When women reach the ages of 45 to 52, natural cessation of menstruation occurs, which in medicine is called “menopause.”
The onset of menopause leads to physiological changes. Some women, due to constitutional weakness or psychological influences, may not be able to adapt promptly. This imbalance of endocrine function may result in obvious dysfunction of internal organs, known medically as “menopausal syndrome.”
In the early stages, symptoms may include insomnia, dizziness, headache, fatigue, tachycardia or bradycardia, loss of appetite, reduced work capacity, lumbago or joint pain, obesity, excessive sweating, and various vague complaints. As the condition progresses, women may develop prominent neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, suspicion, or hysteria.
These symptoms may involve the neuropsychiatric system, sensory disturbances, vasomotor symptoms, musculoskeletal complaints, digestive system issues, or urinary system problems. All of these arise from endocrine imbalance and hence are categorized as “menopausal syndrome.” Naturally, symptoms vary among individuals due to differences in physical and psychological conditions. Therefore, treatment must be individualized according to syndrome differentiation. Importantly, despite these neurasthenic-like manifestations, there is no substantial organic pathology in the internal organs.
Although Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) does not have a specific name for this condition, it has long recognized the physiological and pathological states of women during menopause. It is attributed to declining Kidney-Chi, exhaustion of Tian-Gui (reproductive essence), and disharmony of the Chong and Ren meridians. Based on syndrome differentiation, many treatment principles have been established, summarized as “nourishing the heart, replenishing yin, calming the spirit, and subduing hyperactivity.”
Following these principles, the author has formulated the prescription “Geng-Nian-Kang Decoction” for treatment:
Radix Scrophulariae (Xuan Shen) – 10 g
Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae (Dan Shen) – 10 g
Radix Codonopsis (Dang Shen) – 10 g
Radix Ophiopogonis (Mai Dong) – 5 g
Radix Asparagi (Tian Dong) – 5 g
Rehmanniae Radix, raw and prepared (Sheng Di, Shu Di) – 20 g each
Semen Platycladi (Bai Zi Ren) – 10 g
Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (Suan Zao Ren) – 10 g
Radix Polygalae (Yuan Zhi) – 5 g
Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui) – 3 g
Poria (Fu Ling) – 10 g
Fructus Tritici Levis (Fu Xiao Mai) – 10 g
Radix Paeoniae Alba (Bai Shao) – 10 g
Radix Corydalis (Yan Hu Suo) – 6 g
Os Draconis (Long Gu) – 15 g
Concha Ostreae (Mu Li) – 15 g
Fructus Schisandrae (Wu Wei Zi) – 5 g
Radix Platycodi (Jie Geng) – 5 g
The herbs are decocted in water for oral administration. A course consists of 16 doses.
This formula has shown favourable therapeutic effects in menopausal women presenting with emotional depression, irritability, palpitations, insomnia, low-grade fever, decreased body fluids, suspicion, excessive worrying, musculoskeletal aches resembling “flu-like” symptoms, dizziness, and headaches.
“A Year Long Like Spring in All Seasons”
「一年長作四時春」
“This flower alone blooms without end — all year round, it turns the seasons into spring.”
This faithful flower blooms with grace, Springtime lingers in its place《惟有此花開不厭，一年長作四時春。》— This is high praise for the chief herb in the Chinese medicinal formula 《勝春湯》(Spring-Surpassing Decoction): 月季花 Rosa chinensis (Chinese rose).
Chinese rose (月季) is also known as “Eternal Spring”「四時春」、 “Surpassing Spring”「勝春」、“Crimson Rivalling the Snow”「斗雪紅」、“Delicate Companion”「瘦客」. Its flowers come in shades of deep red and light red, truly a feast for the eyes, graceful in fragrance and colour, pleasing in both scent and taste.
The petals of Chinese rose (月季) are sweet and aromatic. Pharmacologically, they regulate qi, activate blood, regulate menstruation, dispel stasis, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. Among edible petals, it is one of the best for consumption. Even putting aside its processed forms, take the painted depiction of “Eternal Spring”「四時春」, for example: Lingnan painters often used it as a subject in their artworks. In spring’s faint, yearning embrace,
Grief lingers in the evening rain. “無力春懷裡，多愁暮雨中” — I’ve seen many paintings centered on Chinese rose (月季), with lush blossoms and verdant leaves, swaying gracefully. Who would have known it’s also a low-cost Chinese medicinal herb?
In clinical practice, the formula Spring-Surpassing Decoction《勝春湯》 is used to treat women’s amenorrhea or scanty, pale-colored menstrual flow with lower abdominal pain, accompanied by low spirits and constipation. If a woman experiences such symptoms during her period, consider this prescription:
月季花 (Chinese rose flower) 5g
當歸 (Angelica sinensis) 10g
丹參 (Salvia miltiorrhiza) 10g
白芍 (White peony root) 10g
Appropriate amount of 紅糖 (brown sugar)
Decoction in water for oral administration
This remedy is fragrant and sweet, unlike typical medicine. Taken a few doses before each period, and boiled together with one egg, it is indeed a wonderful formula for regulating menstruation, qi, and activating blood.
Chinese rose flower月季花 can also be cooked with 蜜糖 (honey) and 紅棗 (red dates), in a remedy called 「勝紅湯」Winning Red Decoction, which treats low-grade fever during menstruation and has a delicious flavor. Adding a few petals of 月季花 into a health tea not only promotes blood circulation and nourishes the complexion, but also keeps youthfulness long-lasting. Calling it 「一年長作四時春」 (a year long like spring in all seasons) is truly no exaggeration!
In recent years, many young people have neglected proper eye care, resulting in a rising incidence of myopia that often requires corrective eyewear. What begins as pseudomyopia may eventually progress to true myopia if left unaddressed.
Myopia, like hyperopia, stems from refractive errors within the eye. When the eyeball’s axial length is excessively long, parallel light rays entering the eye focus in front of the retina, producing a blurred image. This condition, known as myopia, requires appropriately prescribed corrective lenses for clear vision.
However, in many youths, prolonged visual strain can cause eye fatigue, leading to pseudomyopia—a condition triggered by spasms of the ciliary muscles. This form of temporary myopia can often be reversed with proper eye exercises and adequate rest. When combined with the traditional Chinese herbal formula 「弱視扶正湯」 (Amblyopia Correction Decoction), the therapeutic effect is further enhanced.
Herbal Formula – Amblyopia Correction Decoction:
Lycium fruit (杞子), Dodder seed (菟絲子), Schisandra fruit (五味子), Raspberry (覆盆子), Plantain seed (車前子) – 12g each
Raw Rehmannia root (生地), Prepared Rehmannia root (熟地) – 15g each
Polygala root (遠志), Calamus root (石菖蒲) – 5g each
Anemarrhena rhizome (知母), Phellodendron bark (黃柏) – 6g each (both stir-fried with salt water)
Chinese almond kernel (蕤仁肉), Codonopsis root (黨參), Abalone shell (石決明), Dense-flowered cymbidium (密蒙花) – 10g each
Asarum (細辛) – 1.5g
Decoct the herbs with water and take one dose per week. For cases of declining or blurred vision, nine consecutive doses are recommended. For pseudomyopia, a full course consists of nine doses, which typically yields corrective results.
The Amblyopia Correction Decoction is a modified combination of two classical formulas in traditional Chinese medicine: 「五子衍螽湯」 (Five Seeds Procreation Decoction) and 「知柏決明丸」 (Anemarrhena-Phellodendron-Cassia Pill). It is particularly effective for pseudomyopia caused by ciliary muscle spasm. Even individuals with normal vision may develop pseudomyopia due to prolonged or improper visual use. Without proper care, this can result in axial elongation of the eye, eventually leading to true myopia.
This formula may provide therapeutic benefit in cases of progressive myopia. For mild myopia, it serves to nourish the eyes and enhance visual function. It may also help alleviate symptoms of presbyopia and general visual blurriness.
In spring, when Yang energy rises and growth is abundant, paediatric infectious diseases characterized by exuberance of water and dampness—such as varicella (chickenpox)—become more prevalent.
Varicella is a highly contagious viral illness, primarily transmitted via airborne droplets, but also through direct contact with contaminated clothing or utensils bearing vesicular fluid. Infected children typically experience an acute onset with fever, malaise, reduced appetite, and sometimes upper respiratory symptoms. On the second day of illness, a characteristic rash develops, progressing rapidly from erythematous macules to papules, and then to vesicles and crusts, appearing in successive crops. The vesicles are often oval, variable in size, and surrounded by erythematous halos. Initially, the fluid is clear, later becoming cloudy. In the absence of bacterial superinfection, pustule formation is uncommon. Since lesions do not invade the dermal layer, healing generally occurs without scarring. Pruritus is common at rash onset. With more extensive rash, fever may increase. The entire course typically lasts 4 to 6 days, with a favorable prognosis and the development of lifelong immunity.
Chinese Medicine Etiology and Pathogenesis
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), varicella is attributed to invasion of externally-contracted epidemic toxin (時行邪毒) in a child with delicate constitution. The pathogen enters via the mouth and nose, accumulating in the lung and spleen systems. The lung governs the skin and exterior, and when its dispersing and descending functions are impaired by pathogenic invasion, symptoms like fever, cough, nasal discharge occur. The spleen governs the muscles, and when toxin combines with internal dampness, it manifests as skin eruptions on the head, face, trunk, and limbs.TCM classifies varicella as a mild pattern of wind-heat with externally contracted toxin, and considers that clearing and venting the pathogen suffices. Clinical observation shows that in most uncomplicated pediatric cases, the disease is self-limiting. Thus, treatment is differentiated into:
Fresh food and drink to uplift Alkaline level in the body
Having a robust immune
system will help you stay healthy and energetic enough to meet your
responsibilities and smash your goals. However, as the weather gets colder, it
can be harder to battle the different illnesses flying around.
Here are six ways you can strengthen your immune system and combat the germs that will bring you down.
Get Your Vitamins
Believe it or not, vitamin
deficiencies are quite common. This challenge is primarily because the modern
diet doesn’t have the variability and nutrient-rich components our ancestors
enjoyed. While the best way to get enough vitamins to prevent illness and boost
your immune system is through your diet, supplementing can help fill the gaps.
Look for a multivitamin
that fits your specific needs. For example, a women’s multivitamin
will often have more calcium to offset the risk of osteoporosis. Vegetarian
vitamins will often have more vitamin B12 to replace what’s usually found in
meat sources. Taking a vitamin can help bolster your immune system and keep you
healthy.
Practice Stress
Reduction
When you get stressed out,
your body gets depleted. By having strong coping mechanisms to reduce stress,
you’ll be protecting your immune system.
There are many ways to
practice stress reduction. Meditation is a powerful mindfulness practice that
can help let go of negative thoughts. Journaling can help you reframe negative
experiences into positive learnings. Prioritize self-care practices that help
you de-stress and unwind.
Wash Your Hands
Regularly
In many ways, the world is
over-sterilized. Overuse of antibiotics and sanitizers have created resistance
in common cold and flu strains. So, while you should avoid over sanitization,
regularly washing your hands is an effective way to boost your immunity and
limit the spread of germs.
Follow smart handwashing protocols, using hot water and soap, and scrubbing in between your fingers and under your nails.
Drink Lots of Water
Not only does drinking
water help flush your system of germs and toxins, but it also promotes gut
health. Proper gut health plays a crucial role in your overall immune system.
Drink a minimum of the recommended eight glasses a day, making adjustments based
on your body size and activity levels.
Focus on Gut Health
Speaking of gut health, in
addition to drinking water, you should reintroduce healthy bacteria to the gut.
Eating fermented foods and food rich in probiotics and prebiotics can have a
positive impact on your immune system.
Additionally, eating food
that’s rich in fiber to help regulate digestion can have lasting positive
impacts on your overall health and wellness.
Exercise
Regular exercise can help reduce stress, assist with weight management, flush toxins from your
body, and improve your cardiovascular health. All of these play a key role in
boosting your immune system.
The one caveat is for those
who frequently engage in high-intensity training. Allow yourself ample time for
recovery and regeneration, as over-training can have the opposite effect on
your immune system. Listen to your body and lower the intensity when you’re
feeling unwell.
By following these six practices, you’ll enhance your immune system and be ready to duke it out during cold and flu season. Take a habit-building approach and focus on improving one area at a time until it becomes routine.
Recent Comments