Hello! About once a month these past three months, I’ve had a medical issue involving facial swelling or facial edema come up first thing in the morning. After I got a handle on it this past time, I thought of you all and wanted to share my experience with you!

To keep it short, I would wake up in the morning and my eyes would be completely swollen shut. Both my top and bottom eyelids were swollen. My eyes were heavy and tight all around. I could barely see out them!

I got out of bed and immediately grab a Chinese herbal formula from my cabinet and popped several pills. The formula I chose is specific for reducing edema in the upper extremities. It contains the peels of five different Chinese Herbs. As the doctrine of signatures would say, use the peel for issues of our own peel, our skin. After taking the formula, I pulled a cucumber from the fridge, sliced it and  laid down for about 5 minutes with a cucumber slice on each eye. I made sure to relax as much as possible while resting with the cucumbers. As we all know stress can make any situation worse.

After five minutes, I removed the cucumber slices and noticed that the tightness and swelling had decreased by 50! Woohoo! In a little less than an hour, the swelling had reduced even more thanks to the Chinese Herbal Formula I took. Remember, it takes approximately 30-40 minutes for our body to process most substances. I’ll take another dose of the formula in three to four hours. I'll also continue to take it for the next three days (at least).

That afternoon I had a chat with a colleague and we came up with an acupuncture and moxibustion treatment for my symptoms. I did the treatment on myself about two hours after removing the cucumber slices. Immediately after that treatment, there was even less swelling. As the day progressed, the treatment continued to reinforce and the swelling continued to decrease.

For those unfamiliar with moxibustion, it is a form of heat therapy that uses the herb mugwort. The herb is dried then hand processed. The “moxa” is either applied to the body and burned till hot or rolled into a stick and burned over the body until hot. The burning moxa warms an area of the body, while also gently calling upon your Qi or vibrational energy to warm and move.

Here are a two pictures of my eyes. The first picture on the left (of one eye) is after the cucumber slices. The picture on the right is how I looked at about 4p that afternoon. As you can tell, there’s a big difference between the two images. My left eye is still drooping some from the edema/dampness.

Lastly, when I went to bed, I diffused the essential oils of peppermint and grapefruit. I picked these two oils for their Eastern Medicine functions and also because they were what I had. According to Eastern Medicine, peppermint essential oil opens the orifices. This will aid in opening my pores to clear the edema while also allowing for new Qi to flow through the area. Grapefruit essential oil was added to reduce damp accumulation and to expel it from the body. In Chinese Medicine, edema is an accumulation of dampness.

Although my remedies do not address the cause of my symptoms, it did alleviate my symptoms and pain. Now the fun begins. I get to investigate what the cause is and why it has happened!

Here are a few recommendations that came to mind while writing this article:

1. Avoid sleeping with your windows open.

2. Test any new cosmetic products on a small area of your skin before applying to your desired area.

3. Edema of the face can occur suddenly or within a few days. When it does occur write down any foods, drinks consumed or applied to your body in the past 48 - 72 hours. Keep this information in a safe place. It’s a log.

Has facial swelling happened to you? What did you do to remedy the situation?

To read more about facial swelling and it causes, read this article by The Health Site.

The view expressed in this article are intended to educate, generate intrigue and create discussion. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. Each patient has their own unique presentation and treatment plan. Please consult with me before trying any of the healing modalities discussed in this article

Disclaimer: This information is intended for general reference only. It is not a replacement for professional health advice. The content in this post intentionally does not provide dosage information or possible interactions with prescription drugs or other medications. Please contact a certified health practitioner such as a physician of Oriental Medicine or Herbalist before considering use. To schedule an appointment with Malerie, visit the services page.