FURUNCLES, BOILS

Clinical Manifestations
  • They usually occur on the neck, face, breast, back and buttocks
  • It starts out moist and red
  • Develops quickly into a painful swelling
  • Central necrosis follows
  • Discharge of necrotic tissue with yellow, bloody purulent exudate
  • When there are many recurrent lesions there may be a slight fever
  • Nodular Furuncles:
    Found on the head, neck, face or arm
    Initially
    :
    They are very hard, the size of a cherry and have a burning sensation
    Later:
    They become pustulant and yellow with a bloody, purulent exudate
    Severe Cases:
    High fever
    Aversion to Cold
    Nausea
    Vomiting
    Constipation
    Yellow urine
    T: Red
    C: Yellow and greasy
    P: Rapid
  • Multiple Furuncles:
    Usually reddish and painful with a white tip
    They are purulent and recurrent
  • Purulent Folliculitis:
    Usually found in the hair follicles or the lower cheek
    The area around the follicle will be inflamed and have a purulent infection
  • Mastoid-type Furuncles:
    Usually found in the mastoid region
  • They are hare, inflamed and purulent
    When healing, the skin color will become dark purple and hard
    They leave scars, are recurrent and difficult to treat
  • Infantile Multiple Abscesses:
    Usually found on the head
    At first they are the size of a kidney bean and are very hard with a purulent exudate
    They usually leave scars, are connected, recurrent and difficult to treat
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Chills and fever
  • Anhidrosis
  • Stiff and rigid neck, shoulders and upper back
  • Intolerance of Wind
  • Dislike of Cold
  • Inflammation
  • Furuncles
  • Diarrhea
  • Muscle spasms
  • Mucosal swelling
  • Nasal congestion
  • Sensitivity to dust
  • Headache
  • Wind-Cold Bi (few joints affected, inflammation intense but short lived, changes over days or weeks)
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Floating and tight
Treatment Principle
  • Release Wind-Cold in the exterior and muscle layer
  • Generate Fluids
  • Relieve muscle-ache of the neck
Herb Formulas
Points

Clinical Manifestations
  • Slight fever
  • Strong chills
  • Anhidrosis
  • Headache
  • Cold extremities
  • Fatigue with a constant desire to lie down
  • Drowsiness
  • Pale face
  • Lassitude
  • Low voice
  • Weak voice
  • T: Pale
  • C: White
  • P: Floating, big and forceless or Deep and forceless
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Yang
  • Augment Qi
  • Release the Exterior
  • Induce sweating
Herb Formulas
Points

Clinical Manifestations
  • Fever and chills with fever increasing and chills decreasing
  • Headache
  • Anhidrosis
  • Stiffness and pain of the extremities
  • Orbital pain
  • Eye pain
  • Shoulder and neck tension
  • Dry nasal passages
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Constipation
  • Abdominal fullness
  • Fever
  • Tenesmus
  • Vomiting
  • Thirst
  • Epistaxis
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thin and yellow
  • P: Floating and slightly flooding
Treatment Principle
  • Dispel Wind
  • Release the muscle layer
  • Clear Interior Heat
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Dizziness
  • Red, sore eyes
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Nasal congestion and infection
  • Thick, sticky nasal discharge and saliva
  • Bitter taste in the mouth
  • Dry mouth
  • Focal distention in the chest and diaphragm
  • Stifling sensation in the chest and diaphragm
  • Manic behavior
  • Carbuncles
  • Heat rash
  • Headache
  • Acne
  • Chills
  • High fever
  • Restlessness
  • Urticaria
  • Sore throat
  • Swelling of the throat
  • Coughing
  • Reddish urine
  • Dyspnea
  • Vertigo
  • Severe aversion to Cold
  • Skin rashes
  • Skin ruptures or ulcers
  • Tense abdomen
  • Shoulder stiffness
  • Numb extremities
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Dysuria with reddish urine
  • Dark, rough urination
  • Obesity
  • Fullness of the abdomen
  • Fullness of the epigastrium
  • Heaviness in the head
  • T: Red
  • C: White or Yellow and greasy
  • P: Flooding and rapid or Wiry and slippery or Floating, smooth and rapid or Floating, slippery, rapid and wiry or Floating, slippery, rapid and overflowing
Treatment Principle
  • Disperse Wind
  • Release the Exterior
  • Drain Heat
  • Unblock the bowels
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Inflammation of throat and/or tongue
  • Fever and chills with more fever than chills
  • Perspiration
  • Cough with sticky yellow sputum
  • Aversion to Wind and Heat
  • Yellow nasal discharge
  • Thirst with desire for cold drinks
  • Red bumps around mouth and lips (herpes simplex)
  • Headache
  • Nasal obstruction
  • Sore, swollen throat
  • Dyspnea
  • Chest pain
  • Dry mouth
  • Rapid breathing
  • Maybe constipation
  • Maybe scanty urine
  • T: Red tip
  • C: Thin and yellow
  • P: Floating and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Disperse Wind
  • Clear Heat
  • Clear the Lungs
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Boils occur around the face, head, neck and hips
  • At the onset, they may be hard nodes
  • Localized redness and swelling
  • Pain and Heat
  • Later the may become soft with a whitish-yellowish exudate
  • A suppurating in-sized lesion may appear at the top
  • The adjacent lymph nodes may be enlarged
  • Fever and chills, fever more pronounced or
  • Tidal fever
  • Abdominal distention
  • Thirst
  • Sweat
  • Stifling sensation in the chest
  • Restlessness
  • Gastric disturbances:
    Heaviness
    Nausea
    Severe diarrhea
  • Scanty urine
  • T: Red tip and edges
  • C: Greasy white or yellow
  • P: Rapid and soft
Treatment Principle
  • Disperse Wind
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolve Damp
  • Resolve swelling
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • High fever
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Delirious speech
  • Impaired consciousness
  • Dizziness
  • Muscle twitches
  • Spasms
  • Convulsions
  • Thirst
  • Parched lips
  • Delirium
  • Dysuria
  • Dark or red urine
  • Severe constipation
  • Vertigo
  • Childhood convulsions
  • Coma
  • Dry mouth
  • Irrationality
  • Cold limbs
  • Hysteria
  • T: Scarlet red
  • C: Dry and yellow
  • P: Forceful, wiry and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Subdue Wind
  • Clear Heat
  • Nourish Yin
  • Open the Orifices
  • Stop convulsions
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Suppuration
  • Delicate constitution
  • Polyps
  • Furuncles
Treatment Principle
  • Disperse Wind
  • Resolve Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Anhidrosis
  • Pain and stiffness of the head and neck
  • Stuffy nose
  • Blood shot eyes
  • Sores that are red, swollen and painful
  • Generalized body aches and pain
  • Headache
  • Swollen eyes
  • Thirst or no thirst
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thin white
  • P: Floating or Floating and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Induce sweat
  • Release the Exterior
  • Dispel Wind
  • Alleviate pain
  • Treat the skin
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Dry stools
  • Knotted constipation
  • Mouth parched
  • Sensation of burning heat, swelling and pain of anus
  • Urine short and dark
  • T: Pink
  • C: Yellow and dry
  • P: Slippery and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Purge constipation
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Intermittent discharge of pus
  • The sores either do not suppurate or only leak pus slowly and fail to heal
  • Viscous, thin fluid
  • Mental and physical fatigue
  • Lassitude
  • Lack of luster
  • Poor appetite
  • Loose stools
  • Fever
  • T: Pale
  • C:Thin white
  • P:Thready and weak or Rapid and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Strengthen the Spleen
  • Tonify Qi and Blood
  • Eliminate Dampness
  • Expel pus
  • Draw out toxicity
  • Promote the generation of flesh
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Ulcerations, abscesses and swellings that remain hard after discharge of pus
  • Feeling of a lump in the throat
  • The lump is soft and becomes larger or smaller according to the emotional situation
  • The lump is small or medium sized, relatively soft and slippery
  • The edges are indistinct
  • Oppressive feeling in the chest and hypochondrium
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Loose stools
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Pre-menstrual tension
  • Suppurative sores
  • Restlessness
  • Insomnia
  • Thirst
  • Feeling of Heat
  • Irritability
  • Frequent sighing
  • Bitter taste in the mouth
  • Red eyes
  • Red face
  • Tremor of the hands
  • T: Pale or dusky or Red with red tip and edges
  • C: White or Thin and greasy or Dry and yellow
  • P: Wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Disperse Qi Stagnation
  • Dispel Heat and Dampness
  • Resolve Phlegm
  • Dissipate nodules
  • Reduce swelling
  • Drain pus
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Severe, splitting headaches with dizziness
  • Sudden tinnitus or
  • Sudden deafness
  • Flushed face
  • Red, swollen, painful eyes
  • Irascibility with violent angry outbursts
  • Dry mouth
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Thirst
  • Vomiting sour or bitter liquid
  • Insomnia
  • Restlessness
  • Constipation or dry stools
  • Maybe rib pain
  • Liver Fire Attacks the Stomach:
    Hematemesis
  • Burning Heat and pain in the epigastrium
  • Irritating thirst: drinks copious fluids and prefers cold drinks
  • Excessive appetite: hungry again quickly after eating (as if food vanishes)
  • Swelling, pain, ulceration and bleeding of gums
  • Foul breath
  • Toothache
  • Maybe vomiting right after eating
  • Vomiting acid or undigested food
  • Constipation
  • Maybe scanty, red urine
  • T: Red or Red tip and edges
  • C: Thick, yellow and dry
  • P: Slippery, big, Excess and rapid or Wiry, Excess and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Purge Fire
  • Detoxify
  • Draw out pus
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Yang jaundice (sclera and skin bright yellow)
  • Pain and fullness in ribs on both sides
  • Maybe pain in the right hypochondrium
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting sour and bitter fluids
  • Anorexia
  • Maybe alternating chills and fever
  • Concentrated, dark urine
  • Abdominal distention
  • Women:
    Yellow vaginal discharge with foul smell
    Pruritis vulvae
  • Men:
    Pain, swelling and burning sensations of testicles
  • T: Pink
  • C: Yellow and greasy or sticky
  • P: Wiry and rapid or Slippery and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Dampness
  • Purge Heat from Liver and Gall Bladder
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Pain that is fixed, stabbing and /or severe or
  • Pains that move around
  • Distention
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Pan is worse with pressure
  • Dark complexion
  • Fixed, palpable masses
  • Bleeding with clots
  • Purple lips
  • Purple nails
  • Dry skin
  • Blue, dark or purplish discoloration of skin in small or large areas,
  • Varicose and spider veins
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Tendency to hemorrhage dark blood or clots
  • T: Purple, possible purple or red spots
    Red purple if there is Heat
    Blue purple if there is Cold
  • C: White
  • P: Choppy or Wiry and choppy
Treatment Principle
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Break up Stagnation
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Furuncles
  • Facial flush
  • Premenstrual women often an increase in lesions
  • Red, itchy eyes
  • Suppuration
  • Earache
  • Swelling, inflammation and infection of the ears and nose
  • Abdominal rigidity
  • Dry stools
  • Constipation
  • Yellow urine
  • Dark brown discoloration of the skin
  • Perspiration and an oiling feeling on the palms and soles
  • Abdominal tension
  • Maybe otitis
  • Rhinitis
  • T: Deep red, dry or purple red or Red tip
    C: Thin or None
    P:  Rapid or thready and rapid or thready and feeble or Tight or Thready, slippery and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Dispel Wind
  • Disperse Stagnation
  • Clear Heat
  • Remove Toxins
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Chronic eczema with thick, dry, dark flaky skin
  • Anemia
  • Itching which is worse at night
  • Swelling
  • Abscesses
  • Boils
  • Furuncles
  • Ulceration
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Thready, floating and rapid or Thin and wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish the Blood
  • Moisten Dryness
  • Clear Heat
  • Dispel Wind
  • Relieve itching
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Local inflammation with pus
  • Deep-rooted, hard and painful boils
  • Erythema
  • Swelling
  • Heat
  • Carbuncles
  • Furuncles
  • Fever and chills
  • Pain
  • The lesions appear on the head, face and extremities
  • The lesions are grain-like with a hard base
  • The lesions are yellowish-purplish in color
  • A tingling sensation
  • Blisters
  • Fistulas
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow and greasy
  • P: Rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Purge Fire
  • Relieve toxicity
  • Cool the Blood
  • Reduce swelling
  • Reduce external carbuncles and furuncles
Herb Formulas
Points