"Enterovirus" outbreak in Taiwan! Isn't the typical symptom diarrhea? Chinese medicine practitioner reveals "4 prescriptions" to relieve symptoms
Can interventional treatment with traditional Chinese medicine also alleviate children’s enterovirus symptoms? Dr. Zhuang Zhaoyu, chief physician of the Chinese Medicine Department of Chimei Medical Foundation, pointed out that a 5-year-old girl patient had been in the Chinese medicine clinic for long-term treatment due to allergic rhinitis. During the return visit, the patient was found to have mild fever, sore throat, sore mouth, abdominal pain, red tongue with white greasy coating, and symptoms suspected of enterovirus such as blisters on the limbs and rash.
Taiwan has a major “enterovirus” outbreak in May! The typical symptom is not diarrhea?
Dr. Zhuang Zhaoyu said that the above-mentioned symptoms of the girl belong to the TCM syndrome of “exogenous wind-heat” and “spleen and stomach damp-heat”, so he prescribed an oral Chinese medicine prescription based on Yinqiao Powder and Ganlu Disinfectant Pill. The symptoms became obvious after 3 days of treatment. improve. Parents are reminded to pay attention to their children’s condition at all times. If signs of severe enterovirus appear, they should seek medical treatment as soon as possible and not to take it lightly.
Dr. Zhuang Zhaoyu explained that the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the annual Dragon Boat Festival. As the climate becomes increasingly hot and humid around the Dragon Boat Festival, it is also the time when many hot and humid diseases such as enterovirus are ready to attack. Therefore, Chinese medicine has developed a set of methods to expel toxins and avoid evil spirits. In addition, according to monitoring data from Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, the number of outpatient and emergency visits for enterovirus in Taiwan continues to increase, which is higher than the same period since 2017. As the risk to the community increases, it is urgent to strengthen enterovirus prevention and control efforts.
Dr. Zhuang Zhaoyu further pointed out that the age group most susceptible to enterovirus infection is children under 5 years old. At the same time, special attention should be paid to the occurrence of severe enterovirus at this stage. From March to May this year, the number of cases exceeded 60,000. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that enterovirus is a “febrile disease” caused by wind, heat and dampness invading the human body. Enterovirus is a general term for a group of viruses. It is mainly prevalent from March to May every year, reaching a peak and then gradually slowing down.
According to data from the Department of Disease Control and Prevention, the number of enterovirus outpatient and emergency visits in Taiwan this year (2023) increased from 2,332 per week in early March to 11,916 in May. The cumulative number of visits so far has exceeded 60,000 (62,865), showing that Taiwan is in the midst of a crisis. During the enterovirus epidemic period, the overall risk of epidemic transmission increased and was higher than the same period since 2017. Currently, there are 10 mild cases of enterovirus 71; there are 3 severe cases complicated by enterovirus infection.
Dr. Zhuang Zhaoyu explained that although enterovirus infection may cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, the proportion is not high, because the “intestine” of enterovirus means that this type of virus is infected through the “intestinal tract”, mostly through the feces, mouth, and airways. It is spread through droplets or contact, so there may not be gastrointestinal symptoms. The general incubation period of enterovirus is about 3-5 days, and the most common symptoms are sore throat, fever, and even combined with herpetic angina such as blisters and ulcers on the oral mucosa, gums, tongue, and soles of hands and feet, which are the typical characteristics of hand, foot and mouth disease. .
When a child suffers from enterovirus, the doctor reveals 4 major treatment prescriptions to relieve the discomfort.
Dr. Zhuang Zhaoyu pointed out that for the treatment of enterovirus, traditional Chinese medicine often adopts the treatment principle of “purging the spleen, clearing away heat, detoxifying and clearing up rash”. For early stage fever and sore throat, choose Yinqiao Powder combined with Maxing Ganshi Decoction; if the throat is swollen and painful, If it affects eating and swallowing, it can be changed to Puji Disinfectant Drink, combined with external Chuihou Powder, to effectively shorten the course of the disease and avoid dehydration or nutritional imbalance in children.
As for blisters on the oropharynx, hands and feet, if it is accompanied by abdominal distention and poor appetite, you can use Manlu Disinfectant Pill plus Huoxiang Zhengqi Powder, along with coix seed, poria, mulberry bark to reduce moisture, and silver flowers and peonies. Skin, clearing blood heat. If the child has a history of epilepsy or febrile cramps, the prescription can even add uncaria, rushes and other herbs to clear the heart and liver and stabilize the nervous system in advance.
Taking good gastrointestinal health care and enhancing immunity in advance can help reduce the risk of enterovirus infection
Zhuang Zhaoyu explained that in terms of prevention of enterovirus, since alcohol is ineffective against enterovirus, the prevention effect will be better by promoting hand washing, wearing masks, and even using bleach for home disinfection. Since enteroviruses reproduce through intestinal infection, it is very important to strengthen the immune protection of the gastrointestinal tract. For traditional Chinese medicine health teas, you can choose honeysuckle, forsythia, rugosa, lentil, mint, etc. to relieve heat, poison and gastrointestinal moisture.
In addition, combined with acupoint massage such as Hegu point, Quchi point, Yuji point, Shenmen point, Yinlingquan point, etc., it can help smooth body circulation. In terms of diet, you should also eat as little grilled, fried, spicy, sweet and other high-calorie foods as possible, and cooperate with appropriate exercise and hydration to help improve immunity and reduce the risk of enterovirus infection and transmission. For children under 5 years old, parents are also reminded to pay special attention to the symptoms of severe enterovirus. Once a child shows signs such as lethargy, confusion, myocardial convulsions, persistent vomiting, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath, he or she needs to seek medical attention immediately.
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