B. Clear Heat
Anti-bacterial, Anti-pyretic, Anti-inflammatory
Medicines that clear Heat are used for conditions associated with Heat, Fever, infection and Inflammation. They tend to be Anti-bacterial, Anti-pyretic, Anti-inflammatory and Sedative.
As there are many types of medicines that clear Heat they are divided into several different categories.
It is worth noting the the Four Greater Cold Seeds, used widely in Greek, European and Unani medicine, are gentle, nourishing and safe, and are applicable in many Heat conditions depending on the medicines they are combined with. They also clear Heat-Phlegm and Heat-Damp conditions without drying or damaging the Yin. They support the Yin and were used in Yin tonic formula. They are therefore some of the most widely applicable medicines to clear Heat, although mild in nature.
Use with other Medicines:
1. Various categories of Heat-clearing medicines are combined. For example, medicines that clear Damp-Heat (Coptis, Barberry, Gentian) are often combined with medicines to clear Heat and Poison to enhance the effect of clearing acute Heat and Toxin, such as acute Sore Throat, Spotted Fevers, Influenza etc.
2. Combined with purgatives (Rhubarb) to purge excess Heat and Toxin.
3. With Yin tonics to treat Deficient Heat
4. With medicines for Internal Wind for Wind disorders with Heat.
5. With Diuretics for acute Urinary Tract Infections.
6. With aromatics (medicines to Move Qi) to prevent the congealing and stagnating effects of Cold medicines.
7. With Qi tonics to increase immunity in chronic infections, recurring infections, and Heat diseases with deficiency.
8. With Warming medicines for combined Heat and Cold (for example, Stomach Cold with Liver Heat, or Heart Fire with Kidney Yang deficiency).
9. With Blood-moving medicines for chronic Inflammation.
i. Clear Strong Heat or Fire (Click to expand)
These medicines are Anti-pyretic, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-bacterial, and Sedative. They clear strong heat, so are used for high fevers, with a strong, forceful pulse, dry or yellow tongue coat, with restlessness, thirst, possibly leading to delirium and coma.
1. Strong Liver Heat: strong headache, red face, irritability, bitter taste; severe cases may leading to hemorrhage. Hyperfunction of the autonomic nervous system and Hyperthyroidism are examples.
2. Strong Gastric Heat: thirst, bitter taste, bad breath, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, swelling and bleeding of the gums, as seen in gastritis, gingivitis and acute gastroenteritis.
3. Strong Lung Heat: rapid short breath, coughing, sticky yellow mucus, as seen in severe Lung infections such as pneumonia.
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Gypsum Shi Gao Anemarrhena Zhi Mu Self Heal Xia Ku Cao Camphor Sorrel Bugle Water Lily |
Calcite Han Shui Shi Gardenia Zhi Zi Phragmites Lu Gen Tabasheer Wood Sorrel Purslane Violet |
–Bile; Blood of various Animals: Pig, Goose
–Horns of a Buffalo, Bull, Cow, Ram, Goat etc.; Tusks of a Boar
–Pearl, Coral
TCM:
Lophatherum Dan Zhu Ye, Buddleja Mi Meng Hua, Eriocaulon Gu Jing Cao, Cassia seed Jue Ming Zi, Lotus Plumule Lian Zi Xin, Celosia seed Qing Xiang Zi, Trichosanthes root Tian Huan Fen
Vespertilio Ye Ming Sha (Bat Feces)
ii. Clear Heat (Click to expand)
These Medicines clear Heat in general. Heat is associated with Fever, Inflammation, a feeling of Heat in the body etc. These medicines have a general effect of clearing heat and are therefore used in a myriad of diseases associated with Heat.
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Apple Pomegranate Quince Emblic Myrobalan Cassia Fistula Dandelion Endive Eyebright Rose Willow |
Lemon Watermelon Barley Prunes Tamarind Chicory Spinach Maidenhair Sandalwood Wood Sorrel |
Four Lesser Cold Seeds: Chicory, Endive, Lettuce, Purslane
Bile
Vinegar
Pearl, Red Coral
Others
–Borage, Horsetail, Plantain, Purslane, Comfrey
–Bile of: Pig, Cow, Rabbit
iii. Clear Heat and Damp (Click to expand) These medicines generally clear Bile Humor
Heat and Damp together primarily affect the hollow organs which carry fluid through them, especially the Bladder, Gall Bladder and Bowels. The Heat (infection, inflammation) is combined with Damp (liquid) to cause symptoms like diarrhea (foul, smelly, burning), urinary tract infections (burning, painful, high-colored urine), cholecystitis etc.
These drugs are generally Cold and dry, Bitter, and clear both Heat and Damp, usually being Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory, Antiphlogistic and Detoxifying, and are often Diuretic as well. They are among the Coldest and strongest Antibacterial medicines used. They may also be used topically to the eyes, skin, genitals, etc. for heat or inflammation of them.
Being Cold and Dry, they are apt to damage the Spleen and weaken the digestion if overused.
However, small doses are used as bitter tonics to stimulate digestion as an apertif.
They are most used for:
1. Large Intestine: Fever, with Diarrhea or Constipation, Dysentery, watery stools etc.
2. Gall Bladder: Jaundice with Fever; Cholecystitis
3. Liver Heat, red eyes, headache, irritability
4. Bladder: Heat, pain and inflammation of the urinary system; Cystitis, Dysuria
5. Heat or Bile disorders; Infection or Inflammations in general
iv. Clear Heat, Cool the Blood (Click to expand)
They are Cold and Bitter, but some are Moist and mildly Sweet. They enter the Blood level in particular. These herbs are Febrifuge, Detoxicant, Antibacterial and Hemostatic.
They are used for cases where Heat has entered the blood. This occurs:
1. When an Acute Epidemic Heat disease penetrates from the exterior of the body (group A herbs) into the Blood. This manifests in the culminant or late stage of infections, where Fever becomes more severe, the tongue is dark red and dry, the pulse is fast, and perhaps becoming more weak. This may be associated with septicemia, and there maybe bleeding from the skin, nose, stool etc.
2. Heat in the blood also causes an excess and inflammatory condition of the blood, causing capillary leakage, and therefore, subcutaneous bleeding, epistaxis, and hematemesis.
3. Most commonly in clinical practice, Blood Heat is seen in various chronic skin conditions including acne, eczema and various other chronic skin disease associated with redness, infection or inflammation.
–Bistort, Borage, Columbine, Comfrey, Tormentil, Yellow Dock
–Red Earth, Red Coral, Bile, Snails, Slugs
TCM:
Celosia cristata flower Ji Guan Hua, Hibiscus root Fu Rong,
v. Clear Deficient Heat (Click to expand)
Deficient Heat represents a group of Heat-like symptoms caused by a deficiency of the Body Yin, rather than from excess Heat. Due to chronic Heat disease, old age, or other chronic weakness, the bodies Yin becomes weak which allows Heat to rise in the body.
Symptoms include low-grade Fever (especially in the afternoon or night), Night Sweats, weak but fast pulse, dryness of the mouth etc. This is most commonly seen in diseases such as Tuberculosis, Chronic Fevers, and end-stage Cancer.
Deficient Heat usually affects the Yin of one of the following organs:
i. Lung Yin Deficient Heat: chronic dry cough, coughing Blood, chest Pain, Night Sweats
ii. Stomach Yin Deficient Heat: Malar Flush, Dry Mouth, Toothache, Night Sweats
iii. Kidney Yin Deficient Heat: Night Sweats, Dry Mouth, chronic Lower Back Pain
Medicines used must clear the Deficient Heat whole simultaneously nourishing Yin. Some of these medicines also clear True Heat, while others are primarily Yin tonics.
4 Greater Cold Seeds
vi. Clear Heat and Toxin (Click to expand)
This group has the Heat-clearing, Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory effects of other medicines that clear Heat, but have the added effect of clearing poison. When there is a Heat disease, with Fever, a feeling of being unwell and tired, there is also Poison. The Poison referred to is usually a by-product of bacterial infection as may be seen in boils and hot swellings, as well as certain infectious diseases.
These herbs are most commonly used for:
1. Purulent Infections, such as Sores, Internal Abscesses, Boils, Appendicitis, Mastitis etc.
2. Dysentery
3. Certain Infectious Diseases such as Mumps, Scarlet Fever, Encephalitis etc.
4. Sometimes these herbs can be used for other types of Poisons, such as China root being useful for poisoning by Mercury, and Plantain being useful for various venomous bites and stings.
Echinacea
Blood of a Goose, Duck
Viper, Toad, Wasp Nest; Snails; Bezoar; Burnt Deer Horn
Arsenic, Mercury, Cinnabar, Gold
TCM:
Andrographis Chuan Xin Lian, Canarium Qing Guo, Potentilla Wei Ling Cai, Menispermum Bei Dou Gen, Bidens Gui Zhen Cao. Rabdosia Dong Ling Cao, Mukia Mao Er Gua,
Ayurveda:
Andrographis, Centella, Hemidesmus
Chinese Classification