7. Syndrome of Stomach-Yin deficiency
Manifestations
Main symptoms
Poor appetite or reduced appetite, a tendency to get hungry easily yet with an aversion to food, heartburn, thirst, dry mouth and constipation.
Secondary symptoms
Low-grade fever, warm palms and soles, loss of weight.
Tongue
Red and dry without coating.
Pulse
Thready and rapid.
Associated disorders in western medicine
Diabetes, chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, hyperchlorhydria, aftermath of febrile diseases.
Analysis of the syndrome
The Stomach is located in the Middle-Jiao and is a Yang Ming organ, a place that is full of heat. As it connects the Yang meridians of the body, it is referred to as the sea of the Yang meridians. The Stomach receives food and drink and ripens them, a process that also produces heat. As a result, the Stomach-Yin is easily injured.
• When the Yin is insufficient in the Stomach, dry mouth and thirst may present.
• Since the Large Intestine belongs to the Yang Ming organs, the Yin can also be weakened. When the Stomach-Yin is deficient, constipation may occur.
• If the Spleen-Qi is weakened by being constantly consumed by the Stomach-fire for a long period of time, poor appetite or reduced appetite occurs.
• Hunger is the sign of food being consumed by fire. Although the empty-fire in the Stomach can bring the sign of fire that leads to a feeling of hunger, actually the Qi and Yin are too weak to digest food and therefore one will be averse to eating despite feeling hungry.
• The remaining symptoms and signs indicate the condition of general Yin deficiency, which may vary according to the degree of the Stomach-Yin deficiency.
Treatment principle: Tonify the Stomach-Yin
Herb selection principles and formula composition strategies
• First, herbs that are sweet and cold, enter the Stomach meridian and are able to directly nourish the Stomach-Yin are selected.
• Second, herbs that are sweet and cold, enter the Kidney meridian, and are able to nourish the Kidney-Yin, which is the source of the Yin of all the other organs, are selected. It is equally important to select herbs that tonify the Spleen-Qi in order to promote Yin generation.
• Third, herbs that soothe the Stomach-Qi and herbs that clear heat in the Stomach without the side effect of injuring the Stomach-Yin are selected.
Structure of the formula and selection of herbs
Chief: Nourish the Stomach-Yin
Shi Hu ( Dendrobii caulis)**
Shi Hu
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