
[Introduction]

Hyperthyroidism is due to excessive secretion of thyroxin, clinically marked by palpitation, excitation, anxiety, polyphagia, emaciation, aversion to heat and profuse sweating, dry mouth and excessive heat, accom-panied by thyroid enlargement and exophthalmia. This disease is usually seen among women, especially among young women. It is similar to goiter and palpitation in TCM. Hyperthyroidism is usually caused by interior dam-age due to emotional changes; or by improper diet that leads to qi stagnation, blood stasis, fire stagnation and phlegm coagulation, the prolonged duration of which re-sults in exuberant fire and consumes yin. This disease in-volves the heart, liver, spleen, stomach and kidney.
[Syndrome differentiation]
1. Liver depression and phlegm coagulation
Restlessness and susceptibility to rage, insomnia and dreaminess, dryness and distension of eyes, distension and fullness of chest and hypochondria, exophthalmia, swelling of neck, tremor of hands and tongue, red tongue, yellow and greasy tongue fur, taut and slippery pulse.
2. Liver fire and stomach heat
Polyphagia, thirst and polydipsia, emaciation, aver-sion to heat and profuse sweating, bitter taste in the mouth and dry throat, dizziness, red tongue, yellow tongue fur with scanty fluid, taut and rapid pulse.
3. Asthenia of heart and liver gin
Palpitation, feverish palms, soles and chest, insom-nia and dreaminess, dry throat and mouth, amnesia and susceptibility to fright, red tongue with scanty fur, thin and rapid pulse or slow pulse with irregular intervals and slow regular intermittent pulse.
[Treatment]
1. Body acupuncture
Prescription: Naohui (TE 13 ), Renying ( ST 9 ), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Hegu (LI 4), Fen-glong (ST 40), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3).
Modification: For liver stagnation and phlegm coagu-lation: Futu (ST 32), Tiantu (CV 22), Qimen (LR 14),
Performance: Shallow needling, 0.5 - 0.8 cun, is used to needle acupoints on the neck, such as Futu (ST 32), Tiantu (CV 22), Tianding (LI 17) and Tianrong; for needling Qiying (Goiter Acupoint ), the needle is in-serted 0.5 cun lateral to the vessel; for needling Ping-ying [Goiter-Eliminating Acupoint (CO13)1, the needle is inserted 0.8 - 1 cun and the needling sensation is directed to the region below Adam's apple; for larger enlargement of thyroid, 1 - 2 acupoints on the tumescent mass are se-lected and the needles are inserted obliquely into the base of the tumescent mass and manipulated with rotating, lift-ing and thrusting techniques within small range.
2. Ear acupuncture
Prescription: Ear Shenmen (TF4), Endocrine (C018), Liver (CO12), Kidney (CO10), Spleen (CO13), Stomach (CO4), Subcortex (AT4) and Sympathetic Nerve (AH
Performance: Each time 2 - 3 acupoints are selected and needled once a day. Or 2 - 3 acupoints are selected each time for embedment of needles. Or Wangbuliuxingzi (Semen Vaccariae) is used for ear acupressure. The pa-tient is advised to press the embedment of needles or the sealed Semen Vaccariae several times a day.