Blisters at the corners of the mouth, mouth ulcers, dry nose and mouth... Why do we always get angry in winter?

After the cold wave, many people found that they were getting angry. Blisters at the corners of their mouths, oral ulcers, sore throats, bleeding gums, blurred and dry eyes... It's really uncomfortable to get angry, and it will come back again soon after it's gone. Why is it easier to get angry in winter when it's cold? What are some tips for "reducing heat" in daily life? How to "avoid fire" in winter? Experts from Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine give you some tips.

Why is it easier to get angry when it’s cold?

"Shang Huo" is a folk idiom. Shi Rongwei, deputy director of the General Internal Medicine Department and chief Chinese medicine physician of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, explained from the perspective of Chinese medicine theory, "The so-called 'fire' describes certain symptoms of heat in the body. Shang Huo is an internal heat syndrome caused by the imbalance of yin and yang in the human body. The main causes of getting hot in winter include improper diet, excessive heat in the heart and liver, and irregular work and rest schedules."

The weather is very cold in winter, and people like to eat some warm food to resist the cold, such as hot pot, barbecue, mutton, etc. "If you eat too much, it will cause inflammation. And people drink relatively less water in winter, and water cannot be replenished in time, affecting normal metabolism." Shi Rongwei introduced that some people are prone to depression, irritability and anger in winter, which will lead to excessive fire in the heart and liver, resulting in symptoms such as red eyes, mouth sores, etc.

In addition, Shi Rongwei said that the winter climate is cold and dry, and people like to stay indoors. The closed indoor environment and frequent use of air conditioners, heaters, and floor heating can easily lead to dehydration. "The human body's immunity is poor in winter. In the cold season, people's outdoor activities are reduced, and some toxins in the body cannot be discharged through sweat. Irregular work and rest can easily consume qi and damage yin, which can also cause internal heat."

How to expel different "fires" from the body?

"Getting angry can be divided into real fire and false fire." Shi Rongwei said that real fire belongs to the category of real evidence in traditional Chinese medicine. It is mostly caused by external evil spirits or improper diet, which leads to dysfunction of internal organs. It usually manifests as red face and ears, chapped lips, bitter mouth, erosion of mouth and tongue, sore throat, gums, nose bleeding, tinnitus and deafness, fever and irritability, oliguria, constipation, red tongue with yellow fur, and slippery and rapid pulse. For those with real fire, the principles and methods of purging fire with bitter and cold herbs, clearing heat and reducing fire, and purging real fire are often used.

Deficiency fire belongs to the category of deficiency syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. "It is mostly caused by internal injuries, strain, diet, work and rest, excessive indulgence, etc., which lead to the imbalance and weakness of the five internal organs and produce deficiency fire. Deficiency fire is divided into two symptoms: Yin deficiency and fire excess and Qi deficiency and fire excess." Traditional Chinese medicine believes that deficiency should be supplemented, and Yin deficiency and fire excess should be based on the principle of nourishing blood and nourishing Yin and reducing fire. Commonly used Chinese patent medicines include Zhibai Dihuang Pills and Qiju Dihuang Pills. Among them, Zhibai Dihuang Pills can nourish Yin and reduce fire, and is used for symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, dry mouth and sore throat, short and red urine, tinnitus and spermatorrhea; Qiju Dihuang Pills can nourish the kidneys and liver, improve eyesight and reduce fire, and is used for symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, and blurred vision caused by liver and kidney yin deficiency.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, fire can be divided into: heart fire, lung fire, liver fire, stomach fire, etc. "For example, menopausal women or the elderly are prone to emotional fluctuations, insomnia, irritability, and children are hyperactive and restless, all of which belong to heart fire. In order to deal with heart fire, in addition to taking traditional Chinese medicine, you can eat more lotus seeds soaked in water to achieve the purpose of clearing heart fire." Shi Rongwei introduced, "Coughing and itchy throat, dry cough without phlegm or phlegm that is difficult to cough up, dry nasal cavity are all manifestations of lung fire. You can drink more warm water and eat more lilies, white fungus, etc. In addition, you should strengthen exercise to play a role in extinguishing lung fire."

When the liver fire is strong, the eyes will be swollen, painful and astringent, and blood pressure is prone to fluctuations. "If you also have symptoms such as irritability, bitter mouth and dry stools, it is mostly due to real fire. You can drink cassia seed tea or wild chrysanthemum tea for conditioning. If you also have symptoms of fever in the soles of your feet, it is mostly due to virtual fire. You can drink wolfberry or chrysanthemum tea." Shi Rongwei suggested, "If you have symptoms such as swollen and painful gums, dry mouth and stools, bad breath, and easy hunger, it may be caused by real fire in the stomach. You can cut the white part of the watermelon rind into shreds and eat it. You can also try to eat more foods such as cold kelp or seaweed. If your stomach always feels hungry and is accompanied by dull pain, it may be due to virtual fire in the stomach. You can eat more foods such as papaya or white fungus."

How to regulate and reduce heat in daily life?

Although it is easy to get angry in winter, experts say that we cannot just clear the internal heat in life. "The yin and yang in the human body are like a basin of water and a ball of fire. While 'reducing the internal heat', we must also protect the ball of fire well, so as to prepare for the growth of yang energy in the spring of next year."

Shi Rongwei suggested that we should replenish water appropriately. "Winter is dry, so we should drink more warm water and eat more fruits to replenish water. If your nose is dry in winter, you can pour a cup of hot water and breathe hard into the cup to let the steam fumigate your nasal cavity. Do this for about 5 minutes each time, once in the morning and once in the evening. This is very effective in preventing nasal bleeding."

It is also important to adjust your diet properly. "Since human body fluids are weakly alkaline, you can eat more alkaline foods, such as vegetables, fruits, soy products, milk, etc. You can also eat a moderate amount of protein-rich foods, such as pig's trotters, fish, animal liver, lean meat, etc. People with dry throats should eat a light diet and avoid spicy food stimulation." Shi Rongwei said that in addition, you can also place an air humidifier indoors to increase the humidity of the air, open windows as much as possible for ventilation, and breathe fresh air.

Modern medicine believes that when negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and rage occur, the body's immunity will decline and it will be more susceptible to illness. "Therefore, if you want to be healthy, you need to maintain a positive, optimistic, and peaceful attitude," Shi Rongwei suggested.