Q When coming to the Korean medicine clinic for tonsillitis for the first time, in what order does treatment proceed?
A At the first visit, after a constitutional diagnosis, treatment starts with an acute-phase heat-clearing prescription, then transitions to an immune-strengthening stage—proceeding in two stages.
Detailed Answer
On the first visit, a constitutional diagnosis is performed first to identify the cause of the tonsillitis. The direction of the prescription differs depending on whether it is a lung-stomach heat type or a yin-deficiency fire type.
The Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Stage 1 is the acute-phase heat-control stage, using Eungyo-san (Yin Qiao San) type formulas to clear throat heat and reduce swelling. Once symptoms stabilize, treatment transitions to Stage 2, the immune-strengthening stage, building lung-stomach function with qi-tonifying (補氣) herbs such as Astragalus, ginseng, and Chinese yam. For cases diagnosed as the yin-deficiency type, Jibaek-jihwang-tang type formulas supplement yin fluids while clearing deficiency heat (虛熱). The two stages combined take about 3-4 months as the basic treatment period.
Related FAQs
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Q
My tonsillitis is severe and I've already scheduled surgery. Is it worth trying Korean medicine treatment?
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My child is pre-school age. Is Korean medicine treatment actually effective at this age?
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My child has frequent tonsillitis recurrence and also has rhinitis. Can one herbal medicine treat both together?
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Is there anything I can do at home to manage a child with frequent tonsillitis recurrence?
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