Sweating, in Chinese medicine, refers to perspiration, which can eliminate edema.
Edema is caused by a variety of reasons, such as the lungs being out of control, the spleen being out of control, the kidneys being out of control, and the triple jiao being unfavorable to qi and chemistry, resulting in the accumulation of fluid and overflowing of skin and the onset of disease. The three basic principles of edema treatment are sweating, diuresis, and diarrhea to expel water.
Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han Dynasty pointed out in “The Essentials of the Golden Chamber” that “swelling above the waist will be cured when sweating is performed”. The representative type of the syndrome is the syndrome of wind-water interplay (wind and water invading the skin, manifesting as edema of the eyelids and limbs), in which swelling of the eyelids, followed by swelling of the limbs and the whole body, accompanied by coldness (fear of cold), fever, and dysuria (unruly urination) are seen clinically.
Clinically, to treat wind-water edema, we can relieve wind and clear away heat, promote the lungs to move water, and use Yue maidservant plus artichoke soup with subtractions to carry out the treatment.
If there is any discomfort, it is recommended to actively consult a doctor and standardize the treatment under the guidance of a professional Chinese medicine practitioner to avoid delaying the condition by self-medication.