Treat Causes and Symptoms To treat it well, you need not only a sinus draining formula like Cang Er Zi Tang (CEZT) as basis, but also herbs that address root and related patterns. Only taking CEZT would not fix cause of problem, so by itself it would be only a temporary fix. We would add all or parts of formulas like:

Liu Jun Zi Tang for Spleen deficient dampness Er Chen Tang for phlegm Long Dan Xie Gan Tang for Liver Gallbladder damp-heat Shu Kan Wan or Xiao Yao San for Liver qi stagnation. Huang Lian Wen Dan Tang for phlegm and Stomach heat

But you can't take them all! And, taking wrong ones could make you worse. So, get thee to an herbalist - that is, an acupuncturist who knows their herbs. We have an acupuncturist-finding resource which also has some tips for evaluating several acupuncturists before deciding which one to see.

For more on sinus problems, read these three articles: http://www.pulsemed.org/sinusitis.htm http://www.pulsemed.org/sinusphlegmetc2.htm http://www.pulsemed.org/jkcfs.htm

Hoarseness and Lung-system In Chinese medicine, we generally attribute hoarseness and loss of voice to dryness. The Lung-system, which includes throat, is said to "hate dryness." The Lung likes to be moist - so Lung yin is very important, and dryness is enemy.

In fact, autumn season (when this question was asked and article was written), is associated with both Lung and with dryness. So this would be time of year that most people would get hoarse.

There are good herbs for this- e.g. formula Ophiopogonis Plus (O+)from Far East Summit. But again, complexity of whole condition may make just one formula problematic - this one increase Lung yin, and if you also have sinus congestion, it might even worsen that. So, you'd need some combination like CEZT and O+.

A simple kitchen remedy for Lung dryness would be to drink some pear juice.

B

Clinical experience and research studies have shown that herbs work better in groups (formulas) than alone. Just as certain drug combinations have positive or negative effects, certain combinations of herbs have special additive functions or may need to be avoided.

The first systematic herbal text was written in 200AD, Shang Han Lun (Cold Damage Classic). For at least 1800 years, chinese herbs have been prescribed primarily in formulas - groups of 4-12 herbs.

New research on chinese herbs should verify, refine, and build on last 1800 years. The idea to research single herbs comes from pharmaceutical drug paradigm, not tradition to which chinese herbs belong. It makes sense that since most American researchers are biomedical that they would use a biomedical approach... but it's still wrong.

4. American researchers tend to ignore or discount research done outside U.S. I wasn't able to find anything to back this up, so I'll just say that it seems as if American researchers don't acknowledge research from other countries. Or perhaps they simply are more skeptical of it? In any case, I notice that many of topics I investigate (alternative and complementary treatments) are studied in Europe, but not in U.S. I admit I don't have all info on general level of quality of studies from different countries, or how much and why American researchers disregard such studies.

5. Researchers' own biases affect their conclusions. No study is perfect. Researchers can easily find a reasons to be skeptical about any study that opposes their own beliefs. This is backed up by a meta-study I found… psychology researchers found that those who reviewed studies were more likely to criticize its methodology if its conclusions disagreed with their bias, and more likely to approve of its methodology if its conclusions agreed with their bias.

There is no such thing as a perfect study. Good research tries to keep problems affecting results and interpretation at a minimum, but imperfections are unavoidable. That means that if someone doesn't like results of your study, they can find a reason to discredit study.

This reminds me of joke: "97% of all statistics are false." This implies, of course, that it could itself be false. Statistics, like anything else, can be deceiving. Inaccuracies of commission or omission (conscious or unconscious) can "spin" truth toward reader's bias.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (Herbs and Acupuncture) for Menopause The review of RCT's on herbs for menopause shows that many herbs still need to be investigated. However, RCT's are not only reliable proof that medicines are effective and safe.

At least 1000 years of tradition indicate that chinese herbal medicine helps balance women in menopause. Acupuncture has been used for somewhere between 2,000-30,000 years.

Acupuncture and herbs for menopause help alleviate many symptoms; most commonly responsive are hot flashes, depression, and vaginal dryness. Salivary hormone tests in clinical settings often show changes in testosterone and progesterone.

Another interesting point about November 2002 study is that neither black cohosh nor dang gui are used alone in chinese herbal remedies for menopause. Black Cohosh can cause headaches and dizziness, but might be safely used in an herbal formula for menopause. Dang gui is similar- it is a warming herb, so by itself it could even increase heat in hot flashes!

The moral of story: See a chinese medical practitioner and use formulas, not single herbs.