Allergic Conditions On The Auricle

Last Updated on Thu, 15 Dec 2016 | Auricular Acupuncture

due to the intake of drugs or foods. The diagnostic clues offered by auricular diagnosis are,
however, of two types: the sensitization of some recurrent non-specific areas, regardless of
the type of allergy, and the sensitization of some specific areas associated with the end
organ involved in the allergic mechanism. We may therefore note that in a limited number of
cases there is an evident sensitiza-tion of sectors 16, 17 and 18 on the scapha and on the
aligned points on the helix. What was said in Chapter 4 regarding the possibility of
individuating an 'allergic constitution' in patients who have not yet presented allergic
symptoms is also applicable to PPT diagnosis.

As already mentioned, the identified areas correspond to the representation of the wrist and
elbow, areas which never have been related to allergy before. On the Chinese map, however,
the 'Wind stream' point fengxi, which carries the whole repertory of indications such
as asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, urticariaand itching of uncertain origin, is located at the
juncture between the hand and the wrist area. It has to be said that before standardization
fengxi had been drawn by several authors as a larger area called 'urticaria area' (Fig. 5.29).
In my opinion the importance given to this area by the Chinese is correct and is moreover
confirmed by the indication for cutaneous pruritus given to the whole superior groove of
the anthelix.
As regards the specific areas representing the end organs of an allergic reaction, it may be
noticed that patients with seasonal rhinoconjuncti-vitis due to grass pollen, besides the Shen
men area, show two further areas tender to pressure (Fig. 5.30A). The first is an area
presumably representing the liver; we know about the importance given by TCM to the Liver
meridian for treating eye dysfunctions. Another sensitized area is that around the intertragic
notch which in my opinion represents the end organ eye-nose of the allergic reaction.
According to the Chinese, the anterior and posterior intertragal notches hold indications
related to the eye, for example glaucoma and conjunctivitis, but the representation of the
nose below the intertragic notch has never been reported by the main schools (see also
below).

As regards patients with atopic asthma, in those seen before any intake of oral or inhaled
cortico-steroids, besides the Shen men area I identified an evident cluster of tender points
on the central posterior portion of the antitragus (Fig. 5.30B). This group of points may
coincide either with the occiput area, which holds the indication of asthma, and the apex of
the antitragus duipingjian, which is indicated for asthma and itching. In my opinion the
limited number of aligned points of the concha compared to the antitragus indicates that the
most interesting points for diagnosing and treating asthma are probably located out of the
commonly accepted representation of the lung. This phenomenon again could be related to
the activation of an area belonging to the brainstem as proposed by Durinyan in his
representation of 'respiratory centers' of reticular formation (see Fig. 5.16).
As regards contact allergy, the patients in Figure 5.30C show a scattered distribution of
points on the whole auricle; this phenomenon may be interpreted with the large extension of
the skin as a target organ of the allergic reaction. It is possible, however, that a higher
number of patients with dermatitis provoked by contact with metals or other chemical
compounds could identify some specific cluster of points.

Generally speaking the set of areas proposed by the Chinese seems exhaustive and fits quite
consistently with my data. It is possible that these authors discovered earlier than in the
West the antihistamine properties of some points for reducing itching. My experience of this
subject has been very positive as the stimulation of some points is indeed able to reduce
itching in a few minutes. In my opinion in every allergic reaction releasing his-tamine and
other mediators of inflammation there is a sensitization of the basic areas of allergy
belonging to sectors 16-18. The more histamine is released, the more the helix becomes
sensitized, extending also to sectors 20 and 21 where Nogier placed his allergy master point
(see Fig. A1.17).

Nogier considered further actions of his allergy master point on 'cellular metabolism' and
affectiv-ity. He proposed a double location of the point and wrote:

this point is found at the top of the auricle, almost at the intersection of its internal and
external surface. It is therefore accessible from two sides relatively close together, which
actually give two points: the first one, hidden, is located under the helix border, and the
second one, on the border of the upper part of the auricle.57

However, Nogier also proposed, beyond his master point, further points for treating allergic
conditions such as the representation of the nose, eye, thymus and ACTH.
Fig. 5.29 Chinese standardized points/areas indicated for asthma (darker pink): AT3 =
occiput; CO16 = trachea; CO10 = kidney; TF3 = middle triangular fossa; apex of antitragus;
upper (R1) and lower (R3) ear root on the medial surface. Standardized points/areas for
various allergic conditions and/or pruritus (paler pink): CO14 = lung; CO18 = endocrine;
HX1 = ear center; urticaria area; Wind stream; adrenal gland; brainstem; P2 = lung and
groove of the anthelix.

Fig. 5.29 Chinese standardized points/areas indicated for asthma (darker pink): AT3 =
occiput; CO16 = trachea; CO10 = kidney; TF3 = middle triangular fossa; apex of antitragus;
upper (R1) and lower (R3) ear root on the medial surface. Standardized points/areas for
various allergic conditions and/or pruritus (paler pink): CO14 = lung; CO18 = endocrine;
HX1 = ear center; urticaria area; Wind stream; adrenal gland; brainstem; P2 = lung and
groove of the anthelix.

Summing up this section, it has to be said that we are far from having interpreted the whole
range of allergic disorders on the auricle. It would also be interesting to carry out diagnostic
research into the various diseases in which autoimmunityis demonstrated or supposed; it is
possible that such a systematic study could give us useful information for increasing the
therapeutic potentialities of ear acupuncture.