Moxibustion therapy is almost free of adverse reactions and is safer than acupuncture therapy. Even those who are not familiar with moxibustion can operate it at home boldly and with confidence, without the risk of bad conditioning effects due to unstandardized operation methods. Although moxibustion rarely causes fainting, even occasional moxibustion sores can help improve the therapeutic effect. However, it is important to understand the basic handling methods when such post-moxibustion reactions occur. I. Fainting during moxibustion (A) Causes of fainting during moxibustion The common causes of fainting during moxibustion include the following: 1. Physiological reasons This is one of the main causes. Weak constitution, excessive mental tension, hunger, fatigue, especially allergic constitution, and unstable vascular and nerve functions. Many people who faint without obvious reasons can often find the cause in their constitution. 2. Stimulation reasons Excessive stimulation of acupoints can cause fainting. The so-called excessiveness varies from person to person and is difficult to measure and compare. 3. Postural reasons Generally, fainting is more likely to occur when moxibustion is performed in a sitting or standing position. 4. Environmental reasons Environmental and climatic factors can also induce fainting, such as low atmospheric pressure in hot and sultry seasons, turbid air in the treatment room, and noisy surroundings. (B) Treatment of fainting during moxibustion During the moxibustion process, if symptoms such as fever, fatigue, dry mouth, and irritability occur occasionally, there is no need to worry too much. You can try to move your body and drink an appropriate amount of warm boiled water. Once the patient shows symptoms of impending fainting, the moxibustion should be stopped immediately, and the patient should be assisted to a place with good air circulation. Raise the legs and lower the head (without a pillow), and lie down for a while. If the patient still feels unwell, give warm boiled water or hot tea to drink. In case of severe fainting, after stopping the moxibustion, let the patient lie flat (in case of emergency, you can let the patient lie directly on the floor). According to clinical experience, moxibustion at the Baihui acupoint has a good effect on such patients, and the moxibustion can be continued until the patient regains consciousness and the symptoms subside. II. Allergy (A) Causes of allergy 1. Physiological reasons The main cause of allergic reactions is that the patient has an allergic constitution, often with a history of asthma, urticaria, or allergies to various drugs and pollen. 2. Medicinal reasons Generally refers to allergic reactions caused by moxibustion: it may be due to some allergenic substances contained in the mugwort leaves. Some people have taken the smoke from the moxibustion box cover and applied it to the inner side of the forearm of a patient who had acute urticaria caused by moxibustion. As a result, after 10 hours, the applied area became itchy and unbearable, and allergic skin rashes appeared, confirming that some substances in the mugwort leaves can indeed cause allergies. (B) Treatment methods for moxibustion allergies For those with local or systemic allergic rashes, they usually subside naturally within a few days after stopping moxibustion. During this period, it is appropriate to use antihistamines, vitamin C, and drink plenty of water. If there are symptoms such as fever, severe itching, dry mouth, and restlessness, appropriate use of corticosteroids, such as prednisone, can be taken at a daily dose of 20-30 milligrams. In severe cases, seek medical attention promptly. III. Blisters and moxibustion sores Ancient people believed that moxibustion sores are necessary for treatment, but to achieve the purpose of regulating the disease, it is not necessary to form moxibustion sores. (A) Causes of moxibustion sores 1. Excessive moxibustion dosage. 2. Moxibustion sores are caused by blisters after moxibustion. Blisters are broken and infected, leading to the formation of moxibustion sores. (B) Prevention and treatment of moxibustion sores Control the amount of moxibustion appropriately to avoid blisters; after blisters occur, keep the area clean. Small blisters need not be punctured and can be naturally absorbed in 5-8 days. When itching occurs, do not puncture and break them. If there are large blisters, puncture them with a disinfected needle, gently extract the fluid, cover with disinfected gauze or ointment (such as Meibao burn ointment or green ointment, etc.), and protect until the blister disappears and heals. If accidentally broken, disinfect and bandage immediately to prevent pus and ulceration. If moxibustion sores become purulent, protect the sore, and make appropriate treatment to avoid infection. Disinfect with disinfectant solution or alcohol. After cleaning, you can use a moxibustion instrument to gently moxibust the wound to keep it dry and promote healing. Ai Xin Tip: 1. After moxibustion causes moxibustion sores, to promote the normal discharge of the sores, you can eat foods that help the discharge of moxibustion sores, such as chicken, carp, bamboo shoots, beans, mushrooms, etc. When the moxibustion sores begin to heal, reduce the intake of such foods to avoid prolonging the healing time of the sores. 2. During the purulent period of the moxibustion sore, avoid heavy physical labor. If the sore becomes inflamed due to pollution, apply anti-inflammatory ointment to the sore and take anti-inflammatory drugs if necessary. When the sore is not healed, the diet should be light, avoid fish, shrimp, crab, goose, chicken, mutton, and spicy foods, and avoid alcohol and tobacco. Otherwise, it is easy to produce phlegm and cause the disease to linger, and the moxibustion sore will not heal. IV. Slight redness and burning sensation After moxibustion, the patient's local skin will have a slight redness and burning sensation, which is normal and does not require special treatment.