Any force of nature in excess can be damaging, but it is difficult to top the destructive power of fire. Fire is always hungry, never satiated, consuming anything in its path. Through the lens of Chinese medicine, heat comes from many sources. It may come directly from the outside world, like a sunburn or heat stroke. It may come from our body's reaction to a pathogen, like a fever or inflammation. It may come from an imbalance of emotions, like frustration. Or, it may come from a relative deficiency of water in the body, like the symptoms of dehydration or menopause, where a deficiency of yin nourishing hormones causes a rising of heat.
Left to burn, heat in the body causes progressive destruction. Just like a forest fire, unchecked heat in the body will damage tissue, causing pain and discomfort. So, how can Chinese medicine address excess heat? Through herbal medicine, massage and acupuncture, we use the body's natural heat clearing mechanisms of sweating as well as encouraging appropriate urination and defecation to encourage the body's natural removal of heat. We also nourish the fluids of the body by encouraging the organs in charge of absorbtion and processing of fluids, like our stomach and intestines to work more diligently to replenish our natural hydration.
Do you feel like you've been exposed to too much heat, or have latent heat lurking in your body? Talk to your practitioner at your next appointment, and we'll discover the best ways to put the fire out.
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