, during the treatment, you should stop the treatment immediately and increase your water intake.

3. Prevention and Care

1. Eliminate various pathogenic factors. If it is caused by sinusitis, you should first treat sinusitis to improve the discomfort. Ventilate frequently, keep the indoor air fresh, avoid contact with dust and harmful gases, and wear a mask if you are a professional.

2. Carry out appropriate physical exercise, do more outdoor sports, maintain a healthy and regular schedule, enhance your physical fitness, and actively prevent respiratory infections.

3. Eat a light diet, drink plenty of water, keep your mouth clean, avoid tobacco and alcohol, and eat more foods rich in B vitamins, such as animal liver, lean meat, fish, fresh fruits, green vegetables, milk, beans, etc., which are beneficial to promote the repair of damaged pharynx and eliminate inflammation of respiratory mucosa. Abandon bad eating habits and do not eat or eat less spicy food.

4. Arrange your life reasonably and try to avoid using your voice for a long time. Maintain a good attitude and avoid being upset and depressed, so as to improve your overall immunity.

Author: School of Acupuncture, Massage and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine

Professor Chang Xiaorong's team

Author: Jia Aluminum