Understanding Chinese Medicine & Qi Gong
Vital Health Zone is proud to announce Kay Hutchinson, who is our resident chinese medicine and qi gong expert and who is available to answer all your questions about chinese medicine and alternative health.
Kay has a private practice and is available for distance consultation, via telephone or email.
Kay answers all your chinese medicine and qi gong questions below:
Q: I have really blocked sinuses all the time. Recently I had severe sinusitis with fever, pain in my head and a bad infection. What can I do to make my sinuses better and prevent a sinus infection from happening in the future?
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A: The pain and discomfort of sinus pain, congestion and infection can feel miserable. Here are some natural solutions to healing these issues and preventing further occurrences.
For sinus infections, two classical Chinese formulations, "pe men kan wan" (also known as "te xiao bi min gan wan") and "yu ping feng pian" are helpful. Plum Flower (Mayway) and Guang Ci Tang brands are both GMP certified and meet United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA) standards for purity, a concern since many pre-made formulations produced in China contain heavy metals and other impurities.
Plum Flower brand can be found at local health food stores. Guang Ci Tang can be purchased through herbal practitioners such as myself via email requests or from the company that distributes this product, ActiveHerb.
The "pe men kan wan" and "te xiao bi man gan wan" will help drain and clear excessive dampness and mucus and is particularly effective for sinus infections that have a component related to allergy.
The "yu ping feng pian" helps to build the immunity system as well as drive out pathogens of a bacterial or viral nature. Its primary ingredient is astragalus, a very warming herb that is excellent for people who tend to have a cold constitution. Yet, since infections tend to be of a hot nature on an energy level, the "yu ping feng pian" formula also contains cooling herbs to balance the warming aspects of astragalus, so as not to aggravate the hot aspect of infection.
Loquat leaves are a natural moisturizer and can bring relief to sore, dry throat passages and may also help to moisturize nasal passages that have become dry due to environmental factors. Take a handful of the leaves (preferably fresh), and steep in 1 cup of water overnight. It is best decocted with room temperature water not hot water. Drink 1/8 to 1/4 cup of the fluid every 2-4 hours.
Lastly, some clients find it helpful to do nasal washes to clear the sinus passages but wait until the infection clears to do so. I recommend browsing the following link listed on the National Libraries of Medicine database for more information about the appropriateness and safety of nasal washes.
Please note that the information in this article is provided for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Consult with your medical physician regarding appropriateness of using herbs in your healing process.
Contact Kay Hutchinson, CAMQ, CAMT at Aiki Healing today for a consultation for a custom herbal formulation to balance sinus issues and dietary strategies to support upper respiratory health.
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Enjoy better health!
