What is herbal therapy

Herbal therapy is a traditional healing method that uses the whole plant, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, and secretions of natural plants as raw materials. It is used to prevent discomfort, relieve mild symptoms, and assist in regulating the body's condition. The inspiration for the development of many modern Western medicines also comes from this. The well-known artemisinin is extracted from Artemisia annua.

I have been practicing herbal medicine for almost 6 years, and the users I have come into contact with range from mothers who are preparing for pregnancy to regulate Qi and blood, to office workers who always suffer from allergic rhinitis when the seasons change. Not long ago, I met a girl who often stayed up late. Her oral ulcers were so painful that she could not even drink ice cream. Without the use of Western medicine patches, I used mashed fresh dandelion to apply on the ulcer, and then brewed warm dandelion root tea for three days in a row. It disappeared a full two days faster than trying to carry it.

But when it comes to herbal therapy, the controversy has never ceased. Many people who admire herbal medicine think that it is "purely natural, which means it has no side effects." I am the first to disagree with this. I usually encounter too many problems caused by random combinations: Some people heard that Polygonum multiflorum multiflorum hair was produced, and they bought unprocessed raw Polygonum multiflorum and boiled it in water to drink. After drinking it for less than a week, signs of liver damage appeared. ； Some people blindly follow the trend and drink dampness-removing tea because their spleen and stomach are weak and cold. After drinking it for half a month, they have diarrhea every day and feel weak and weak.

Traditional herbal practitioners pay more attention to individual adaptability. Take common constipation as an example. If you have been suffering from internal heat after eating a lot of spicy food recently, drinking some water soaked in hemp seeds and cassia seeds is really helpful. However, if you are a person with weak Qi and unable to push the intestines, you will only become more weak as you drink. It will only work if it is combined with raw materials such as Astragalus and Codonopsis pilosula that can replenish the body temperature. The mainstream view of modern medicine is that the dosage of the active ingredients of herbal raw materials is not fixed, and most of the mechanisms of action have not been fully studied. It is definitely not recommended to replace regular treatment, especially for people with underlying diseases. Self-administered herbal prescriptions are likely to interact with the Western medicines they are taking, and instead aggravate the condition.

I met an uncle with type 2 diabetes before. Hearing from his neighbor that drinking bitter melon water can lower his blood sugar, he secretly stopped his anti-diabetic medicine. After drinking it for half a month, he went for a follow-up check. His blood sugar soared to 19.8. His family was so frightened that they rushed him to the hospital. This kind of lesson is really a lot of lessons. In fact, many people now either tout herbal therapy as a miracle medicine or downgrade it into a worthless IQ tax. In my opinion, it is more like the life experience passed down by the older generations. Occasionally, if you encounter minor problems such as headache, brain fever, internal heat, and constipation, it is okay to try it on the premise of confirming that you have no related allergies or underlying diseases. However, if you really encounter serious discomfort, you still have to seek a diagnosis from a regular doctor first. Do not use herbs as substitutes.