Ear Tip Bloodletting for Eye Disease

  The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine discusses in detail the theory and clinical application of bloodletting therapy, and proposes the principle of bloodletting of “Wan Chen is removed”, and Mongolian and Tibetan doctors also believe that bloodletting therapy has the characteristics of removing diseased qi, activating blood circulation, relieving pain and swelling, removing decay and creating new blood, cleansing blood vessels, and regulating qi and blood circulation. In India, it is proposed in the collection of “Mythology” that if the bad blood is not removed, it will be itchy, swollen, red, produce fever, pus and pain. The bloodletting therapy in the Arab world also aims at releasing the “bad blood”. In China, Zhang Zihe of the Jin Dynasty pioneered bloodletting therapy. He favored attacking evil, and even believed that bloodletting was to help the righteous. So far, the treatment of bloodletting has risen to a theoretical level.  The function of bloodletting at the ear tip is mainly to clear heat and fire, subdue the liver and submerge the Yang, clear the brain and brighten the eyes, especially to drain the fire above the chest and diaphragm. “Bloodletting” is an ancient and effective method of Chinese medicine to remove fire, but of course the site of bloodletting is not limited to the tip of the ear.   Chinese medicine believes that “fire is inflammatory”, so the symptoms of fire are mostly manifested above the throat, so it is reasonable to choose the tip of the ear for bloodletting. In addition, the tip of the ear is dominated by the liver meridian in the auricle micro meridian, and the liver is called the “general’s official” in Chinese medicine, which is closely related to emotional activities.  Bloodletting therapy is one of the types of bloodletting, and can also be done by enlarging the vertebrae, Shaoshang, Zhizhong, and 12 wells. Of course, these need a certain knowledge of acupuncture, while the ear tip bloodletting is easier to operate. The tools used for bloodletting have evolved over the years from traditional acupuncture needles and trigeminal needles to injection needles and stabbing pens, which are simple and easy to use.  Ear-tip bloodletting can mainly treat headaches, hypertension, mumps and other real-heat diseases. For common ophthalmic diseases, such as conjunctivitis, chalazion, mydriasis (often called needle eye), glaucoma, etc., can also achieve good results.  The procedure is as follows: take the diseased side for unilateral disease and both sides for bilateral disease. First, fold the ear in half, with the highest point j being the “ear tip point”. Disinfect the area with 75% alcohol cotton balls, use a trigeminal needle or injection needle, or a blood glucose measuring needle to aim at the ear tip point, rub and press with the left hand to make the area congested with blood, hold the needle in the right hand and stab it quickly, wipe the needle hole with alcohol cotton balls, and squeeze the point repeatedly with the fingertips of both hands, so that the bleeding amount reaches 40-60 drops, usually 2-3 times/week. For chalazion (often referred to as the eye of the needle) can generally be cured in 1~2 weeks. For chalazion, it takes 2~3 weeks or even longer depending on the severity of the disease, and can be combined with hot compresses to promote the discharge of stagnation.