Ear Eczema

How Chinese medicine differentiates ear eczema — distinct from Eczema and Ear Discharge already covered — the three patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Ear eczema with severe pain, fever, or spreading infection needs medical evaluation before assuming it is a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for ear eczema — 6 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
T.B.-21	Local point, clears Heat and reduces swelling.
L.I.-4	Dispels Wind and clears Heat for head and face conditions.
SP-6	Resolves Dampness and supports Spleen function.
G.B.-34	Clears Damp-Heat from the Gallbladder channel.
ST-36	Tonifies Spleen-Qi to transform Dampness.
S.I.-19	Local point, relieves ear itching.
LR-3	Calms the Liver and subdues internal Wind, reducing itching.

The Three Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Damp-Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Red, swollen, weeping ear with yellow sticky discharge, intense itching worsened by heat, bitter taste and thirst with minimal desire to drink, feeling of heaviness and sluggishness, flares triggered by greasy spicy foods and alcohol.

Tongue: Red tongue with a yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat and drain Dampness from the Liver and Gallbladder channels surrounding the ear region.

T.B.-21 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ SP-6 ↓ G.B.-34 ↓

Note: no moxa. This site's own Damp-Heat-in-the-Gall-Bladder-and-Liver slide is linked here — its treatment principle explicitly names the same Liver/Gallbladder channel mechanism, and the core presentation (redness, weeping, bitter taste, irritability) matches even without genital symptoms.

2. Spleen Deficiency with Dampness

Clinical manifestations: Persistent ear itching with less acute oozing than the Damp-Heat pattern, thickened rough skin, abdominal bloating and loose stools, fatigue and bodily heaviness, worsened by damp weather and overeating.

Tongue: Pale, swollen with teeth marks, white greasy coating, moist surface. Pulse: Soggy and slow, may feel slippery.

Treatment principle: Strengthen the Spleen and transform fluid retention to resolve chronic Dampness accumulation in the skin.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ S.I.-19 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on the tonifying points. No deck on this site combines Spleen-Qi deficiency with Dampness into one slide, so no pattern link is given here.

3. Blood Deficiency with External Wind

Clinical manifestations: Dry flaky or cracked skin around the ear, itching that shifts location or comes and goes and worsens at night, pale complexion and lips, dizziness brittle nails and dry hair, aversion to wind and drafts.

Tongue: Pale, thin body with a thin white and slightly dry coat. Pulse: Fine, wiry at left middle position, floating at right front.

Treatment principle: Nourish and moisten Blood while gently dispersing Wind to rebuild skin resilience and stop itching.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ LR-3 ↓ S.I.-19 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on the tonifying points. This dermatological Blood-deficiency-generating-Wind pattern is distinct from the organ-level Liver-Blood-deficiency slide on this site, so no pattern link is given here.

Related conditions

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