[Methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treating Rosacea]
Rosacea, also known as rhinophyma, red nose, nasal redness, and pulmonary wind acne, was historically referred to as nasal redness, nasal carbuncle, pulmonary wind, and erythema. In the book *Suwen - Heat Theory*, it states: "In cases of spleen heat disease, the nose turns red first."
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this condition is caused by damp-heat from the spleen and stomach rising upward to affect the lungs. Clinical symptoms include redness on the tip of the nose, which over time may turn purplish-black. In severe cases, it can extend to the nostrils, causing thickening of the skin, enlargement of the nose tip, prominent nodules, uneven surfaces resembling warts. Severe cases are referred to as pulmonary wind or pulmonary wind acne. The rash on the nose resembles millet grains, with redness, swelling, and pain; when broken, it exudes a white powder-like fluid, eventually forming white flakes over time.
Treatment Principles: Clearing heat, cooling blood, activating blood circulation, resolving stasis, dispersing wind, and promoting lung function.
Basic Internal Prescription: Ingredients include Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), Ligusticum chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong), Carthamus tinctorius (Hong Hua), Rhizoma Coptidis (Dan Pi), Scorched Gardenia (Jiao Shan Zhi), Scutellaria baicalensis (Huang Qin), Schizonepeta tenuifolia (Jing Jie), Angelica dahurica (Bai Zhi), Mentha haplocalyx (Bo He), Saposhnikovia divaricata (Fang Feng), Forsythia suspensa (Lian Qiao), Paeonia lactiflora (Bai Shao), Platycodon grandiflorus (Jie Geng), and Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Gan Cao). Equal parts of each ingredient are ground into fine powder. Each dose is 6 grams, with one slice of ginger and a small amount of green tea added, boiled in water, and taken after meals to treat rosacea.
Explanation of the Formula: Angelica sinensis, Ligusticum chuanxiong, and Carthamus tinctorius nourish blood and promote blood circulation, warming and dispersing cold congealment in the blood. Moutan Cortex (Dan Pi) cools and activates blood, unblocks meridians, and eliminates stasis. Gardenia and Scutellaria baicalensis clear lung heat to prevent pathogenic heat from accumulating in the lungs. Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Angelica dahurica, Mentha haplocalyx, Saposhnikovia divaricata, and Forsythia suspensa dispel wind and resolve exterior conditions, clearing nasal passages. Platycodon grandiflorus directs the medicine upward to the lung meridian. Together, they achieve the effects of activating blood circulation, resolving stasis, dispersing wind, and promoting lung function. This formula is specifically used for treating wind-heat obstructing the lungs, blood stasis blocking the flow, purple-black discoloration of the nose tip, and rosacea.
Related thematic articles: Treatment of Rosacea.