The Treatment of Facial Flushing and Hot Flashes with Acupuncture

Well-Being

Chief Complaint: Facial Flushing

Western Diagnosis: Hot Flashes

Medical History: This patient, (a male), complains of hot facial flushing. This patient complains of blurred vision which is worse when he is tired. He states that he is irritable, is easily disturbed by situations, and is easily frustrated. He states that he has a dry mouth, dry lips, and dry skin. He states that he has palpitations. He has perspiration on his palms and soles, He complains of not having time to exercise or time for recreational activities, He also states that he feels moody, and occasionally has a sinking feeling from his heart. The flushing is located on both cheeks and lower portions of his ears. The flushing is intermittent, it feels hot to the patient, and is warm to the touch. No other treatment or medication has been taken. This patient does not smoke, use drugs or drink alcohol. His diet consists of “fast foods” and sometimes he skips breakfast. His blood pressure is 120/90. His pulse is 66BPM.

Pulse exam: Pulse: Overall quality: weak, regular, slippery
Speed: 66BPM
Shape: Right, Cun: weak, Guan:slippery,
Qi: forceless
Left: Cun: weaker, forceless
Guan: slippery
Qi: forceless
Palpation: warm face, edema around eyes

Tongue exam: Body Color: dusky, a red-purple
redder tip and sides
red points in the liver area
Body Shape: swollen with scallops

OM Diagnosis: 1. Liver Qi stagnation: emotional

Symptoms: mood swings, frustration, repressed anger or resentment.
2. Spleen-Qi deficiency: swollen tongue with scallops, sleepy after eating lunch, sweating of palms and soles, puffy eyelids.
3. Kidney and Heart not harmonized: Palpitations, sinking feeling in the chest, tongue with a redder tip.
3. Kidney/Liver Yin Def.: malar flush, dry skin, dry lips, blurred vision, weak
pulse, red eyes

Treatment Principle: Root: Liver Qi Stagnation coupled with Spleen Qi deficiency. These two patterns are beginning to affect the heart and Kidney.
Spresd Liver Qi, Tonify Spleen Qi, Tonify Kidney Yin, Calm the Spirit

Point Prescription: Yintang: Calms the Shen
Ear Shen Men: Calms the Shen
Ren 17: Tonify Qi
Spleen 4: Tonifies the Spleen
Per. 6: Calms the mind
Liver 3: Sedates the Liver in excess patterns, subdues Liver Yang
LI 4: Combined with Liv. 3 to calm the mind
Kid. 3: Tonifies Kidneys

Herbal Formula: No herbal formulas were given

Lifestyle Prescription: One strategy for reducing psychological and physiological response to stressors is to learn relaxation techniques. A variety of techniques are effective, including meditation, visual imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and self hypnosis. Practicing a relaxation technique can result in decreased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and reduced response to norepinephrin. For example, relaxation training has been shown to lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients, decrease the frequency of migraine headaches, and reduce chronic pain.

Results: This patient had excellent results after receiving six treatments.

Synopsis: Western Perspective: According to Western medicine, intermittent facial flushing (hot flashes) is associated with menopause. Due to the fact that this patient is a male I did some research to find another cause. I found that having to cope with stress, whether in the form of noise, infection, or even the anxiety of having to take a test can arouse the body to action. The brain and the adrenal glands work together to help the body cope effectively. The heart and respiratory rates increase, hands and feet become moist, the mouth becomes dry, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract decreases. The limbic system is involved with the emotional components, such as anger and irritability during the stress response.

Last modified: September 8, 2009  Tags: , , ,  В·  Posted in: Well-Being