Abstract
Objectives To evaluate the safety of moxa smoke, especially to provide quantitative information and details for the occupational prevention of acupuncturists. Methods We combined the questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey and lung function testing-based historical retrospective cohort research to investigate the safety of moxa smoke exposure (MSE) among acupuncturists. A mathematical regression model was established to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between moxa smoke exposure and the respiratory health of the acupuncturist. The smoke exposure time of the acupuncturist and the prevalence of abnormal respiratory symptoms or diseases were also evaluated. Results (1) The cross-sectional research showed that the incidence of expectoration (18.7%) and rhinitis (22.7%) was the most common respiratory symptom and disease after MSE. No statistical difference was found between smoke exposure time of the acupuncturist and the prevalence of abnormal respiratory symptoms or diseases, except the prevalence of rhinitis and shortness of breath (P < 0.01). Regression model for the incidence of first three symptoms (expectoration, shortness of breath, and wheezing) from the cross-sectional survey indicated that the weight coefficients of factors associated with moxa smoke were lower than those of factors unrelated to moxa smoke, such as gender and personal history of respiratory diseases. (2) Historical retrospective cohort research showed that there was no significant difference in the % predicted PEF. No statistic difference was found between the exposed and nonexposed group in large airway function indexes (% predicted FEV1, % predicted FVC, and % predicted FEV1/FVC) and small airway function indexes (% predicted FEF25, % predicted FEF50, % predicted FEF75, and % predicted MMEF), either. Especially, the % predicted MVV among males (106.23 ± 2.92 vs. 95.56 ± 1.92, P < 0.01 and % predicted VC among females (100.70 ± 1.59 vs. 95.91 ± 1.61, P < 0.05) between the two groups had statistical significance, but did not cause pulmonary ventilation dysfunction. Conclusions MSE has no significant effect on the respiratory health of acupuncturists.
Highlights
Moxibustion is one of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies that use the heat generated by burning herbal preparations containing Artemisia vulgaris to stimulate acupuncture points [1]
With people paying more attention to environmental pollution and their own health, the security challenge caused by moxa smoke has become the focus of attention, just as Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine incense burning produces large amounts of particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and so on [16]
We found that moxa smoke causes adverse stimulus reactions to the body and affects the compliance of patients with moxibustion [22, 23]
Summary
Moxibustion is one of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies that use the heat generated by burning herbal preparations containing Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort) to stimulate acupuncture points [1]. A considerable number of clinical and experimental studies have indicated that moxa smoke contains a range of chemical components, including inhalable particles (PM 10 and PM 2.5), formaldehyde, naphthalene, benzene, methylbenzene, total volatile organic compounds, CO, CO2, NO, SO2, NH3, and O3 [17, 18]. Under normal operating conditions, neither volatile nor carbon monoxide would do harm to health and safety [21]. Based on these studies, the potential effect of moxa smoke on health is controversial
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