| Healthy living | |
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Nose bleed (Epistaxis) Epistaxis or nose bleeding is a common complaint that is rather annoying than life-threatening. Everyone, from small child to grown-up, can be suffering from regularly returning bleeding of the nose. Mostly, it occurs spontaneously, the flowing amount of blood varies. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), three main patterns are diagnosed related to nose bleed:
To stop the bleeding in an acute case, it is recommended to get the body in an upright position and to put a cold, wet towel on forehead and neck of the patient. Please do not plug the nostrils; the blood needs to flow out. When the bleeding is very heavy and very regular, it is better to visit a doctor. Medicinal herbs can help to prevent regular occurrence of nose bleed and to improve the healing process of the underlying cause. Below please find some herbs that are often prescribed. Please do not use these herbs without consulting a TCM practitioner! Baical skullcap root (Huang Qin 黄琴)  Baical skullcap root is an essential herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as it is used to treat a diversity of sicknesses.
The plant is native to Eastern Asia (China, Mongolia, and Russia) and is cultivated in Europe and North America. It prefers sandy and rocky soils, also in greater altitudes. It grows up to 30 centimeters, has blue-colored blossoms and a yellow root (which is used for medical purpose).
Its properties include anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and even anti-cancer. Some studies reports that Huang Qin increases the activity of antibiotics against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It is also prescribed as anti-histamine medication to treat allergies and asthma. In TCM, baical skullcap root is mainly used to expel heat-dampness from the body and to dry fire and heat inside the body (due to its cooling effect). The root has a wide effect on heart, lung, gallbladder, stomach, large and small intestine. The taste of Huang Qin is bitter. Rhizome of the wooly grass (Bai Mao Gen 白茅根)  The wooly grass is native to Japan, China and other Asian regions. It grows in humid grounds on places with a lot of sun. The grass grows up to 50 centimeters throughout the year. In spring, the leaves have a green-yellowish color with red ends, during the summer the color of the whole leaf changes to dark-red. Because of this interesting color, the wooly grass is also cultivated in gardens in Europe and North America.
Bai Mao Gen is mainly prescribed due to its haemostatic properties for blood related illnesses such as nose bleeding. It dispels heat and cools the body. Furthermore, it has diuretic and antibacterial properties. The rhizomes are active on the lung, stomach, small intestine and bladder. The taste is sweet. In addition, the grass is used for cosmetic products as it contains a high value of potassium. Node of the lotus rhizome (Ou jie 藕 节)  Lotus is a subtropical water plant native to shallow waters in Asia and the Middle East. The plant consists of the rhizome (anchored in the mud), the disc-shaped leaves and the pink, blue or white-colored flowers. During the day, the blossom is open on the surface of the water. In the evenings, it closes and sinks underwater until it appears and reopens at sunrise the next day. The node which is used as medicinal herb is a sponge-like underwater part of the rhizome.
Lotus has been famous and well-known in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries. It is mainly prescribed to stop bleedings and to cleanse the blood. It also decreases blood pressure and fever. In general, the node has a positive effect on the liver, lung and the stomach. Overall, lotus supports the flow of Qi and thereby the self-healing of the body. Throughout Asia and especially India, both rhizome and leaves are eaten as vegetable raw or cooked in several dishes or drunk in form of tea. If you have questions about these herbs and the treatment with herbal remedies in general, please feel free to contact us. We are very happy to help! |
