A small boil on the eyelid rim. A sty, when it first appears, is the size of wheat grain and is associated with mild pain and itching. Later it becomes hot, swollen, and tender. It is attributed to wind-heat or to spleen-stomach heat toxin.
Medicinal therapy: Dispel wind and clear heat; drain fire and resolve toxin; disperse swelling and relieve pain. Use Immortal Formula Life-Giving Beverage (仙方活命饮xiān fāng huó mìng yǐn), which can be combined with topical application of Agreeable Golden Yellow Powder (如意金黄散rú yì jīn huáng sǎn). Severe cases require lancing.
Acumoxatherapy: For wind-heat, base treatment mainly on GB, BL, and LI. Select GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), BL-1 (Bright Eyes, 睛明 jīng míng), and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ); needle with drainage and prick Tip of the Ear (耳尖ěr jiān) to bleed. For spleen-stomach heat toxin, base treatment mainly on LI, ST, SP, and HT. Select ST-1 (Tear Container, 承泣 chéng qì), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and HT-9 (Lesser Surge, 少冲 shào chōng); needle with drainage. Another method of acupuncture that can be applied regardless of the cause distinguishes between the initial stage marked by brewing heat toxin and the advanced stage marked by putrid flesh and formation of pus. Initial stage: People suffering from sties are usually found to have on their shoulder or back pink or flesh-colored papules that are each the size of a grain of rice and that do not change color under pressure. These should be picked open with a three-edged needle. Advanced stage: Use ouch points (阿是穴ā shì xué) at the site of the sty. The hard lump is lifted and pricked once or twice with a red hot needle, which should be swiftly rotated before removal. For heat effusion, add GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī) and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ). At GV-14, apply gentle lifting and thrusting and needle scraping. At LI-4, apply needle rotation every ten minutes for thirty minutes once a day.