Among the most commonly used remedies in folk medicine is boiling Chinese yam root in water to treat sore throat and swelling. However, Chinese yam root has an extremely bitter taste, even more bitter than the herb Huang Lian. Many people find it difficult to drink. Below, we will introduce two different ways to use Chinese yam root.
1. Sore Throat
Chinese yam root is bitter and cold in nature. It is effective in clearing lung heat, relieving sore throat, and reducing swelling. It is a key herb for treating sore throat caused by heat and toxins.
It can be used alone for mild cases, such as grinding the herb and taking it with vinegar as described in the book "Yong Lei Qian Fang." For severe cases, it is often used in combination with herbs such as Platycodon grandiflorum, Gardenia jasminoides, and Forsythia suspensa, as in the prescription Qing Liang San described in "Zeng Bu Wan Bing Hui Chun."
If treating throat obstruction caused by milk moth, it can be combined with herbs like Fritillaria thunbergii, pollen typhae, and Ophiopogon japonicus, as in the prescription Shan Dou Gen Tang described in the book "Ci You Xin Shu."
2. Gingival Swelling and Pain
Chinese yam root is bitter and cold in nature and enters the Stomach meridian. It clears Stomach fire and is therefore effective in treating gingival swelling and pain, as well as oral ulcers caused by Stomach fire. It can be used alone by making a decoction for gargling, or in combination with gypsum, coptis rhizome, cimicifuga, and moutan bark.
Chinese yam root is widely used in clinical practice, mostly for treating sore throat, viral hepatitis, and certain tumors.
Although Chinese yam root has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, relieving sore throat, and reducing swelling, it also comes with serious toxic side effects. Chinese yam root is toxic, and if used excessively, it can cause symptoms of poisoning such as vomiting and abdominal pain.
