Traditional Chinese medicine classifies internal body heat into five types, namely heart fire (redness on the tip of the tongue, recurring mouth ulcers, etc.), lung fire (persistent dry cough and other respiratory symptoms), liver fire (irritability, redness on the edges of the tongue, redness in the eyes, etc.), stomach fire (bad breath, bleeding gums, constipation, etc.), and excessive fire due to kidney deficiency (night sweats, restlessness, insomnia, etc.). These different symptoms of internal heat require different medications for regulation.
First choice for heat elimination: Decoctions of Chinese herbal medicine
Decoctions of Chinese herbal medicine are the first choice for heat elimination because the dosage and combination of ingredients can be adjusted according to each individual's actual condition. For example, if there are symptoms of spleen and stomach deficiency and coldness accompanying the internal heat, warm-toned Chinese herbs can be added during the prescription to neutralize the damage to the spleen and stomach caused by the heat-eliminating herbs. This effect cannot be achieved with over-the-counter Chinese patent medicines. If some young people find it troublesome to decoct the herbs at home, they can also purchase powdered Chinese herbal medicines from the hospital and simply dissolve them in water for consumption at home. The effect is not much different from that of decocting the herbs.
In addition, for people with mild symptoms such as frequent nosebleeds or bleeding gums, they can choose Chinese herbs such as honeysuckle, dandelion, chrysanthemum, and thistle. They can be made into juice or boiled in water and taken continuously for about a week. It should be noted that people with spleen and stomach deficiency and frequent diarrhea should not use these remedies.
Heat-eliminating Chinese patent medicines: Do not exceed 1 week of use
If Chinese patent medicines are chosen to eliminate internal heat, it is important to select the appropriate medicine based on the symptoms. For example, for those with excessive heart fire, they can use Dao Chi Dan under the guidance of a doctor; for those with excessive lung fire, they can use Ling Yang Qing Fei Wan under the guidance of a doctor; for those with excessive liver fire, they can use Long Dan Xie Gan Wan under the guidance of a doctor; for those with excessive stomach fire, they can use Niu Huang Qing Wei Wan under the guidance of a doctor; for those with excessive fire due to deficiency, they can use Liu Wei Di Huang Wan under the guidance of a doctor.
It should be noted that for patients using Chinese patent medicines to eliminate heat, the general treatment recommendation is to use them for 3 to 7 days. If the symptoms do not improve after 1 week, medical attention is necessary.
