How is Alzheimer’s disease treated?

Lu Jiu believes the method of balancing the five viscera should still be used.

That is, the treatment method of draining the south and supplementing the north.

To treat the lungs, you should drain the kidneys and supplement the spleen, and by analogy, to treat the kidneys, you should drain the liver and supplement the lungs.

The liver must be relieved, but it also needs rest. Draining the liver and draining the kidneys are the same principle, which is to reduce the burden on the liver.

Moreover, after draining the liver, there are fewer impurities in the liver, the blood can return to the liver, and the patient’s sleep quality can also be guaranteed.

At the same time, after the blood returns to the liver, the liver will also clean out impurities in the blood, making the blood cleaner and reducing internal blood stasis.

With less blood stasis, the heart’s burden is also smaller, so the patient doesn’t feel chest pain and can temporarily do without medication.

And supplementing the lungs is actually to supplement the kidneys.

But the patient’s kidney essence is currently depleted, and directly supplementing the kidneys won’t work, because whether it is the subtle essence of food nutrients or the medicine entering the spleen and stomach seeking the meridians, they all need to circulate through the body to be transformed into life essence stored by the kidneys.

As mentioned before, any nutrient entering the body needs to go through the spleen, liver, heart, and lungs before it reaches the kidneys to be transformed into essence.

Therefore, it’s not easy for the small essence reservoir of the kidneys to be full, nor is it easy for it to be completely depleted.

So what do you do when it’s depleted?

Obviously, you need to solve the source problem.

As the saying goes, “How can the water be so clear? For it comes from a living source.”

Where is the source of kidney water?

Undoubtedly, it’s in the lungs.

The lungs belong to metal, the kidneys belong to water, metal can generate water, lung yin is sufficient, transferring essence to the kidneys, makes kidney yin flourish, ensuring the kidneys’ functions are vigorous.

Water can moisten metal, kidney yin is the root of all bodily fluids, the kidney meridian is sufficient, circulating upwards to moisten the lungs, ensuring the lung qi is clear and descending normally.

Therefore, it is said: “The ebb and flow of lung qi completely rely on sufficient kidney water, not allowing false fire to refine metal, to maintain a state of clear tranquility.”

So, to some extent, the depletion of kidney essence can also cause heart fire to become excessive, less water and more fire, heart and kidneys not harmonizing, making the patient irritable and prone to temper tantrums.

Some elderly people become more short-tempered as they age, which is related to these situations.

And supplementing the lungs, restoring lung function, allows the lungs to generate fluids, with increased fluids, can prevent the false fire from attacking metal above, and help kidney water consolidate essence below.

In this way, not only can the patient’s heart disease be alleviated, but even blood pressure will gradually decrease, no longer needing to rely on antihypertensive medications.

Of course, this is merely Lu Jiu’s current treatment direction, it may not be right, but at least it won’t allow the patient’s condition to continue to deteriorate.

Then, Lu Jiu began to prepare the medicine.

Gentiana, Baical Skullcap, Bupleurum Root, baked licorice, Bai He…

Lu Jiu prepared three doses.

This is also his usual practice for prescribing medicine.

A minor illness gets one dose, a major illness three doses.

If there’s no effect, he advises the patient to find another doctor, he never earns a penny with a guilty conscience.

Fortunately, Lu Jiu’s medical skill has been improving, and so far, there aren’t many patients he cannot treat.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people lining up at the clinic’s entrance.

“Here are three doses of medicine, one per day, to be taken after meals. Each dose can be boiled three times, so at least two times must be taken a day. For now, continue with the antihypertensive medication. Stop the Alzheimer’s and heart disease medications. If, after these three doses, your father’s sleep improves, his complexion is not as pale as now, and his appetite improves, eating more than before, it proves the medicine works, and we can proceed to the next step of treatment. If none of these happen, it means I got the treatment wrong, and you will need to consult another TCM doctor.” Lu Jiu said.

Just three days?

The two brothers, Kang Peng and Kang Xuan, thought it seemed too short.

Their father had been taking medicine for over thirty years, how could three days of Chinese medicine be effective?

“Dr. Lu, can three days really be effective?” Kang Xuan asked.

“Didn’t I just say? It depends on your father’s response, whether there’s an effect is not up to me.” Lu Jiu said.

“But is three days enough?” Kang Xuan asked.

“Curing in three days is indeed wishful thinking, but if after three days there is no change, there are only two outcomes: either the diagnosis is incorrect or the medicine is wrong. With correct diagnosis and medication in TCM, it’s impossible for there to be no effect in three days.” Lu Jiu said.

I see.

Alright then!

The two brothers, Kang Peng and Kang Xuan, decided not to ask any more questions.

After picking up the medicine and completing payment, they left the clinic with their father.

…

At five in the afternoon, Peng Yan called inviting Lu Jiu to have dinner after work.

Over an hour later, he arrived at the entrance of Lu’s Clinic, waiting for Lu Jiu to see his last patient. Only then did he help tidy up the clinic, lock up, and head out for a meal.

“Do you remember when we were in school, there was a senior named Su Tianlong? He had really good grades. Even though his talent wasn’t as high as yours, the teachers spoke very highly of him. After getting his Master’s degree, he also joined Fuyou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Jinling. Although this hospital is a bit inferior to Jinling Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it doesn’t rank low nationwide,” Peng Yan said.

“Why suddenly bring him up?” Lu Jiu asked.

“I just saw the news; yesterday morning, the director of their hospital was arrested,” Peng Yan said.

“Corruption?” Lu Jiu asked.

“Yeah, took 76 million in bribes,” Peng Yan replied.

“Serves him right,” Lu Jiu said.

“The country started rectifying the medical industry in the first half of the year. Everyone thought it was all talk and that catching a few hundred directors would be the end of it. Who would have thought that this effort would last until the end of the year,” Peng Yan said.

“They should have done this a long time ago,” Lu Jiu replied.

“Exactly, directors easily embezzle tens of millions. Nationwide, these few hundred people alone have taken at least billions. Tsk tsk, how many families are ruined to squeeze out so much money, truly despicable!” Peng Yan gritted his teeth.

“Looks like the teachers’ series of actions really got strong support from above. Maybe from this year, the medical industry will truly change,” hope glimmered in Lu Jiu’s eyes.

“Let’s hope so,” Peng Yan said, suddenly complaining, “I mean, these crayfish here are just too expensive, right? A small bowl for a hundred and sixty-eight, might as well be robbing the bank?”

“Yesterday, a few colleagues and I had a meal, costing over two thousand. Jinling isn’t even that expensive!”

Lu Jiu was amused, “What’s so good about those? Just don’t order them.”

Peng Yan was speechless, “What else are we supposed to eat in Jianghan if not crayfish? Jianghan hardly has anything else, right? I’m not asking you to treat me; I’ve already been as considerate as I could be.”

Lu Jiu said, “Then I really have to thank you.”

Peng Yan said, “You’re welcome. Hey, let’s go to this place; we two grown men can just casually have a meal.”

As they walked, Peng Yan saw a small restaurant and, without being picky, walked right in.

However, upon seeing the menu, he couldn’t help but gasp.

If it weren’t for the fact that the street outside was undoubtedly at the level of a small broken county city, he would have thought he had arrived at a bustling tourist spot.

The prices of these dishes were ridiculously high!

As someone who had lived in Jinling for several years, he couldn’t help but wonder how the folks in Jianghan managed to survive.

Do they not spend money?

Over ten minutes later, two dishes and a soup were served.

Both of them started digging in immediately.

“How long are you planning to stay in Jianghan?” Lu Jiu asked.

“Probably a year or two. The principal said yesterday that besides establishing a medicinal base, there’s also a project to build a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital, requiring us to stay here for a year or two. When the hospital can run itself, we can leave. By then, returning to Jinling, all of us in this batch can get promoted. I, for example, will get my Master’s degree next year and be eligible to take the attending exam the year after. So going back to Jinling, I’ll have the chance to directly get promoted from a resident to an attending physician. How’s that? Isn’t it impressive?” Peng Yan boasted.

“The speed is indeed quite fast. Congratulations in advance, future Dr. Peng, the attending physician,” Lu Jiu laughed.

“And you, are you really planning to stick to this small clinic for life?” Peng Yan asked.

“I’ll see how it goes,” Lu Jiu replied.

“Honestly, since the principal and Elder Huang are building a hospital in Jianghan, and you have a special relationship with them, you can totally give up the clinic and join the hospital they’re building. It would be all gain and no loss for you. Anyway, that clinic space isn’t even yours, wouldn’t it be better to move to a bigger place in Jianghan?” Peng Yan said.

Lu Jiu chuckled, “Alright, we’ll continue as colleagues then.”

Peng Yan was stunned, and then squinted at Lu Jiu, “You’re acting weird. The old you would never agree so readily. Spill it, do you know some insider information? You’re Elder Huang’s student, the principal likes you so much, they couldn’t have not told you about the hospital construction.”

“I see you’re not against the new hospital, does it have some different rules compared to traditional big hospitals?”

Lu Jiu laughed, “I can’t say much about the details at the moment, but one thing I’m sure of is that its rules are not like those of traditional big hospitals.”

With a look of satisfaction, Peng Yan said, “So, you’re willing to go?”

Lu Jiu said, “I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know when the time is right.”

Peng Yan looked disdainful, “When the time is right? You just love being coy. Would it kill you to speak frankly?”

Lu Jiu smiled, “Alright, then I’ll tell you, I’m going to be the director of the new hospital.”

Peng Yan was speechless, “Do you think I’d buy that? Even if you’re Elder Huang’s student, would he really entrust such a big hospital to a young guy who hasn’t spent much time in a hospital?”

Lu Jiu suppressed a laugh, “Seems I’m getting a bit unrealistic with my boasting.”

Peng Yan said, “No kidding. If you said you were going to be a department head, I might believe you, but director? Elder Huang has so many students; any one of them would be more reliable than you.”

Since telling the truth wasn’t convincing, Lu Jiu had no choice but to wait until the hospital was built, and he could stand before Peng Yan as the director, perhaps then convincing him fully.

People are just like that, always first disbelieving in things beyond their realm of understanding.

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep