Treating "women's diseases" with Traditional Chinese Medicine

Irregular menstruation, excessive vaginal discharge, menstrual cramps, etc., are very common "women's health problems."

Irregular menstruation, excessive vaginal discharge, menstrual cramps, etc., are very common "women's health problems." (Illustrative image)

Although not life-threatening, if you are careless, these diseases can cause serious consequences such as infertility, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, etc.

We would like to introduce to you some ways to treat "women's diseases" using easily accessible and readily available traditional Chinese medicine remedies that yield surprising results.

Irregular menstruation

For women, a menstrual cycle of 25-40 days is considered normal. However, if it's outside this cycle, such as having a period only once every two months or twice in one month, it's a sign of irregular menstruation.

Irregular menstruation can have many causes, such as excessive anxiety or emotional stress, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, or uterine inflammation or tumors. This phenomenon is also common in girls who have just gone through puberty or in women nearing menopause. However, if irregular menstruation persists, it can seriously affect future fertility.

The following remedy can be used to treat this disease: (Use only one remedy)

15g of bougainvillea flowers, 18g of motherwort, 10g of black beans, 30g of brown sugar. Boil one dose per day, divided into three portions. Drink five doses starting seven days before menstruation.

10g of hollyhock flowers, 8g of motherwort, 6g of black turmeric, 8g of mugwort. Boil one dose daily, divided into three portions, for five days, starting eight days before menstruation.

5g of *Hoa xu xi* (a type of herb), 15g of *Ích mẫu* (a type of herb), 10g of *Mải cứu* (a type of herb). Take one dose per day, divided into three portions. Drink five doses, starting seven days before menstruation.

Excessive vaginal discharge

Vaginal discharge is a white, mucousy fluid secreted from the vagina. This is commonly seen when women are about to have their period, or a few days after their period. However, when there is excessive discharge accompanied by itching and an unusual odor or color, it may be a sign of vaginal infections. For pregnant women, vaginal discharge accompanied by vaginal itching is very dangerous and requires early treatment.

When experiencing excessive vaginal discharge with a foul odor, you need to combine all three treatment methods—washing, steaming, and oral medication—to recover quickly, as this type of condition is very persistent and difficult to cure completely.

Vaginal wash: Crush fresh betel leaves to extract 100ml of juice, mix with 20ml of garlic juice and 10g of calcined alum. Soak a gauze pad in the mixture and wash the vagina, then cover with a sanitary pad and leave overnight. In the morning, remove the pad and wash again with warm, diluted saline solution. Continue this process until the vaginal discharge stops.

(How to make calcined alum: crush the alum into small pieces, place a cast iron pan on the stove and heat it, then pour the alum evenly on the bottom of the pan. Let it boil until it stops boiling, then remove the heat and let it cool. Scrape off the black and yellow layer clinging to the surface, keeping only the white part. Grind it into a fine powder, then sift it to make it smooth for use.)

Herbal steam treatment: Crush 100g of silverleaf (Aglaonema) leaves, add them to boiling water, and steam directly over the vaginal opening.

Oral medication: Take 20g each of burdock root, rice tree bark, and silver leaf, along with 80g of white peony root, decoct in 200ml of water, and drink twice a day.

Alternatively, take a moderate amount of cow's udder leaves, boil them thoroughly, then strain to remove the residue. Boil the mixture until it thickens into a paste. Drink three times a day, adding sugar to make it easier to drink, three tablespoons each time, before meals.

Some traditional Chinese medicine remedies for "women's ailments" use readily available ingredients and produce surprising results. (Illustrative image)

Abdominal pain during menstruation

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, menstrual cramps are called dysmenorrhea. Some people experience pain before, during, or after their period. The most common cause is hormonal imbalance during menstruation. Other possible causes include underlying medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Depending on individual constitution, the pain can manifest in various ways, from dull aches to severe pain, mild pain, or intense pain.

If you experience severe and prolonged menstrual pain, it's better to take medication to balance your hormones rather than just using painkillers to avoid harming your health. For more common menstrual cramps, you can try the following traditional Chinese medicine remedy:

8g of Cyperus rotundus, 8g of Angelica dahurica, 6g of Amomum villosum, 6g of Citrus reticulata peel, 12g of Leonurus artemisia, 12g of Achyranthes bidentata. Decoction to be taken in 5 doses, one dose per day before menstruation.

Alternatively: decoct 60g of motherwort and 0.6g of water chestnut and drink the resulting liquid twice a day.

Amenorrhea

Absence of menstruation for several months, sallow complexion, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, back pain... are all signs of amenorrhea.

Causes of amenorrhea: often due to irregular eating habits, poor nutrition, or excessive physical exertion leading to weakened spleen and stomach, resulting in insufficient blood production. Symptoms of amenorrhea include a yellowish complexion, fatigue, cold hands and feet, edema, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, bloating, poor appetite, and loose stools.

A herbal remedy for amenorrhea: 20g of Codonopsis pilosula, 12g of Atractylodes macrocephala, 16g of Dioscorea opposita, 16g of Coix lacryma-jobi, 12g of Lycium barbarum, 12g of Polygonum multiflorum, 12g of Spatholobus parviflorus, 12g of Achyranthes bidentata, 16g of Leonurus artemisia, 12g of Rehmannia glutinosa. Decoction to be taken once a day.

Alternatively, boil 50g of mugwort with 50g of motherwort and 0.5g of brown sugar, and drink the decoction twice a day.
Menorrhagia

Menorrhagia is a condition where menstruation lasts for an extended period, sometimes up to a month. Normally, a menstrual period lasts only three to five days; if it lasts for more than a week and occurs frequently, it means you have menorrhagia.

Traditional Chinese medicine remedies for menorrhagia: Take 100g of Polygonum multiflorum, 100g of Acanthopanax senticosus rhizomes, and 50g of Thuja orientalis. Roast them until golden brown, then bury them in the ground (a traditional Chinese medicine term). Drink one dose per month during menstruation. Alternatively, use the following remedy: 20g of Leonurus artemisia, 10g of Prunus persica seeds, 8g of Curcuma longa, 8g of Curcuma longa, 6g of burnt hair, 14g of Centella asiatica, and 16g of Polygonum multiflorum. Decoct and drink one dose daily.

Note:

To avoid the aforementioned menstrual problems, women should maintain a relaxed mindset, avoid stress and excessive emotion, so that their blood circulation is not disrupted, which can affect their menstrual cycle.

Moderate physical exercise and manual labor are necessary to strengthen the body and ensure normal blood circulation. Nutritional supplementation is also needed by consuming a variety of foods that nourish the kidneys, enrich the blood, and promote blood flow, such as turtles, squid, clams, mussels, shrimp, fish, frogs, hawthorn, peaches, and apples.

However, if women notice their condition worsening or experience unusual symptoms, they should seek medical attention at hospitals or specialized obstetrics and gynecology clinics to prevent potential complications.

According to Alobacsi