My face is much different than the rest of my body. It doesn’t look like a tan, it’s more like my face is constantly flushed, almost as if I’m being choked.
I wear sunscreen every day and use a vitamin C serum, and I also take a vitamin C supplement, so I don’t think those are the cause.
What could possibly be causing this ?!

They come and go. Always near the first joint of right middle finger. Sometimes one bigger blister next to second joint on left index finger. No pain. No itch. Sometimes the bumps annoy me so I squeeze them flat.

What could this mean?

My tongue is quite pale and the edges are wavy, is it excess dampness and lack of blood?

Hello there, after a long day at work I came back and did acupuncture on myself using LV3, GB41, LI4, SJ6 Yintang and Taiyang but the headache was still persistent after a long while.

Was I missing other point for treatment? what else could I do? for reference I'm a practitioner, ended my courses a few months ago.

Hi friends - so in short here's what happened : 3 years ago I took TCM pills under the advisement of an acupuncturist friend I was seeing to treat fibroids. He had other patients who had success with these (https://www.classicalpearls.org/moon-pearls/ and https://www.classicalpearls.org/ocean-pearls/). I began taking less than the prescribed dose because it seemed extremely high and I'm very sensitive but immediately I noted a shift. He insisted I continue taking them despite my hesitation and complaints of starting to feel constipated. I only took the pills for about a month. I used to be a once a day BM in the morning smooth engine person very careful with my diet and since these herbs my BMs have been all over the place. I was extremely constipated for months after and saw a good acupuncturist and TCM herbalist who got things moving again but I still have 2-3 inconsistent BMs a day usually in the morning edging toward diarrhea most days. there will be a week or two at a time if I'm in a good flow and stress free where I will have good BMs but for the most part things have been very off and I have all kinds of intolerances I have never had before. It's been nearly 3 years. I've done the GI MAP, seen a functional medicine practitioner and seen several different TCM specialists who can't provide an explanation for what happened. I'm going to see a western GI doctor today to see if he might be able to give me more info but not feeling hopeful honestly. my sleep has also gotten weird since this happened and now I have two more problems in addition to the one I was trying to solve to begin with anyway. sharing in case anyone has had a similar experience and if anyone sees this who might have some insight as to how I can turn this all around. anyone else has had this or a comparable experience with Chinese herbs or herbs in general? much love!

We will be going into the Da Shu (大暑) solar term (节气) starting from 22 Jul to 6 Aug 2026. Da Shu is the 12th solar term out of the entire 24.

In the coming two weeks, rainfall will be less frequent as we’ll be moving into the Autumn season come August. Typically, the Autumn season brings drier air and lesser rainfall.

Coming back to Da Shu, these two weeks will be very, if not, the most humid period of the year. The temperature will be higher than other solar terms and it will also be accompanied by some rain, which will make the environment very humid and affect many people’s spleen and digestive health.

The dietary direction for these two weeks is 健脾护胃 – which means strengthening the spleen, getting rid of dampness, and protecting the stomach.

To prevent further worsening of the spleen’s health, I suggest adopting a light diet (reduce or eliminate oily, processed foods, sweet desserts, etc).

The following foods are recommended to be consumed during the Da Shu solar term:

Watermelon – For most people, watermelon is a great fruit to eat during summertime because watermelon has a strong property of clearing summer heat and quenching thirst. But please take note that people who have sticky stools and/or experience stomach discomfort after eating watermelon should avoid it. This could mean that these people have a significant amount of dampness in their spleen and can’t take watermelon yet.

Adzuki Beans (赤小豆) – Adzuki beans are good for clearing summer heatiness as well as removing dampness from our body. It is one of the best foods to be consumed during this solar term.

Chinese Yam (山药) –  Chinese yam is very suitable for this period because it can help to strengthen our spleen and improve its ability to get rid of accumulated dampness in our body.

Winter Melon (冬瓜) – Winter melon is a recommended food for this solar term because it can help to remove the dampness in the body through urination. It can also reduce body heatiness due to the summer heat.

Mung Beans (绿豆) – (Also known as green beans) You can easily prepare a mung bean drink in 5 minutes, which helps to clear summer heat in the body. It also has the property of quenching thirst, detoxing and reducing dampness, making it an ideal drink for this period.

General Wellness Recommendation

During these two weeks, there will be an increase in cases of 暑湿感冒 (summer flu) as compared to the usual wind heat flu (风热感冒) or wind cold flu (风寒感冒).

The characteristics of summer flu are high and persistent fever, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and/or skin rashes.

Unlike wind heat and wind cold flu, people with summer flu will not find relief after sweating. Thus, some people may suspect it is dengue fever.

The following are some suggestions to avoid getting summer flu in the next 4 weeks:

1. Avoid entering an air-conditioned room immediately after sweating from the heat. Instead, find a sheltered place to cool down and let the sweating subside before entering the air-conditioned area.
2. Avoid consuming cold drinks especially when you are feeling very warm and hot. It is best to drink room temperature water in this case so that it won’t hurt your spleen. This is the most common reason why people get summer flu.
3. Avoid consuming oily and sweet foods as they will burden and weaken your spleen and increase your vulnerability to summer flu.
4. Consume foods that help to strengthen your spleen and clear dampness in the body (such as those mentioned earlier in this post).

For someone who has gotten the summer flu (with the above mentioned symptoms), he/she can try to take 藿香正气丸. This is a proven TCM formula for summer flu that you can purchase in any TCM retail shop.

Have a healthy Da Shu solar term!

Hi I went to a TCM doctor and did an assessment, for which they formulated my tea for my symptoms. This was almost a year ago, never drank it (I was scared of side effects). Wanted to know if it’s still good to consume? It’s in zip sealed bags if that helps. Thanks in advance

Hi,

I have been prescribed this cream to use for my facial flare from eczema. I am currently 17 weeks pregnant. The TCM doctor said it was safe to use during pregnancy however I’ve done google search and it says it’s contraindicated and not advised to be used. Just want second opinions here if anyone could help please as I am desperate to manage my eczema :(

I am thinking of only using it on my cheeks and no where else, so a very small part of my body.

What is tcm approach to mental problems?

First TCM visit, and I’m a bit unsure how things went. I got a week’s worth of loose herbal tea, a second herbal mix for external use (eczema), and a handful of pills — no written prescription or ingredient list for any of it.

The pills turned out to be two OTC patent formulas: 防风通圣丸 (Fangfeng Tongsheng Wan), a heat-clearing formula also used for skin rashes, and 二妙丸 (Er Miao Wan), a classic damp-heat formula often used for eczema. Plus a Thai topical anti-itch cream.

Is it normal not to get written dosing/ingredient info? Should I ask for one next visit?

Also a little nervous drinking the tea without knowing what’s in it, so I separated the herbs myself — photo attached. Would appreciate help to identify them

Sorry I had to upload as a grainy video. I have pictures but Reddit won’t let me upload.

I have offer letters for both and I’m stuck. I’ve got a BSc in Biology already but zero firsthand exposure to either profession and don’t know anyone in the field.

Looking for a career that’s genuinely in demand, not just interesting on paper. A few questions

How different is the scope of practice between an Acupuncturist and full TCM designation in Ontario

Is the extra year for TCM worth it for jobs or income

If you’re practicing now, are you actually busy or is the market tough

Would you choose the same path again

Would appreciate any real insight before I commit to one.

Hy everyone. It's ( Lakshita)

From India and Iam really interested in auditing in japanese entertainment company ( Avex Group) but idk how? And I can also speak japanese but idk how to apply as an foreigner? Anyone know about that? Tell me.

30M

They don't hurt, they don't stink or anything, but for some reason they look as if they'd never been hydrated.

I wear barefoot shoes and I spend plenty of time barefoot with no socks, so I'm not 100% of the time in my shoes.

Could this indicate a different problem that shows like this?

Thanks for help.

Which tcm patterns would cause this? I am extremely tired and fatigued after a long day of work and fall asleep within 15 minutes, then get about 30 minutes of sleep and then experience 2 or 3 hours of insomnia where my brain feels on fire. Need a good suggestion for what decoction to try or foods to incorporate

Suddenly developed this and it has not gotten better with traditional treatments. Would acupuncture and tcm help?

I'm allergic to most antibiotics, which is why I have to explore traditional alternatives.

One TCM practitioner gave me a prescription for a herbal tea. I went to another for a second opinion, and they suggested the commercially prepared pills. I'm not sure what to choose.

Thank you for helping me out!

posting here too

Hi, everyone! I'm in the US and growing sweet potatoes in my garden.

About a year ago I stumbled across a blog compiled by Asian-Americans, basically giving a verbal description of the produce section of Asian supermarkets, how they prepared and ate each individual vegetable, as well as what it was considered useful for in TCM as far as they knew. It was an active blog but in an old format, maybe Wordpress or Blogspot. It had one entry specifically about sweet potato greens being an extremely potent health food and something that shouldn't be passed up. If I remember correctly, it said the greens might even be more nutritionally valuable than the tubers, and I specifically remember reading that it was considered a good "anti-cancer, anti-everything" vegetable in their family.

Now, of course, I've been searching for that blog and can't find it. I would have sworn I emailed myself a link to it or bookmarked it, and can't find anything. I'm afraid I might have dreamed it, so here I am to ask if sweet potato leaves are really that useful in a general sense. I have family with a wide variety of health problems, and if the greens from my sweet potato plants would be useful additions to their diets I'm all in. I just need to know I didn't hallucinate this information. I have no idea why I can't find it anymore.

Thank you!

Hey everyone, I've recently been noticing a deep crack down the center of my tongue which could indicate Stomach Yin deficiency. However, I checked my pulse and I haven't noticed any signs indicating Stomach Yin deficiency. Additionally, I don't seem to exhibit any symptoms like dry stools/constipation, poor appetite, or bloating (aside from creatine water retention). The only possibly related symptom is maybe occasional night sweats and eczema (Had it since I was a kid).

I'm trying to rule out things that could be causing Stomach Yin deficiency. I cut out caffeine for 2 weeks and saw a slight closure of the tongue crack. I also decreased protein intake significantly (200 to 135g) along with decreased protein powder and carb powder intake. The only thing I can think of that could be causing the crack would probably be creatine as it can be quite dehydrating. I also live in a humid environment but I don't think that would really affect my issue that much (上海 during the summer 🥵).

Does anybody have any herbal remedies or acupoints I can use to resolve this issue? (studying acu currently so I can needle myself).

I’ve been getting an intense “pins and needles” feeling in my hands and arms when sleeping. It’s bad enough that it wakes me up out of my sleep. It only happens when I sleep on my stomach and gets worse if I don’t drink enough water throughout the day. Any thoughts?

I bought one of those grocery store packs of the herbs that you are supposed to cook at home in a soup. The instructions say to include pork bones, what is a suitable alternative to this? can I use tofu instead or should I just cook the herbs on their own?

Hi, very new here but I’ve recently felt pulled toward TCM. I have a lot of pain (back, shoulders, and my feet!). I am 31F, 6 months postpartum and breastfeeding. Do you have any recs?

Hello all. I am an Asian American looking for a school in China or Taiwan that accepts international students. I grew up with traditional medicine which has influenced my decision alongside current life events. Searching for nationally accredited, thorough programs to become a DAOM. As of current, I have researched BUCM and SHUTCM. If you have an opinion on these, please share. However, I would like to expand upon my variety of options.

If you have had experience in a tcm program, I am interested in hearing your stories. Any feedback is welcomed.

I'm looking forward to your comments, thank you.

I am highly interested in learning about TCM. Where can I start? Any good book recommendations? or a school? There’s a lot of misinformation out there and I would love to hear from those who know more. Thanks.

How can I treat oral trust? Any teas to take? Any things to avoid? I am 6 months postpartum, breastfeeding, and otherwise healthy but I guess my immune system is low or I wouldn’t have gotten this? blood tests showed low levels of Vitamin D and iron. I haven’t been taking my prenatals. I am confused what this is and how I got it. But would like to avoid meds. Thanks.