"If You Have Palpitations, Headaches, or Insomnia, Suspect Hwabyeong"[Kok! Health]

If Hwa-byung interferes with daily life, experts in Korean medicine advise seeking professional help.

The photo is not related to the article content. [Photo by Pixabay]

According to Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital on the 9th, Hwa-byung refers to various mental symptoms, neuroses, and physical illnesses that occur due to chronic stress or temporary stress that cannot be properly relieved. It generally arises from harboring feelings of injustice and resentment for a long time.

The hospital explains that in the past, Hwa-byung was so common and serious that patients were sometimes hospitalized because of it. According to data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, 11,587 patients visited Korean medicine hospitals for Hwa-byung last year. Among them, 2,392 were men and 9,195 were women, showing a higher proportion of females. However, recently, due to modern societal stresses such as intense competition and relative deprivation caused by wealth disparity, Hwa-byung occurs across all ages and genders.

The cause of Hwa-byung is feelings of injustice and resentment. Anger erupts as emotions or behaviors, accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest tightness, a rising sensation, and facial heat. Hwa-byung has been known as a culture-related syndrome in Korea, linked to the Korean culture of enduring hardships and an explosive temperament. Internationally, it is described as "anger syndrome."

Koreans tend to somatize mental distress, often expressing related symptoms physically. Representative mental symptoms include anger, irritation, and feelings of injustice and resentment. Physically, the most common symptoms are chest tightness, palpitations, a rising sensation and heat, headaches, and insomnia. If symptoms like chest tightness and palpitations recur, it can be considered that Hwa-byung has developed. If left untreated, Hwa-byung can progress to depression characterized by lethargy without even expressing anger. Since Hwa-byung is physically associated with heart problems and linked to hypertension, caution is necessary.

Treatment for Hwa-byung involves various methods such as acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, meditation, and walking. The characteristics of Hwa-byung are chest tightness, a rising sensation, and feelings of anger. The principle is to relieve the tight chest through acupuncture and apply moxibustion to the lower abdomen to reduce heat downward, making the chest feel cooler. Mindfulness training during meditation helps patients recognize and remember their changed state, enabling them to regulate both physical symptoms and anger emotions.

Korean medicine counseling, which helps patients overcome the illness on their own, is also utilized. Walking is also a good method for treating Hwa-byung. Professor Kim Jong-woo of the Korean Medicine Hwa-byung Stress Clinic at Gangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital advises, "Walking is important, but it is not about walking endlessly; start walking with the goal of briefly escaping daily life to recharge your mind." He recommends walking for comfortable rest rather than adding new stimuli.

Professor Kim emphasized, "When expressing anger, one must be able to convey that they are angry without being overwhelmed by their emotions. If symptoms such as chest tightness, heat, headaches, and insomnia appear and significantly affect daily life, it is necessary to seek professional help promptly."

Professor Kim Jong-woo, Korean Medicine Hwabyeong Stress Clinic, Kangdong Kyunghee University Hospital.
[Photo by Kangdong Kyunghee University Hospital]

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