5. Smiling in the Sunlight

5. Smiling in the Sunlight

Question: Yesterday, I watched a traditional Chinese medicine program about summer health preservation for liver and gallbladder fire. It said that for young people with excess liver and gallbladder fire, the focus should be on clearing heat, using Shugan Hewei Wan and Longdan Xiegan Wan. For elderly people, however, it’s not advisable to clear heat; instead, they should nourish yin and clear fire. Is this correct? My mother is 58 years old and recently has experienced dizziness, dry eyes, excessive eye discharge, bitter taste in mouth, and chest and flank distension. If following the principle of nourishing yin and clearing fire, what medicine should she take?

Answer: For elderly people, having excess fire doesn’t necessarily mean they need to nourish yin and clear fire; it depends on the specific condition. If the excess fire is caused by hypertension, then nourishing yin and clearing fire is appropriate; if it’s inflammation in the head and face, such as pharyngitis, rhinitis, or conjunctivitis, then there’s no need to nourish yin and clear fire. Your mother’s symptoms indicate liver qi stagnation, which over time turns into fire. From a Western medical perspective, we should consider: ① cholecystitis; ② hepatitis; ③ hypertension. The first two require soothing the liver and clearing fire, while the third requires nourishing yin and clearing fire.

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