Shang Huo

Shang Huo is a Chinese folk term, known to medical professionals as "excessive internal heat". It describes the heat within the body, "Shang Huo" could happen to anyone and it is significant to human health, since it May Be likely to cause other serious diseases such as cold, fever and pneumonia. "Shan Huo" can be treated through the eating and drinking food materials that produce a cooling effect."Shang Huo" could be explained through the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which belongs and categorizes it as a heat syndrome of TCM ("Traditional Chinese medicine," 2016). Therefore, "Shang Huo" is mainly demonstrated by the emergence of specific symptoms, such as eye redness, pimples on the skin, yellow urine, toothache and sore throat (Cohen, n.d.). Framed within these symptoms, it could be easier to understand that the terms explain a situation of internal body imbalances especially a compromise to the immune system ("Traditional Chinese medicine," 2016). Traditionally, "Shang Huo" was believed to be more prevalent during hot, windy, cold and humid weather.

Causes

To understand the causes of "Shang Huo", one must review the TCM from the principle of "yin" and "yang" that relate to the existence of duality in the Chinese life. "Yin" and "Yang" imbalances, such as more "yang" causes the body heat to be too high, due to a higher energy content (Cohen, n.d.). The conventional theory medicines theories do not recognize the idea that microorganisms are the cause of diseases but rather energy or heat imbalance between the internal and the external body environment (Cohen, n.d.). The consumption of "yang" (like spicy foods or CoFFEE) causes their bodies to react through reality heat which is manifested through the ulcers in their mouths. Due to the continuous presence of "yang" and "yin" food throughout the season, "Shang Huo" is a reality within China. With the increased adoption of modern medicine, the people are forgetting AbOUT the role of nature in their lives, thus the reason for "Shang Huo",a lot can be learned from the TCM eating habits, consuming a balanced food fuels its immunity (TaiChigirl, 2014). TCM principles could be adopted to solve the long-term individual health matters since bad eating habits are the major causes of "Shang Huo" in China.

Cause by Food

Food as the major source of bodily energy has a significant role in the causes of "Shang Huo"."Shang Huo" is more complex because internal heat depends on the type of food consumed (Traditional Chinese medicine, 2016)."Yin" and "Yang" is an overall category in which all food materials can be classified (Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2016). High and lower heat seasons cause manifestation of "Shang Huo" if the right nutrition is adopted. "Yin" foods being cold should be taken in when the temperatures are lower contrary to "yang" foods. In addition, the major reasons behind heat generation are the calories content of the materials.

"Yin" food

"Yin" refers to food that generates cooling within the body after consumption. Their accumulation effect is visible through its manifestation on the skin as red pimples or any other human body discomforts. Foods that refers to "Yin" include; soya products, apples, yogurt and watermelons.

"Yang" food

"Yang" foods are understood to cause bodily heat effect, which is visible as ulcers in the mouth. Examples of "Yang" foods include coffee, deep fried food products, alcohols and some fruits, such as mangoes (TaiChigirl, 2014).

Cause by environment

As highlighted earlier ‘real fire’ within the environment is also a major cause of "Shang Huo". Changes of the natural conditional such as temperatures affect the appearance of heat symptoms (Zhan, 2016). Chinese medicine identifies six causes of "Shang Huo" that are related to energy variations between the body and external environment. This includes heat, cold, dampness, summer heat and dryness. The causes of imbalance with food are foods influence the functioning of the body immune system and cause the appearance of symptoms.

Summer

From the perspectives of the TCM, the body heat usually gets higher during summer. Heat imbalances in the blood and body organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, stomach and in the renal system are causes of "Shang Huo’ during summer (Traditional Chinese medicine, 2016). During this time, people are suggested to maintain their body heat through increasing the amount of heat energy within their bodies. This principle assists the body to withstand the heat in the external environment. When summer arrives, most of the Chinese people are susceptible to the summer sickness that makes "Shang Huo" to be common in the China.

Spring (coldness, dampness and wind)

Likewise, people may also suffer "Shang Huo" effects due to coldness, dampness and wind if they do not keep their energy balance through guidelines of TCM in spring (Xiao, 2011). Coldness saps the body energy while dampness and wind stirs heat distribution and breathing in the body influencing the functioning of its organs ("Traditional Chinese medicine," 2016).

Symptoms

A balance of energy within the body also helps to ensure that the body system work in harmony for good health in TCM (Cohen, n.d.). Therefore, the amount of energy can lead to imbalances and hence, manifestation of the disease symptoms. For this reason, the Chinese medicine is a remedy for restoring derailed body functions (Cohen, n.d.). In addition, the TCM philosophies identify blood as the energy transporter mechanism that ensures that each body organ and tissues have energy balances (Zhan, 2016). Therefore, the excesses or limited heat makes major organs served by blood to give outward symptoms. Depending on the causes, TCM identifies that the basic anatomical organs of the body require energy to achieve their primary functions associated with physical wellness (Yeung, et al., 2016). It considers them as the lungs, heart, liver, stomach and the renal system.

Heart heat

Energy imbalances high/low in the heart causes impairment of blood functions such as excretion, respiration and secretion among other vital roles. Due to malfunction of the major organs of the body that require blood and energy, one may feel weary when they get in a blazing sun or restrained in doing activities under cold. High heat in the body temperature rises due to increased blood flow thus one becomes hyperactive and talkative with a high thirst for cold drinks together with increased pulse rates ("Traditional Chinese medicine," 2016). Heart heat symptoms include heart attacks, confused speech, dry mouth band boils. Contrary in the cold, reduced heat signs are, fever, chills, paleness and inactivity. They result from lower pulse rates that minimize its supply to the organs.

Lung heat

Energy in the lung is also affected by dryness, dampness and wind. External dryness dehydrates the lungs causing asthmatic conditions, difficulties in breathing, coughs, chest pains and fever. When people are in damp and windy areas, more vapors are breathed in, which takes more capacity in the lungs, minimizing their activity, which leads to stuffy chests and headaches.

Stomach and liver heat

Heat flow in the liver and the stomach is greatly dependent on the flow of blood (Xiao, 2011). The balanced circulation is mainly affected by dampness, coldness, or heat conditions of the environment. When the sogginess invades the stomach, it reduces its internal heat causing it to be stuffy with ingestion, diarrhea, nausea, upsets and loss of appetite (Yeung, et al., 2016). Dampness in the interior fluids influences the functioning of the liver spleen reducing its sections causing tumors.

Renal heat

When dampness is in the interior body fluids, the harmony of the renal system is influenced and causes the appearance of tumors (Xiao, 2011). In addition, it leads to reduced absorption of water in the kidney, which is manifested through high rates of urination.

TCM theory suggests that the energy balance of the internal organs is vital for the whole body health (Traditional Chinese medicine, 2016). In addition, the theory stipulates that everyone was born with a specific amount of internal body energy that is initially utilized after birth. To maintain individual wellness, the energy should be replaced and a proper balance has to be considered for continuous harmony (Kövecses, 2002). Usually, when external factors such as cold, heat, dampness and wind invade body organs, they cause imbalances that are associated with poor physical health and cause the symptoms to appear (Zhan, 2016). When these factors get to the internal body environment, they result to more serious health issues. For example, extreme external influences may cause pneumonia that could be fatal. Notably, these issues are a reflection of a compromised immune system making body susceptible to diseases.

Treatment

TCM holds that the human body imbalance of "Yin" and "Yang" will cause "Shang Huo". The solution is to reduce internal heat by taking nourishing "Yin", clearing heat with detumescence detoxification drugs (Zhan, 2016).

The Chinese traditional medicine formula assists in restoring the energy or heat balance in the body and has beneficial results to all aspects of an individual's wellness in the mind, physical body and spirit (Alternative & Medicine, 2016). In addition, TCM works efficiently in restoring imbalances that have caused pain or illness and even prevent the appearance of the diseases after influence but before the symptoms appear.

The most accepted treatment methods that address heat imbalances are nutritional therapeutics or food therapy, Acupuncture, cupping, massage, use of herbal medicine, specific Chinese exercises as wells incorporation of the westernized-scientific treatments like adequate sleeping ("Traditional Chinese medicine," 2016). These TCM medicines have an extended history of more than three centuries. They are also localized treatments

To treat heart syndrome "Shang Huo" through maintaining a balance, several strategies have been used including draining excess heat from the body, clearing heat away and cooling, nourishment, and detoxification (Xiao, 2011). However, in the TCM history, much attention has been paid to food therapy that involve the use of dueling food components- "yang" and "yin" (Xiao 2016). The approaches of these methods involve various formulas that assist in harmonizing energy needs between the exterior environment and the interior body surfaces as well as the homeostatic environment and the essential body organs. According to the TCM theories, the body is guarded by the skin from pathogenic attack; therefore, internal factors are the determinants of the appearance of symptoms. In treating exterior heat mostly herbs have been used, and major symptoms treated are coughs, asthma, skin infection, and asthma among other diseases.

A purgative formula is recommended to remove heat in the abdominal system that causes loss of appetite and poor digestion. Moistening foods are considered to be used to treat dampening issues in the stomach while Greasy nourishments are used since most of them are difficult to digest. Ina addition, it promotes digestion and the function of the liver food materials that increase gastric activity such as reddish seed and fruits from the digestive formula.

In harmonizing internal energy, replenishment formula that balances the heat in blood a replacement formula that ensures a balance of nourishment and loss of heat from the organs to the blood is recommended (Alternative & Medicine, 2016). In addition, acupuncture assists in influencing the internal heat through physical stimulation through massage, cupping or by use of sharp needles. The therapy facilitates restoration of hormonal balance and removes pain beyond the body surface. The art of using needles to the affected points of the body reduces the energy to the identified meridians. Acupuncture has been the most recognized therapeutic from in eliminating the symptoms of "Shang Huo" (Alternative & Medicine, 2016).

Since "Shang Huo" involves an increase in internal energy, thus eliminating the heat formulas is recommended for treatments (Xiao, 2011). Mostly energy in blood are to be regulated with therapies and nourishment ingredients that allow smooth flow of blood and prevent leakage of fluids. Moreover, the Shang Hour causing factors are to be eliminated through activities that reduce the internal heat that ranges from not dressing in clothes that make one so warm, eating and drinking food products that have a cooling effect as well as eating vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables (Xiao, 2011). Refrigerated foods and ice beverages through have a quick relief; they distort normal body sweating that allows the natural release of the internal heat.

See also

• Traditional Chinese Medicine
• yin and yang
• Thermoregulation

References

• Cohen, M. R. Understanding Chinese medicine: What is it? Retrieved November 10, 2016. http://www.docmisha.com/understanding/what.htm
• Yeung, W. F., Chung, K. F., Zhang, N. L. W., Zhang, S. P., Yung, K. P., Chen, P. X., & Ho, Y. Y. (2016). Identification of Chinese medicine syndromes in persistent insomnia associated with major depressive disorder: a latent tree analysis. Chinese medicine, 11(1), 1.
• Zhan, K. (2016). Embodiment in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Discourse: Healing, Silence and the Miracle Cure
• Kövecses, Z. (2002). Emotion concepts: Social constructionism and cognitive linguistics. The Verbal Communication of Emotions. Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 109-124
• Xiao, W. J., Han, X. F., Tan, Z. L., Tang, S. X., Gong, Z. H., Bamikole, M. A., & Ren, G. P. (2011). Milk powder induced lipid peroxidation reduction using Ku Ding tea (Lactuca taiwaniana Maxim) in rats. Journal of food science and technology, 48(4), 447-453.
• Alternative, J. of, & Medicine, C. (2016, April 21). Traditional Chinese medicine: In depth. Retrieved November 10, 2016, from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm