Fire Burnsaccording to TCM
Symptom family: Burns and Scalds
Parent symptom: Skin Burns
What is Fire Burns?
Fire burns, medically known as thermal injuries, occur when the skin and tissues are damaged due to exposure to flames. These injuries can range from superficial, affecting only the outer layer of the skin, to full-thickness burns, which penetrate deep and damage muscles and bones.
Symptoms can include redness, blistering, swelling, and severe pain. Immediate and appropriate treatment is critical to prevent complications and improve outcomes.
How does TCM view Fire Burns?
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perceives fire burns as an imbalance caused by an aggressive invasion of Heat that consumes the Body Fluids and injures the flesh. This Excess Heat can obstruct the flow of Qi and Blood, leading to pain and blisters.
TCM treatment focuses on clearing the Heat, promoting healing by restoring the flow of Qi and Blood, and nourishing the Body Fluids to repair the damaged tissue.
Causes of Fire Burns According to TCM
From the TCM perspective, fire burns are the result of excessive Heat penetrating the body's interior, leading to a disruption of Qi and Blood. This disturbance can be due to an Excess condition, where the Heat is intense and the damage is immediate, or a Deficient state, where the body's Yin is insufficient to shield against such intense Heat.
This can result in a variety of symptoms, such as redness, pain, and blisters, and each individual may present a unique pattern of imbalance that TCM seeks to address.