Acute Tonsillitisaccording to TCM

*redirected from Acute tonsilitis

Symptom family: Tonsillar Conditions

Parent symptom: Tonsillitis

What is Acute Tonsillitis?

Acute tonsillitis rapidly inflames the tonsils, marked by symptoms like redness, swelling, sore throat, fever, and sometimes, white or yellow patches. This condition is predominantly viral or bacterial and strikes mainly children and young adults. Its swift onset disrupts eating and drinking and can escalate into more serious complications if neglected.

How Does TCM View Acute Tonsillitis?

From the Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, acute tonsillitis signals deeper imbalances within the body, attributing its onset to external pathogenic factors like Wind-Heat or Damp-Heat.

This view prioritizes restoring the body's equilibrium to treat the inflammation, diverging from the symptomatic treatment approach of Western medicine.

Causes of Acute Tonsillitis According to TCM

TCM identifies Wind-Heat and Damp-Heat as primary factors behind acute tonsillitis. Wind-Heat is characterized by a sudden fever and red, swollen tonsils, whereas Damp-Heat leads to a persistent sore throat and a sensation of fullness. TCM's treatment philosophy revolves around expelling these pathogenic influences and bolstering the body's self-repair mechanisms.

TCM Herbal Formulas for Acute Tonsillitis

TCM tailors treatments to the patient's specific disharmony, recommending formulas like Jia Jian Wei Rui Tang, with Angular Solomon's Seal Roots for Wind-Heat with Yin Deficiency, and Xiang Ru San, with Vietnamese Balm for Summer-Heat with Dampness.

Zi Xue Dan, containing Water Buffalo Horns, addresses severe Internal Heat. This approach highlights TCM's nuanced treatment of acute tonsillitis, focusing on individual patient patterns.

Explore below some TCM herbal formulas used to address acute tonsillitis, organized by formula type.

  • By Formula Type
  • Formulas that clear exterior disorders with interior deficiency
  • Formulas that dispel summer-Heat and resolve exterior
  • Formulas that clear heat and open sensory orifices

TCM Herbs for Acute Tonsillitis

Explore below some TCM herbs used to address acute tonsillitis, organized by herb category.

  • By Herb Category
  • Herbs that clear heat and relieve toxicity
  • Tonic herbs for yin deficiency
  • Warm/Acrid herbs that release the exterior
  • Herbs that cool the blood
  • Herbs that pacify internal liver wind and stop tremors
  • Herbs that open the orifices

"Herbs that clear Heat and relieve Toxicity" recommended for acute tonsillitis

Herb Formulas they belong to (if applicable)
Blackberry Lily Rhizomes (She Gan) Not applicable
Selanginella Herbs (Shi shang Bai) Not applicable