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Styes (Hordeolum)

How Chinese medicine differentiates a stye, the four 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. A stye that spreads to the whole eyelid, affects vision, or keeps recurring in the same spot needs an eye-care evaluation before assuming it is a simple pattern.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for styes — 8 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
G.B.-20Expels exterior Wind, subdues Liver-Yang, clears Heat.
L.I.-4Expels exterior Wind, benefits the eyes, nose, ears and mouth, stops pain.
BL-1Expels Wind, clears Heat, brightens the eyes.
L.I.-11Clears Heat and cools Blood.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-9Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness.
ST-44Clears Heat, regulates the Intestines and resolves Damp-Heat.
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang, extinguishes interior Wind.
LR-2Drains Liver-Fire and subdues Liver-Yang.
The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Wind-Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden onset of redness and swelling; itching and mild burning pain; sore or scratchy throat; mild fever or chills.
Tongue: Red tip and edges with thin yellow coating. Pulse: Floating and rapid.
Treatment principle: Disperse Wind-Heat, clear heat, resolve toxicity.
EX-HN-5 (Taiyang) ↓ G.B.-20 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ BL-1 ↓
Note: no moxa. Matched on the exterior-invasion level to Invasion of Lungs by Wind-Heat — same aversion-to-wind, fever, floating-rapid pulse picture used for Otitis Media, Blepharitis and dental conditions.

2. Toxic-Heat

Clinical manifestations: Yellow-white pus point on eyelid; intense redness and swelling; thirst with desire for cold drinks; constipation or dark scanty urine.
Tongue: Red body with prickly thorns and dry yellow coating. Pulse: Rapid, forceful, often full or slippery.
Treatment principle: Clear heat, resolve toxicity, disperse swelling, invigorate blood.
EX-HN-5 (Taiyang) ↓ L.I.-11 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓
Note: no moxa. No standalone Toxic-Heat slide exists on this site, so no pattern link is given here.

3. Damp-Heat in Stomach and Spleen View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Recurrent, stubborn styes that return frequently; sticky yellowish discharge or crusting at eyelid; bad breath and sticky or bitter taste in mouth; feeling of heaviness in body, bloating after meals.
Tongue: Red body (possibly swollen with teeth marks), thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Soggy and rapid, often slippery.
Treatment principle: Clear heat and drain dampness from the Spleen and Stomach.
ST-36 ↓ SP-9 ↓ ST-44 ↓
Note: no moxa. Matched to Damp-Heat in the Stomach, the same slide already used for Periodontal Disease, Toothache and Bad Breath's oral/facial Damp-Heat pictures.

4. Liver Fire Blazing View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Burning, throbbing pain in eyelid; flare-ups triggered by anger or frustration; irritability and short temper; bitter taste in mouth; red bloodshot eyes.
Tongue: Red body with redder sides, dry yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry and rapid, forceful at left Guan.
Treatment principle: Drain excess fire from Liver and Gallbladder, clear heat from the Liver channel.
LR-3 ↓ LR-2 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓
Note: no moxa. Direct match — irritability, short temper, bitter taste and red eyes are named on that exact deck slide.
Related conditions
Blepharitis Allergic Conjunctivitis

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Acupuncture-only reference — structure adapted (not text) from how other condition-lookup sites organize this kind of content. Let us know what to add or change.