Acute epidemic parotitis, also known as mumps, is a common respiratory infectious disease in children and adolescents, and it can also occur in adults. Caused by the mumps virus, the disease is characterized mainly by the swelling and pain of the salivary glands, and sometimes it can involve various glandular tissues, the nervous system, and almost all organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart, and joints. Therefore, in addition to the swelling and pain of the salivary glands, it can often cause meningoencephalitis, orchitis, pancreatitis, and oophoritis.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, acute epidemic parotitis falls under the category of "big head plague." The disease is often caused by external contraction of wind-warm evil toxins, entering through the mouth and nose, mixed with phlegm to form fire, obstructing the Shaoyang and Yangming meridians, which leads to stagnation and failure to disperse, resulting in a blockage in the parotid area.
Warm Toxin on the Surface Type: Swelling and pain in the cheek area below one or both ears, centered on the earlobe, accompanied by chills and fever, mild general discomfort, and a red throat; the tongue is red, the coating is thin and yellow, and the pulse is floating and rapid.
Warm Toxin Accumulation Type: The cheek area is hot and painful, hard and resistant to pressure, with difficulty in chewing, high fever, irritability, headache, constipation, dark yellow urine, sore throat, and testicular swelling and pain; the tongue is red, the coating is yellow and thick, and the pulse is slippery and rapid.
It is recommended to perform moxibustion once a day, targeting 2 to 3 acupoints each time, with each acupoint being treated for 30 to 40 minutes. Rotate the points treated, with a 10-day period constituting one course of treatment, and then rest for 2 to 3 days before continuing with the next course.
(If time permits and there is a need, more acupoints can be treated with moxibustion. The specific duration should be adjusted according to one's own physical needs.)
1. This disease is an acute respiratory infectious disease, and isolation should be observed, generally until the swelling of the cheeks subsides. During the period of fever in children, it is important to rest in bed and eat a liquid or semi-liquid diet.
2. If the patient has testicular swelling accompanied by a sense of pressure pain, a towel soaked in cold water can be used for local cold compresses, and a T-shaped cloth strap can be used to lift the testicles to improve the patient's local symptoms.
3. External application method: Take a cactus, remove the thorns, and crush it. After routine disinfection of the cheek, apply it to the swollen part of the patient's parotid gland, change it once a day, until the swelling subsides.