A friend said that her husband used the "sweating technique" when he had a fever and almost sent him away. There is also news that a pregnant woman in Shandong died of heatstroke while holding her confinement. Thinking back to when I was a child, I used to have colds and fevers, and I sweated profusely when wrapped in a blanket. But it seems that Western medicine emphasizes that fever should be cooled with ice cubes. Why is there such a contradiction? In traditional Chinese medicine, fever equals the entry of evil energy into the body, which needs to be eliminated through sweating. So cold=invasion of wind and cold. Method: Covering sweat → Sweating → Disease pathogens are eliminated with sweat. This logic comes from the traditional Chinese medicine "sweating method" (sweating and relieving symptoms), which has been passed down for thousands of years. Many people do use "covering sweat and drinking hot water" to feel better when they have a mild cold, so this practice is further strengthened. Why do Western medicine believe that "sweating while holding heat" is dangerous? Because modern medicine is very clear about the mechanism of "fever": fever is caused by the immune system actively raising the "temperature set point" to allow white blood cells to work better. The more you hold it, the higher the core body temperature, and there is no upper limit to the temperature rise, which can cause complications, such as: continuous body temperature above 40 ° C, which may lead to brain damage and seizures; Holding it can lead to dehydration; Keeping warm may make it more difficult to cool down when entering the "high heat cycle"; Especially for children who cover their blankets, it is easy to experience high fever convulsions caused by excessive heating. So, the logic of Western medicine is: if you have already developed a high fever, you should cool down instead of continuing to raise your body temperature. This is not a cultural difference, but a clear physiological research result. Why do both methods make people feel effective? Because it actually occurs in the confusion of 'cold vs fever'. A cold does not necessarily mean a fever. In cases of mild chills, catching a cold, or having a runny nose, "covering up and sweating" can indeed be subjectively comfortable. This is because: vasodilation → improved circulation, muscle relaxation, psychological feeling of "expelling evil qi", drinking hot water and resting itself can alleviate symptoms. In this situation, sweating is acceptable, and even reasonable. Sweating during fever is a natural process during the body's cooling phase, rather than being 'covered up'. Covering the blanket will increase the core body temperature and hinder the body's recovery. The body needs to cool down → sweat. You wrap people up → can't get them out → hotter → more dangerous. So the logic of the two is fundamentally different. When should we cover it up? When should I apply ice cream? You can cover your sweat: mild exposure to cold, cold hands and feet, runny nose, fear of cold but no fever, feeling a strong "chill" in your body, drinking hot soup, ginger tea, and covering yourself with a blanket to sweat a little is okay. Never hold onto sweat: as long as any of the following conditions occur: body temperature ≥ 38.5 ° C, obvious fever, dryness, sweating but still feeling hot, increased heart rate, child fever, dehydration, or fatigue. Sweating in these situations can further increase body temperature - the risk is very high. At this time, appropriate physical cooling should be applied (ice compress under the armpits, forehead, neck); Open the blanket; Moisturizing water; If necessary, antipyretic medication. Why does traditional confinement emphasize "avoiding wind", "avoiding cold", and "avoiding water"? The traditional Chinese medicine system believes that the postpartum body is in a state of great deficiency of qi and blood; The pores (equivalent to pores and skin barriers) are wide open; Lack of yang energy. So the external wind, cool air, and water will take advantage of the situation and cause breast pain, joint pain, uterine coldness, headache, and easy illness. So three major taboos were formed: no blowing, no washing hair or taking a shower, and no catching a cold. This system actually had its reasonable background in ancient times, and some taboos were a set of folk guidelines for preventing infection that were condensed based on the living environment in ancient times. Why has it become 'dangerous' in modern times? Because the living environment has completely changed: there are air conditioning, water heaters, clean and hygienic environments, disinfection, professional medicine, and antibiotics. However, the traditional "rules" of confinement have been fully adopted, leading to a higher incidence of modern diseases. Traditional Eastern Medicine: "Cold" is the main enemy; Modern medicine: "Overheating, infection, and metabolic imbalance" are the main dangers. The logic formed in ancient environments: "Cold and infection" were the biggest enemies at that time. But the biggest problems in modern times have become: high temperature, water shortage, airtightness, poor hygiene, high pressure, and incorrect medical cognition. So it may seem like a contradiction between tradition and Western medicine, but in reality it is a contradiction between "ancient living conditions" and "modern environment". The above content is organized by GPT News source (Xinhua News Agency): http://www. (xinhuanet.com)/politics/2017-07/17/c_129656711.htm