Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office

Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer

This picture demonstrates page 1 of the pamphlet entitled "Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer"

Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer

From the Chinese medicine perspective, in hot summer, intense summerheat can damage the qi as well as fluids in our body. The humid weather of Hong Kong can easily lead to summerheat-dampness, which affects the functions of our spleen and stomach. As such, prevention of heat stroke is essential in health preservation during summer.

This picture demonstrates page 2 of the pamphlet entitled "Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer"

Be cautious in daily living to prevent heat stroke

Keep our room cool and refreshing

  • Windows should be opened in the morning or at night. Natural air can remove the vitiated air and keep the room with good ventilation.
  • When the temperature is high at noon, we can switch on the fan or air conditioner to keep the room cool.

* However, the temperature of air conditioning should never be too low. If the temperature has a big difference between indoor and outdoor, we can easily get external wind-cold when we enter an air-conditioned room from outside. Moreover, cool air will close our sweat pores and summerheat-dampness inside our body cannot be released through sweating. As such, it may result in the accumulation of dampness-heat inside the body.

This picture demonstrates page 3 of the pamphlet entitled "Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer"

Good sleep and with peaceful mind

The day time is longer than the night time in summer. We may easily feel tired and sweat heavily in the hot summer. Adequate sleep can recover from tiredness. We should rest quietly and keep our mind peacefully as that can help releasing the heat and generating of cool feeling.

* Never sleep too near the ventilation outlet while using fan or air conditioner to avoid contracting the wind.

Get prepared for hot weather

Avoid staying outdoor or poor ventilated areas when the weather is hot. You may bring or wear:

Sunglasses;

Cap-covers

Permeable, breathable clothes made of cotton or linen;

Adequate water;

Sunscreen lotion.

This picture demonstrates page 4 of the pamphlet entitled "Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer"

Beware of the symptoms of heat stroke

Heat stroke occurs when we are exposed to hot, humid and poor ventilated environment for long time. Our body fails to regulate the body temperature, hence heat is accumulated. It leads to raised body temperature, body dysfunction and tissue damage.

Symptoms of heat stroke:

Dizziness;

Fatigue;

Headache;

Thirst;

Sweating;

Nausea;

Malaise.

What to do:

  • Rest in a shady and cool place;
  • Spray cool water over the body or wipe the skin with a wet towel;
  • Replenish body fluids by drinking cool salted water.

If the symptoms persist without improvement, or palpitation, lack of concentration and motor disorder occur, medical advice should be sought.

This picture demonstrates page 5 of the pamphlet entitled "Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer"

Light diet will release summerheat

Summerheat impair our appetite as it can consume qi and body fluids or cause summerheat-dampness encumbering the spleen. Therefore we should eat light, soft and digestible food that can help clearing heat, engendering fluids and increasing the appetite. Fatty, fried or spicy food should be avoided because they may create phlegm-dampness, impair our appetite and damage body fluids.

Eat more foods that can help promoting the bowel movement urination to expel heat out of the body through excretion.

Vegetables and fruits that can clear heat in summer:

Wax gourd;

Watermelon;

Luffa gourd;

Cucumber;

Bitter cucumber;

Peach;

Pear;

Tomato

This picture demonstrates page 6 of the pamphlet entitled "Health Preservation in Four Seasons in Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Heat Stroke in Summer"

As hot weather makes us sweat heavily in summer, we have to drink plenty of water or cool drinks. For example:

  • Sour plum beverage:
    Boil water with appropriate amount of mume and crataegus with sugar added
  • Three flowers beverage:
    Boil water with appropriate amount of white chrysanthemum, lonicera and lablab flower
  • Two-peel beverage:
    Boil water with appropriate amount of fresh watermelon rind and luffa gourd skin
  • Chrysanthemum beverage:
    Add appropriate amount of chrysanthemum to tea

* Fresh lotus leave, fresh bamboo leave or fresh phragmites root with water to engender fluids and release thirst. In case of heavy sweating, we can also drink lightly-salted tea or water.

When we feel thirsty after heavy sweating, we should drink warm water instead of cool drinks.

  • The temperature of food we take should be close to our body temperature. Food should neither be too hot nor too cold.
  • We should drink warm water when we feel thirsty because cool drinks can impair yang qi of the spleen and stomach, or create phlegm-dampness.

Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office
Department of Health
Website: www.cmro.gov.hk