A week ago, the 6-month-old baby suffered from a runny nose, fever, and sneezing due to catching a cold. Oral western medicine did not have a significant effect, so the parents sought traditional Chinese medicine treatment. In the pediatric department of a TCM hospital, after a TCM doctor's diagnosis, the baby was determined to have a wind-cold type of cold. The doctor recommended a Chinese herbal medicine bath treatment. After receiving this treatment for 5 days, the baby recovered from the cold.
Fever caused by external factors is a common and frequent occurrence in pediatric outpatient clinics, especially in infants and young children, where it ranks first among acute infectious diseases in pediatrics. This disease is mostly caused by external pathogenic wind. Infants and young children often have more severe symptoms, with fever, chills, coughing, and runny nose being the main manifestations. Western medicine primarily focuses on antipyretics and symptomatic treatment, while antibiotics are also commonly used. However, due to the delicate nature of a child's organs and incomplete functioning of the five zang-organs and six fu-organs, the use of antibiotics can easily damage the organs, lead to drug resistance, and cause toxic side effects.
Chinese herbal medicine bath is one of the external treatment methods in traditional Chinese medicine, with a history of several thousand years. It involves boiling Chinese herbal medicine, filtering out the residue, and using the liquid. By selecting an appropriate temperature and stimulating the skin, meridians, and acupoints, the medicine is absorbed through the skin, achieving physical and pharmacological effects. Through the bath, the body's pores and channels are opened, achieving the goals of dispelling wind and dampness, warming the meridians, promoting blood circulation, harmonizing qi and blood, expelling pathogens, and restoring normal body functions.
Similar to internal medicine, the choice of herbal medicine for the bath depends on the condition and constitution of the patient. Different herbal medicines, such as mugwort leaves, ginger, and bupleurum, are prepared and put into a bag. When used, the herbs are boiled in water, and then the liquid is filtered and mixed with clean water. The temperature of the liquid should be maintained at 38-40°C. The baby should take a bath once a day for 15-25 minutes. The water temperature and herbal dosage can be adjusted according to the baby's tolerance, with sweating being the desired outcome.
Experts explain that the baby's skin is thin, delicate, and has a high water content. It has strong hydrophilicity and a high capacity for drug absorption, making the herbal bath treatment more effective. This therapy directly acts on the skin during bathing, providing a comfortable and painless treatment with minimal toxic side effects and high safety. It can compensate for difficulties in administering medication to young children and lack of cooperation for intravenous administration. It also avoids increasing the burden on the liver and kidneys. Moreover, topical administration can reduce irritation to the gastrointestinal tract and is more easily accepted by both the child and the parents.
