SWEATING

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SWEATING

Chapter contents

SPONTANEOUS SWEATING

Interrogation, Chapter 41

Lung-Qi deficiency

Spontaneous sweating which is worse on exercise, slight shortness of breath, slight cough, weak voice, dislike of speaking, bright-white complexion, tendency to catch colds, tiredness, a dislike of cold, Pale tongue, Empty pulse.

Lung-Yang deficiency

Spontaneous sweating which is worse on exercise, slight shortness of breath, slight cough, weak voice, dislike of speaking, bright-white complexion, tendency to catch colds, tiredness, dislike of cold, a feeling of cold, cold hands, Pale and wet tongue, Weak pulse.

Full-Heat

Profuse spontaneous sweating, a feeling of heat, thirst, mental restlessness, Red tongue with yellow coating, Overflowing-Rapid pulse.

This may be Full-Heat in the Heart, Liver, Lungs, or Stomach.

Phlegm-Heat

Profuse daytime sweating, a feeling of oppression of the chest, sputum in the throat, mental restlessness, thirst with no desire to drink, Red and Swollen tongue with sticky yellow coating, Slippery-Rapid pulse.

This can be Phlegm-Heat affecting the Lungs, Stomach or Heart.

Invasion of Wind-Cold with prevalence of Wind

Slight sweating, aversion to cold, fever, cough, itchy throat, slight breathlessness, stuffed or runny nose with clear watery discharge, sneezing, occipital headache, body aches, thin white tongue coating, Floating-Slow pulse.

This is due to a disharmony between Nutritive and Defensive Qi.

Wind-Dampness on the Exterior

Spontaneous sweating, aversion to cold, fever, swollen glands, nausea, occipital stiffness, body aches, muscle ache, a feeling of heaviness of the body, swollen joints, a feeling of heaviness of the limbs, headache, sticky white tongue coating, Floating-Slippery pulse.

Invasion of Summer-Heat

Slight sweating, fever, aversion to cold, headache, a feeling of heaviness, an uncomfortable sensation in the epigastrium, irritability, thirst, tongue Red in the front or sides with a sticky white coating, Soggy and Rapid pulse.

NIGHT SWEATING

Interrogation, Chapter 41

Night sweating is called in Chinese dao han, which literally means ‘thief sweating’; this name probably refers to the fact that night-time sweating is very depleting of the body’s energies and it ‘robs’ the body of its Qi. Both daytime and night-time sweating deplete the body’s energy: the former depletes Qi and Yang, and the latter Yin. Thus both daytime and night-time sweating start a pathological vicious circle because they can derive from a deficiency but they also aggravate that deficiency.

Yin deficiency

Night sweating, dry mouth with a desire to drink in small sips, dry throat in the evening, scanty dark urine, dry stools, normal-coloured tongue without coating, Floating-Empty pulse.

This may be Yin deficiency of several different organs: the Lungs, Heart, Stomach, Liver, Kidneys or Spleen.

Yin deficiency with Empty-Heat

Profuse night sweating, five-palm heat, feeling of heat in the evening, dry mouth at night with a desire to drink in small sips, malar flush, Red tongue without coating, Floating-Empty and Rapid pulse.

Damp-Heat in Stomach and Spleen

Night sweating, a feeling of fullness and pain of the epigastrium and lower abdomen, poor appetite, a feeling of heaviness, thirst without a desire to drink, nausea, loose stools with an offensive odour, a feeling of heat, dull-yellow complexion, sticky taste, Red tongue with sticky yellow coating, Slippery-Rapid pulse.

Deficiency of Qi and Blood of the Heart

Night sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath on exertion, pale face, tiredness, slight depression, spontaneous sweating, dizziness, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, poor memory, anxiety, tendency to be easily startled, dull-pale complexion, pale lips, Pale and Thin tongue, Choppy or Fine pulse.

This is less common than the night sweating from Yin deficiency and it usually occurs in women.

Lesser-Yang pattern

Night sweating, bitter taste, hypochondrial discomfort, dry throat, alternation of hot and cold feeling, irritability, unilateral coating on the tongue, Wiry pulse.

This can be either the Lesser-Yang pattern within the Six Stages identification of patterns (in which there is a prevalence of cold feeling) or the Gall-Bladder Heat pattern within the Four Levels identification of patterns (in which there is a prevalence of hot feeling). This type of night sweating usually follows a febrile disease.

• Remember: night sweating is not always caused by Yin deficiency!

SWEATING FROM COLLAPSE

Interrogation, Chapter 41

Collapse of Qi and Yin

Profuse sweating like oil drops, a feeling of heat, body hot to the touch, thirst, collapse, Red tongue without coating, Deep-Minute-Rapid pulse.

Collapse of Yang

Profuse sweating like pearls, watery sweat, body cold to the touch, a feeling of cold, cold limbs, unconsciousness, pale face, weak breathing, Pale tongue, Hidden pulse.

YELLOW SWEAT

Observation, Chapter 20; Interrogation, Chapter 41

Yellow sweat was first mentioned in the ‘Synopsis of Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet’ (Jin Gui Yao Lue, c. AD200). In Chapter 14

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