Winter Fire: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Summer is easily associated with getting "fire" in the body, which many people have experienced. However, winter is also prone to getting "fire" in the body. Before the holiday season, we should be wary of getting "fire" due to staying up late, fatigue, and diet, among other factors.

Dry weather is the "culprit" of getting "fire"

What needs attention is that irregular sleeping patterns, inadequate rest at night, and excessive fatigue are also important factors that lead to getting "fire." Especially before the holidays, everyone is busy working overtime to write summaries and do inventories. In order to have a more enjoyable holiday, they are willing to work hard and stay up late. This continuous state of working late at night is a direct cause for many people getting "fire."

Although in many people's perception, "coldness" and "getting fire" may not seem related, in fact, winter weather is dry and the air humidity is low. These factors can impair the purification function of the respiratory mucosa, directly leading to dry nose, dry throat, and affecting the balance and stability of the body's metabolism.

In addition, people tend to eat nourishing and warming foods in winter, such as beef and mutton. Yu Meixiang, a Chinese medicine expert, pointed out that beef and mutton itself have a warming property. Combined with spicy ingredients like onions, ginger, garlic, and chili, and nourishing ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, wolfberry, and angelica, it can be said that "fire is added to fire." When consumed, it can easily generate heat in the body, which is not easily dissipated, resulting in getting "fire."


Treating "fire" requires targeting the specific areas of "fire"

The term "getting fire" is commonly known. In fact, this term in Chinese medicine refers to the imbalance of yin and yang in the body, with excessive internal "fire." Under normal circumstances, the yin and yang in the human body should be balanced. However, if the yin is normal but the yang is excessive, it manifests as actual fire; alternatively, if the yang is normal but the yin is deficient, it manifests as virtual fire.

Different areas of "fire" require different treatments:

(1) Liver fire: People who are easily agitated are often referred to as having a "liver fire." In fact, the constitution commonly known as "liver fire" also has the following symptoms: dry mouth, bitter taste, bad breath, headache, dizziness, dry eyes, unstable sleep, hot body, and thick tongue coating. Treatment can be done with herbs like gentian grass and prunella vulgaris.
(2) Kidney fire: Main symptoms include dizziness, tinnitus, hair loss and loose teeth, restless sleep, irritability, thin body, and soreness in the waist and legs. Treatment can be done with herbs like rehmannia and motherwort.
(3) Stomach fire: It can be divided into two types, deficiency and excess. Deficiency fire is characterized by mild cough, reduced appetite, red tongue, less coating, constipation, and abdominal distention; while excess fire is characterized by discomfort in the upper abdomen, dry and bitter mouth, dry and hard stools, and yellow and greasy tongue coating. Medications like gypsum and anemarrhena can be used to clear stomach fire.
(4) Heart fire: It can also be divided into deficiency and excess. Deficiency fire is characterized by low fever, night sweats, restlessness, and dry mouth; while excess fire is characterized by recurrent mouth ulcers, swollen and painful gums, dry mouth, short and red urine, irritability, and easy anger. Treatment can be done with medications like coptis chinensis and lotus seeds to clear and calm the heart.
(5) Lung fire: Main symptoms include dry cough with little phlegm, blood in phlegm, sore throat, hoarseness, and hot flashes and night sweats. Chinese medicine commonly uses loquat leaves, mulberry bark, and licorice to clear lung fire.


Avoid drinking coffee and strong tea when getting "fire"

Poor diet can cause getting "fire," but it can also be adjusted through diet, and "food therapy" has unique effects. For example, drinking chrysanthemum tea or green tea every day, eating foods that moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements, and maintaining adequate sleep can effectively prevent getting "fire." Avoid eating spicy foods and drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables to prevent getting "fire." However, some foods should be eaten in moderation, such as citrus fruits, as consuming too much can also easily cause getting "fire."

In addition, there are also some methods to alleviate the symptoms of getting "fire." For example, when experiencing throat soreness, drinking diluted saltwater can help. Eating raw pears can also have a preventive effect and provide relief for oral ulcers. When getting acne on the face due to getting "fire," it is recommended to drink more water as it is the best way to detoxify the body. Yu Meixiang reminds that it is best not to drink coffee and strong tea when getting "fire," reduce sugar intake, and avoid drinking carbonated beverages.