實火·虛火·浮火：不同年齡段的健康變奏曲
在時光的長河中，人生就像一場跌宕起伏的戲劇，從朝氣蓬勃的少年，到沉穩持重的中年，再到歷經滄桑的老年，每個階段都有其獨特的韻律與節奏。而身體裏的那把“火”，也隨着歲月的流轉，演奏着不同的樂章。明代名醫張景嶽在《類經》中早已洞察這一奧祕，道出“少年之火爲實火，中年之火爲虛火，老年之火爲浮火”的精妙論斷，這短短几字，宛如一把精準的手術刀，剖析出人生不同階段身體內火的特質與影響。
少年：實火如焰，青春的“熱情過盛”
少年時期，就像初升的朝陽，充滿了活力與激情。此時體內的實火，如同熊熊燃燒的火焰，旺盛而熱烈。這股火，是青春的象徵，是成長的動力，但有時也會因爲過於旺盛而“熱情過盛”。就像一羣不知疲倦的小馬駒，在草原上肆意奔跑，偶爾也會因爲跑得太急而摔個跟頭。
在這個階段，少年們往往精力充沛，食慾旺盛，彷彿永遠不知道疲倦。然而，如果飲食不節，過食辛辣、油膩、刺激性食物，或者長期熬夜、情緒波動過大，這股實火就會像脫繮的野馬，在體內橫衝直撞，引發各種問題。比如，口腔潰瘍就像一顆不速之客，時不時地在口腔裏“安營紮寨”，讓少年們疼痛難忍，喫飯、說話都受到影響。據一項針對青少年的調查顯示，約有30%的青少年有過反覆發作口腔潰瘍的經歷，其中很大一部分是由於實火旺盛引起的。
中年：虛火似煙，壓力下的“隱祕煎熬”
人到中年，就像一艘在茫茫大海中航行的船，肩負着家庭和社會的雙重責任，壓力如影隨形。此時體內的虛火，就像嫋嫋升起的煙霧，看似無形，卻讓人感到莫名的煩躁和不安。元氣傷、陰火旺，這是中年虛火的典型特徵。就像一棵歷經風雨的大樹，雖然外表依然挺拔，但內部的根系已經有些疲憊和虛弱。
中年人常常會感到越累反而越睡不着，就像一臺運轉了很久的機器，雖然已經疲憊不堪，但卻無法停下來休息。這種失眠，不是因爲外界的干擾，而是因爲體內的虛火在作祟。虛火擾亂了心神，讓人心煩意亂，難以入眠。有研究表明，約40%的中年人存在不同程度的失眠問題，其中虛火旺盛是一個重要的原因。
除了失眠，腿部莫名酸脹抽筋也是中年虛火的常見表現。就像一條幹涸的河流，血液流通不暢，肌肉得不到充足的營養供應，就會出現酸脹、抽筋等症狀。我的一位朋友，人到中年，工作繁忙，經常加班熬夜。有一次，他在半夜裏突然被腿部抽筋疼醒，那種疼痛就像有無數根針在扎他的腿，讓他痛苦不堪。後來經過中醫調理，才知道是虛火旺盛導致的。
老年：浮火若霧，歲月裏的“脆弱守護”
老年時期，就像夕陽西下，身體的各種機能逐漸衰退，就像一座歷經風雨的老房子，開始出現各種問題。此時體內的浮火，就像一層薄薄的霧氣，籠罩在身體的表面，看似輕柔，卻讓人感到脆弱和無力。浮火的出現，是因爲老年人的身體陰陽失調，陽氣虛弱，陰液不足，無法制約虛火，導致虛火上浮。
老年人的浮火，常常表現爲五心煩熱、口乾咽燥、頭暈耳鳴等症狀。就像一臺老舊的電器，雖然還能運轉，但總是會出現一些小毛病。有一位老鄰居，已經年過七旬，身體一直不太好。最近一段時間，他總是感覺口乾咽燥，喝了很多水也不管用，而且晚上還經常失眠多夢。後來去看中醫，醫生說他是浮火旺盛，給他開了一些滋陰降火的中藥，經過一段時間的調理，症狀才逐漸緩解。
應對之策：順應規律，調和體內之火
面對人生不同階段的火之變奏，我們該如何應對呢？其實，關鍵在於順應人體的生理規律，調和體內的陰陽平衡。對於少年來說，要注意飲食清淡，避免過食辛辣、油膩、刺激性食物，養成良好的作息習慣，保證充足的睡眠，讓實火保持在適度的範圍內。中年人則要學會釋放壓力，調節情緒，避免過度勞累，適當進行一些運動鍛鍊，如散步、太極拳等，以增強體質，調和虛火。老年人要注意滋陰補腎，多喫一些滋陰潤燥的食物，如百合、銀耳、枸杞等，同時要保持心情舒暢，避免情緒波動過大，以防止浮火上浮。
人生就像一場漫長的旅程，每個階段都有其獨特的風景和挑戰。體內的那把火，就像旅途中的天氣變化，有時陽光明媚，有時風雨交加。但只要我們瞭解它的規律，掌握應對的方法，就能在這場旅程中保持健康和活力，奏響屬於自己的精彩樂章。讓我們珍惜每一個階段，用心去感受身體的變化，用智慧去調和體內的之火，讓生命之花在歲月的長河中綻放出更加絢爛的光彩。
作者簡介：梁世傑 中醫高年資主治醫師，本科學歷，從事中醫臨牀工作24年，積累了較豐富的臨牀經驗。師從首都醫科大學附屬北京中醫院肝病科主任醫師、著名老中醫陳勇，侍診多載，深得器重，盡得真傳！擅用“商湯經方分類療法”、專病專方結合“焦樹德學術思想”“關幼波十綱辨證”學術思想治療疑難雜症爲特色。現任北京樹德堂中醫研究院研究員，北京中醫藥薪火傳承新3+3工程—焦樹德門人（陳勇）傳承工作站研究員，國際易聯易學與養生專委會常務理事，中國中醫藥研究促進會焦樹德學術傳承專業委員會委員，中國藥文化研究會中醫藥慢病防治分會首批癌症領域入庫專家。榮獲2020年中國中醫藥研究促進會仲景醫學分會舉辦的第八屆醫聖仲景南陽論壇“經方名醫”榮譽稱號。2023年首屆京津冀“扁鵲杯”燕趙醫學研究主題徵文優秀獎獲得者。事蹟入選《當代科學家》雜誌、《中華英才》雜誌。
Fire. Fire. Fire: Healthy Variations for Different Ages
In the long course of time, life is like a drama of ups and downs, from youthful youth, to middle age, to old age, each stage has its own unique rhythm and rhythm. The "fire" in the body also played different pieces of music with the passage of years. Zhang Jingyue, a renowned medical practitioner in the Ming Dynasty, had already discerned this mystery in the Pali scriptures. The brilliant conclusion that "the fire of a teenager is real fire, the fire of middle age is false fire, and the fire of old age is drifting fire" is like a precise surgical knife that dissects the characteristics and effects of internal fire in the body at different stages of life.
Teenagers: Fire blazes, the "enthusiasm" of youth overflows
The teenage years are like the rising sun, full of energy and passion. At this time, the real fire inside the body is like a raging flame, vigorous and fierce. This fire is a symbol of youth and a driving force for growth, but it can sometimes be "excessive" because it is too strong. Like a group of tireless ponies, they run wild on the grasslands, occasionally falling over their heels because they run so fast.
At this stage, teenagers tend to be energetic and hungry, as if they never know how tired they are. However, if you eat inappropriately, overeat spicy, greasy, irritating foods, or stay up late for a long time and have excessive mood swings, this fire will like a wild horse that takes off and runs through the body, causing various problems. For example, oral sores are like an uninvited guest, and from time to time they "camp" in the mouth, causing severe pain for teenagers, and affecting their ability to eat and talk. According to a survey of teenagers, about 30% of them have had repeated oral ulcers, a large percentage of which are caused by active fever.
Middle age: flame-like smoke, a "hidden ordeal" under stress
When people reach middle age, they are like a ship sailing through the sea, carrying dual responsibilities of family and society, and the pressures come with them. At this time, the empty fire in the body is like a rising smoke, which seems invisible, but makes people feel unaccountable irritation and unease. Yin and spirit are damaged and yin and yang fires are typical characteristics of middle-aged fever. Like a big tree that has weathered, although it is still uplifted on the outside, the inner roots are already a little tired and weak.
Middle-aged people often feel that the more tired they are, the more they can''t sleep, like a machine that has been operating for a long time, exhausted but unable to stop and rest. This insomnia is not because of external interference, but because of a void fire in the body. False fire disrupts the mind, makes people upset, and makes it difficult to sleep. Studies have shown that about 40% of middle-aged people have some degree of insomnia, and a high level of inflammation is an important cause.
In addition to insomnia, unexplained swelling and cramps in the legs are also common manifestations of middle-aged fever. Like a dry river, the blood does not flow well, and the muscles do not get an adequate supply of nutrients, so they will become swollen and cramped. A friend of mine, who is middle-aged, has a busy job and often stays up late. Once, he woke up suddenly in the middle of the night with cramps in his legs. The pain was like whether several needles were stuck in his leg, making him miserable. After therapeutic treatment in Chinese medicine, we learned that it was caused by a strong fever.
Old age: foggy, a "fragile guardian" of the years
In old age, like the setting sun, the body''s various functions gradually decline, like an old house that has weathered the weather and began to have various problems. At this time, the fire inside the body, like a thin layer of fog, envelopes the surface of the body, seeming gentle, but making people feel weak and powerless. The emergence of floating fire is due to the imbalance of yin and yang in the bodies of elderly individuals, characterized by weakened yang energy and insufficient yin fluid, which prevents the control of the latent fire, causing it to rise to the surface.
Flu in the elderly is often manifested as symptoms such as heartburn, dry mouth and sore throat, dizziness and tinnitus. Like an old appliance, although it still works, there are always some minor bugs. There was an old neighbour, over 70 years old, who was not very well. Recently, he always feels dry and thirsty, drinking lots of water doesn''t help, and he often has trouble sleeping and dreaming at night. After going to traditional Chinese medicine, the doctor said that he was full of flames and prescribed some traditional Chinese remedies to narrow the symptoms. After a period of conditioning, the symptoms gradually eased.
Response: Follow the rules and reconcile the internal fire
How can we cope with the changes in fire at different stages of life? In fact, the key lies in following the physical laws of the human body and reconciling the yin and yang balance in the body. For teenagers, it is important to eat lightly, avoid spicy, greasy, and irritating foods, develop good habits, ensure adequate sleep, and keep fire within a moderate range. Middle-aged people should learn to release stress, regulate emotions, avoid overwork, and appropriately perform some exercises, such as walking, tai chi, etc., to enhance physical fitness and reconcile false fire. Older people should pay attention to nourishing the yin and kidneys, and eat more foods that are nourishing and dry, such as lilies, silver ears, goji berries, etc. At the same time, they should keep their minds clear and avoid excessive mood swings to prevent fires from rising.
Life is like a long journey, and each stage has its own unique scenery and challenges. The fire inside is like a change in the weather during a journey: sometimes the sun is shining, sometimes the rain and wind are mixed. But as long as we understand its patterns and master the methods of coping, we can stay healthy and vibrant on this journey and make our own wonderful chapter. Let us cherish each stage, feel the changes in the body with care, and use wisdom to reconcile the fire in the body so that the flower of life shines brighter through the years.
Author Bio: Liang Shijie is a senior medical practitioner in traditional Chinese medicine with an undergraduate degree. He has been engaged in traditional medicine clinical work for 24 years and has accumulated a wealth of clinical experience. Following Chen Yong, chief physician of liver disease at Beijing Traditional Medicine Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, and renowned old Chinese medicine, he has been treated for many years and received great attention. He specializes in the treatment of difficult diseases using "conversational traditional therapy" and special treatments combined with the academic ideas of Jiao Shude and Guan Yubo''s ten-level diagnosis.He is currently a researcher at the Shude Tang TCM Research Institute in Beijing, a fellow at the new 3 + 3 project of traditional Chinese medicine flame inheritance in Beijing - a scholar at the inheritance workstation of Jiao Shude''s protégés (Chen Yong),He is a standing committee member of the International Expert Committee on E-learning and Health Care, a member of the Jiao Shude Academic Heritage Special Committee of the Chinese Association for the Advancement of Chinese Medicine Research, and the first cancer specialist to be included in the chapter of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Culture Research Association. Won the 2020 China Association for the Promotion of Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhongjing Medical Branch held the eighth session of the Medical Saint Zhongjing Nanyang Forum "Classic Prescription Famous Doctor" honorary title. The winner of the first Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei "Pingui Cup" Yanzhao Medical Research Essay Award in 2023. His work was featured in the journal Current Scientist and the journal Chinese Talent.
