Cool Tips for a Hot Summer

By Eric Aufdencamp, L.Ac.

This article focuses on several common home remedies you can use to deal with the heat of summer season.

In Chinese medicine, the summer season corresponds to the Heart. The flavor of the Heart is bitter. Fire is the element associated with the Heart, and red is the color. Fire tends to go upward in the body, just as we know that heat rises in a building.

In herbal medicine, the bitter taste causes descent. When there is excess heat, bitter can help to drain that heat downward. When we prescribe a formula to clear excess heat, we tell our patients that mild diarrhea or loose stools can occur. Heat is being cleared through the bowels. Excess heat in the body dries up the fluids, so it’s important to keep it in check.

Sweat is considered a by-product of the blood in Chinese medicine, so for people with blood deficiency (weak constitutions), it’s important not to sweat excessively or for prolonged periods of time.

Summer-Heat Exhaustion:
If you are out in the sun too long, a quick short-term food therapy you can utilize is watermelon. It is extremely cooling and is excellent at treating severe heat exhaustion. The white meat that is close to the peel is the strongest heat clearing part of the melon. It helps the yin that was depleted from sweating too much.

Pink-Eye (Conjunctivitis):
Make a compress of chrysanthemum or chamomile tea and place over the affected area 3 to 9 times a day depending on the severity of the condition. These two herbs are bitter and have anti-bacteria and anti-viral properties.

Diarrhea:
In Chinese medicine, strong-smelling diarrhea that occurs in the summertime, is often due to damp-heat. The patent remedy Huo Xiang Cheng Qi Tang is an excellent short-term remedy. It can often times be effective for diarrhea from other causes, especially the stomach flu. This remedy is in the first-aid and travel kit sold at the Clinic.

Burns:
For burns of any kind, the Clinic’s burn cream is an excellent remedy that can usually prevent blistering and soothes the pain very quickly. It can stain, so be careful to protect your clothes or sheets. Another remedy that is excellent for burns is lavender essential oil. It is suggested that only medicinal grade oils be used for topical application. The Clinic only sells essential oils that are medical grade and have not been adulterated.

Insect Bites:
White flower oil is a liniment used for inflammatory pain that is worse with heat. It is also an excellent remedy to apply to insect bites. It can help soothe the itching and irritation. It may even be applied for prevention. The strong odor helps mask the natural body scent that attracts most insects.

Poison Ivy:
Due to rising carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere, poison ivy abundance has increased. Studies have shown that increased carbon dioxide levels have also created stronger strains of urushiol, the oil from the plant that makes the skin itch.

A product called Tech-nu Extreme is great to have at home in case of exposure. Tech-nu Extreme is sold at CVS. Use it to wash all the areas that have been, or have possibly been, in contact with poison ivy. The soap is very effective at washing away the urushiol.

The Clinic has blended an essential oil, which is very effective at soothing the irritation and helping the skin heal, if the urushiol has been in contact with the skin long enough to cause an irritation.

Summer First Aid: Using Essential Oils

By M. Cissy Majebe, L.Ac.

As we enter the summer season, there are a number of hazards to which we are exposed. These include insect bites, bee stings, sunburn and a greater likelihood of scrapes and tears, as children and adults alike return to playing outside.

Essential oils are a great way to treat many of these aggravations.

You may have tried essential oils in the past, but it is important that you have good quality oils. I do not recommend the essential oils that are purchased in local retail stores. There are oils that are used for aromatherapy, and there are oils that are medical grade. Medical grade essential oils can be used topically and internally. Oils that are not medical grade are often extracted with solvents or could be adulterated with less expensive or less pure oils.

Here are a few recommendations for using essential oils in this upcoming season. Before using essential oils, remember to only utilize medical grade oils for topical applications.

BEE STINGS AND INSECT BITES:

· Use Tea Tree, Ho Leaf and Eucalyptus Radiata essential oils
· Blend 20 drops of Tea Tree, 10 drops of Ho Leaf, 10 drops of Eucalyptus Radiata
· Apply directly to the area of the bee sting every one half hour until discomfort reduces and then 4-6 times a day

SUNBURN:

· Use a combination of Niaouli, Lavender and Frankincense
· Blend 10 drops of both Niaouli and Frankincense, and 20 drops of Lavender in a one third ounce of almond oil
· Apply topically to the area of the burn every hour while awake until the discomfort is relieved

Your Children: Their Burns, Bruises & “Owees”

By Junie Norfleet, L.Ac.

The weather warmer, and the children being outside more, brings sunburns, insect bites, scrapes, and bruises.

For the prevention of sunburn, we suggest that you follow the suggestions of Dr. Michael Holick, a vitamin D researcher, who suggests that you determine how long it takes for your skin to turn pink and then spend only ¼ of that time outdoors without protection.

If you stay out longer, apply sunscreen and/or add additional clothing to protect the body. Repeat this several times a week, exposing at least 50% of your body each time. This allows your body to get adequate Vitamin D without being "burned" by the sun.

We suggest you check the website: www.cosmeticdatabase.com to investigate safe sunscreen lotions. The first two listed that best meet the study's criteria for safe, low hazard products are:

• California Baby SPF 30+Sun block Stick No Fragrance
• Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen

If there is sunburn, the symptoms are:

• First degree burn - pink skin, some pain, minimal peeling;
• Second degree burn - significant redness of the skin; in some instances blisters with clear, watery fluid; extreme pain lasting several days; significant peeling;
• More severe burns - chills, fever, nausea, vomiting, mild dehydration.

In some instances heat stroke can occur with rapid onset symptoms of fever greater than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, hot skin, confusion and loss of consciousness. Heat exhaustion symptoms are slower in onset and include cold and clammy skin, extreme sweating but no fever. Heat stroke and/or exhaustion occur due to dehydration, so be sure to stay hydrated.

If there are parts of the body that get missed and therefore "burned," the Chinese Acupuncture Clinic carries a burn cream that is excellent to help soothe the burned skin, whether the burn is from the sun or from a stove or campfire. It helps to cool the heat sensation as well as heal the area.

For insect bites, a blend of essential oils including Basil and Cedarwood is available to help reduce the irritation, itching, and pain. If you decide to create a blend for yourself, please be cautious with Basil for prepubescent children and pregnant women, as Basil can exhaust yang qi. To protect yourself and your children from insect bites, diffuse White Camphor oil in the area as an insect repellant, or use a hydrosol of Citronella, Cedarwood, Peppermint, and Geranium.

For scrapes, we suggest that you wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. Soaps with essential oils are good to use since all essential oils are antimicrobial. If the scrape is in an area that is going to be hard to heal due to bending of a joint or body part, we suggest using Zi Cao ointment to keep the area soft and pliable while it heals.

For more serious injuries with unbroken skin, we suggest Dit Da tincture. For sprains and strains, we suggest massaging Dit Da on the injured area several times daily. This tincture is wonderful to move stagnant blood and qi and to help the area to heal. The alcohol base causes it to be best for injuries without broken skin.

We at the Chinese Acupuncture Clinic want you and your children to have safe and happy outdoor time. We encourage you to supply your "first aid kits" with some of the above mentioned items to help ensure good health.