Many people experience symptoms like a hoarse voice, a sore throat, or mouth sores. To help everyone get through this "difficult period," here are some methods to "clear heat and reduce fire" for you to consider.
First, let's understand what "shanghuo" (上火) actually means.
"Shanghuo" is a general term for various inflammatory conditions in the head and face, such as inflammation of the nasal mucosa, oral mucosa, conjunctiva, and pharynx. Although all are considered "shanghuo," it doesn't mean you should always use heat-clearing and fire-reducing methods. This is because the "fire" can be of two types: excess and deficiency.
"Excess fire" can be caused by climatic factors, such as sudden weather changes, dry air, or dust storms. It can also be triggered by diet, such as eating hot pot, spicy foods, or excessive drinking. It is generally characterized by toothaches, sore throats, mouth sores, thirst, and constipation.
"Deficiency fire," on the other hand, is often caused by irritability or overexertion. If you feel a sense of internal heat, experience night sweats, have a dry mouth, feel irritable, suffer from insomnia, or have tinnitus and dizziness, you are likely experiencing "deficiency fire." "Deficiency fire" is a result of an imbalance between yin and yang. It's not due to an absolute excess of yang energy, but rather a deficiency of yin that creates a false appearance of excess yang.
Naturally, "excess fire" requires heat-clearing and fire-reducing methods, and medications containing bezoar can help. However, "deficiency fire" should be primarily treated by "nourishing yin," using moistening and drying-reducing medications like Liuwei Dihuang Wan or Maiwei Dihuang Wan.
If you mistake "deficiency fire" for "excess fire" and have a patient take medications like those containing bezoar, it can worsen the yin deficiency. For some women, "shanghuo" is closely related to their menstrual cycle. They may experience irritability, insomnia, pimples, and sores before their period. Other women often have cold hands and feet, and experience abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating cold food or being exposed to cold. Although this seems like a "cold" condition, they also suffer from mouth ulcers. These are classic signs of "deficiency fire," and truly "reducing the fire" requires "nourishing yin."
[NextPage] Extinguishing the "Fire" Without Medication
When the "fire" flares up, besides using familiar medications, are there other ways to "extinguish the fire"?
First, your mindset is crucial. Maintaining a relaxed and cheerful mood will naturally help your qi flow smoothly and the fire subside. Nowadays, people are often busy with work and under great pressure. Coupled with insufficient sleep and lack of exercise, it's easy to "stir up the fire." Therefore, maintaining a healthy mindset is key to reducing internal heat. Developing good lifestyle habits is also essential for fighting the "fire." In dry weather, you need to drink more water. Additionally, getting enough sleep is very important. For those with facial pimples, rest might be the most effective way to treat them.
Sometimes, the "fire" can be "eaten away." For example, snow pears can promote the production of body fluids, quench thirst, and soothe the throat. Raw lily, sugarcane juice, tomato juice, kiwi fruit, honey, mung beans, bitter melon, tremella, sea cucumber, lotus root starch, and soft-shelled turtle meat also have nourishing and heat-clearing effects, making them suitable for people with fever and internal heat during dry seasons.
Reducing "Fire": Choosing the Right Medication!
Common symptoms of "shanghuo" include "not being able to eat," "not being able to tolerate," and "not being able to have a bowel movement," so choosing the right medication to reduce fire should be based on the specific symptoms.
"Not being able to eat" refers to fire in the upper jiao (heart and lung areas), manifesting as a dry mouth, a sore tongue, chapped lips, red eyes, tinnitus, and a slight cough. Adults can choose to take Niuhuang Qingxin Wan (pills), while children can take Zhuhuang San.
"Not being able to tolerate" refers to fire in the middle jiao (spleen and stomach areas), manifesting as alternating excessive stomach fire with insatiable appetite, or belching, abdominal fullness, and loss of appetite. It is advisable to choose Zhizi Jinhua Wan, Niuhuang Qingwei Wan, Qingwei Huanglian Wan, or Qingwei San. For children, Qizhen Dan is suitable.
"Not being able to have a bowel movement" refers to fire in the lower jiao (liver, kidney, bladder, large and small intestines, etc.), manifesting as dry stools, scanty urine, yellowish-red and turbid urine with a strong odor, occasional itching in the genital area, increased vaginal discharge in women, or even yellowish discharge. Commonly used Chinese medicines include Sanhuang Pian, Danggui Longhui Wan, Zhizi Jinhua Wan, and Longdan Xiegan Ruan Jiaonang.
There is also "deficiency fire," which is a condition of yin deficiency with heat. Its main symptoms include emaciation, soreness in the lower back and knees, a dry throat and mouth, dizziness, tinnitus, forgetfulness, insomnia, a dry cough with shortness of breath, blood-streaked phlegm, a dry throat and mouth, hoarseness, tidal fever and irritability, a red tongue with little coating, and a rapid and fine pulse. In this case, you can choose to take Zhibai Dihuang Wan or other similar medications.
Solutions for "Shanghuo" Symptoms:
When the throat is dry and the voice is hoarse:
Drink light salt water; take honey pear paste; drink tangerine peel sugar tea.
When the throat is swollen and painful:
Eating raw pears can prevent and treat mouth sores and a sore throat. Gargling with a mixture of vinegar and an equal amount of water can alleviate the pain. Mash tender loofah and squeeze out the juice, gargling frequently with it. When your throat is sore, you can gargle with a spoonful of soy sauce for about a minute, then spit it out. Repeat this 3-4 times for a therapeutic effect.
When water blisters appear in the mouth:
Chewing a few slices of ginger can gradually make the blisters disappear. Before bed, wash your face and apply a small amount of eye ointment to the sore area on your lips. The next day, the pain will be reduced. Continue applying for a few days to make the pain disappear.
When the nose is stuffy and blocked:
If the left nostril is blocked, you can lie prone or on your right side. Support the right back of your neck with your right hand, with the base of your palm near your earlobe, lifting your head and facing right. Extend your right elbow upward as far as possible. Due to the stretching effect of the meridians, your nostril will unblock in a few seconds to tens of seconds. If the right nostril is blocked, do the opposite movements. If both nostrils are blocked, you can alternate the movements.
Chapped Lips
Recommended: Cucumber and Kiwi Juice
Method:
200g cucumber, 30g kiwi, 200ml cold water, 2 small spoons of honey. Wash the cucumber, remove the seeds, leave the skin, and cut into small pieces. Peel and chop the kiwi. Put both into a juicer, add cold water and blend. Pour out the juice, add honey, and drink one hour before a meal.
Review:
Cucumber is sweet and cool, entering the spleen and stomach meridians, and can clear heat and toxins, and promote urination. It can treat fever, thirst, and a sore throat. Kiwi is sweet, sour, and cold, entering the kidney and stomach meridians, and can relieve heat and quench thirst. The combination of the two can moisturize the lips. Other fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins can also be used, such as tomatoes and grapefruit. Reminder: Do not lick your chapped lips, as it will only make them drier.
Dry and Itchy Skin
Recommended: Stir-fried Sweet Potato with Young Cucumber
Method:
300g sweet potato, 100g young cucumber, coriander leaves, green onion segments, minced garlic. Cut the sweet potato and young cucumber into pieces. When the oil is warm (about 140°C), add the minced garlic and green onions, then stir-fry the sweet potato pieces for five minutes. Add the young cucumber and stir-fry until well combined. Add a suitable amount of water, salt, and chicken powder, and cook until the sauce is thick.
Review:
Sweet potato contains various vitamins, as well as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It is sweet, flat, and non-toxic, and can tonify deficiency, strengthen the spleen, and support the kidneys. Young cucumber also contains a large amount of vitamins, so it is beneficial for the skin. Reminder: Do not scratch itchy skin too hard, as scratching can easily lead to infection.
Dry and Brittle Hair
Recommended: Honey Jujube and Walnut Paste
Method:
250g honey jujube, 100g walnut kernels, an appropriate amount of sugar. Pit the jujubes, wash them, and drain the water. Simmer them with the walnut kernels and sugar over low heat until the paste is thick and the walnuts are soft. This sweet soup nourishes the liver and kidneys, moistens the lungs, promotes the production of body fluids, and nourishes the blood to moisturize the hair.
Review:
Walnut is sweet and warm, entering the kidney, liver, and lung meridians. It can moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements, nourish the blood to darken hair, and long-term use can make the skin delicate and smooth. Honey jujube can moisten the lungs and relieve dryness, so it is very beneficial for the hair. In addition, other nuts, fish, and whole grains are also good for hair. Reminder: Try to avoid using a hairdryer, as it can make the hair drier.
Dry and Swollen Throat
Recommended: Honey Pear Paste
Method:
Take raw pears, juice them with a juicer, add an appropriate amount of honey, and simmer over low heat to form a paste. Take one spoonful daily to clear heat, reduce fire, and moisten the throat.
Review:
Honey is sweet and flat, entering the lung, spleen, and large intestine meridians. It can moisten the intestines, promote bowel movements, nourish the lungs and throat, and also has a detoxifying effect. Pear is sweet, slightly sour, and cool, entering the lung and spleen meridians, and can treat thirst, cough, and constipation. Therefore, simmering them together into a paste can have a throat-moistening effect. Fresh green leafy vegetables, cucumbers, oranges, green tea, pears, and carrots also have a good effect of clearing heat. Reminder: During a "shanghuo" episode, avoid spicy food, alcohol, and smoking. Pay attention to maintaining oral hygiene, gargle frequently, and drink plenty of water.
[NextPage]
Nosebleeds
Recommended: Fruit Sago Pudding
Method:
Wash the sago. Pour it into boiling water and cook until it is semi-transparent. Separate the sago from the hot water. Boil another pot of water, add the semi-transparent sago, and cook until it is completely transparent. Pour out all the boiling water. Cook a small pot of milk with a little sugar. Add the sago to the milk and cook until it boils. Let the cooked sago milk cool, then add diced fruit and serve.
Other
1. Drinking tea can stimulate the central nervous system, eliminate fatigue, clear heat, and reduce fire.