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8 Further Indications
8.2.5 Tonsillitis
Description
■ Bacterial or viral inflammation of the pharyngeal and palatine tonsils with difficulty
swallowing
■ Typically red and swollen tonsils
■ Often chronically recurrent
■ Both chronic tonsillitis as well as tonsillectomy scars can act as an interference field
(
›
5.7).
Point Prescription
French points
■ Local point:
Tonsil
(
›
6.3.4)
■ Defense against infection:
Thymus
(
›
6.6.1),
Interferon
(
›
6.7.3),
Infection Axis
(
›
6.12.4)
Chinese points
■ Local points:
Tonsil I
(73)
,
Tonsil II (74)
,
Tonsil III (75)
(
›
6.3.1) and
Tonsil IV (10)
(
›
6.3.4),
Throat (41)
(
›
6.4.4),
Larynx/Pharynx (15)
(
›
6.4.5)
• To eliminate the possibility of a streptococcal colonization the patient should be re-
ferred for a throat swab. In the meantime auricular acupuncture can be continued as
adjuvant therapy (to speed up the healing process and alleviate the side effects of an-
tibiotics).
• Peritonsillar abscesses (unilateral redness and protrusion of the affected palatine arch,
high fever) have to be treated surgically. However, whether surgery is indeed neces-
sary should be considered very carefully since tonsillectomy scars can act as interfer-
ence fields (› 5.7.1).
Treatment Intervals
■
Acute tonsillitis:
initially once daily or every other day until redness and difficulty
swallowing has significantly reduced, then 1–2 times weekly until symptoms have dis-
appeared
■
Chronic recurrent tonsillitis:
1–2 times weekly until symptoms have disappeared
■
Tonsillectomy scar as interference field
: treatment of the scar as projected onto the
ear should be included in the treatment during remission of the primary illness
Even for chronic recurrent tonsillitis auricular acupuncture can achieve a permanent relief
from symptoms!
Treatment Course and Prognosis
■
Acute tonsillitis:
generally 2–3 weeks until symptoms disappear
■
Chronic recurrent tonsillitis:
mostly 2–6 weeks until symptoms disappear
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