What does the kidney control in traditional Chinese medicine?

There are many different answers to the question of what the kidney is responsible for in traditional Chinese medicine, which makes many people who don't know much about Chinese medicine more and more confused, and they can't figure out what the kidney is responsible for in traditional Chinese medicine. In order to enable more people to understand Chinese medicine and know what the kidney is responsible for, the following content specifically summarizes the relevant knowledge about what the kidney is responsible for and tells everyone in simple language. Please see below.

The main physiological effects of kidney essence are:

1. Kidneys store essence and are responsible for growth and development. The essence stored in the kidneys includes "innate essence" and "acquired essence". "Innate essence" is the essence of life and death inherited from parents and is the original substance that constitutes embryonic development, namely, "Su Wen". As the Book of the Original Spirit says, "The source of life is called essence", so the kidney is called "the root of the innate nature". "Acquired essence" refers to the essence of grain and water generated by the spleen and stomach's transportation and transformation functions from the food we eat after birth, as well as the remaining part of the essence generated by the physiological activities of the internal organs after metabolic balance, which are stored in the kidneys. Therefore, "Su Wen" The Treatise on the Original Innocence of Ancient Times said: "The kidney governs water, receives the essence of the five internal organs and stores it."

2. The kidneys control water. The kidney governs water, which means that the kidney has the function of presiding over the metabolism of water in the body and maintaining the balance of water in the body. The human body's water metabolism includes two aspects: one is to distribute the body fluids derived from the essence of water and grain, which have the function of nourishing and moistening the internal organs and tissues, throughout the body; the other is to expel the turbid fluids after metabolism by various internal organs and tissues. The realization of the water metabolism process mainly depends on the "gasification" function of the kidneys.

3. The kidneys are responsible for taking in air. "Na" means to receive and take in. The kidneys are responsible for receiving air, which means that the kidneys have the function of absorbing the fresh air inhaled by the lungs, thereby ensuring the normal exchange of gas inside and outside the body. Only in this way can you maintain a certain depth of breathing. Therefore, if the kidney's function of absorbing air is normal, breathing will be even and regular. If the kidney is weak and cannot absorb air, symptoms such as exhaling more than inhaling, difficulty breathing, and severe wheezing when moving may occur. This is called "kidney failure to absorb air."

The kidney opens up to the ears and two orifices. The hearing function of the ear depends on the nourishment of kidney essence. If the kidney essence is sufficient, the hearing will be sensitive; if the kidney essence is insufficient, tinnitus, hearing loss, etc. will occur. The two yin are the general term for the front yin and the posterior yin. The anterior vulva includes the urinary tract and genitals. Although the storage and excretion of urine are the functions of the bladder, they rely on the gasification function of the kidneys to be completed. Therefore, frequent urination, enuresis, oligouria, and urinary retention are related to kidney dysfunction; the posterior vagina refers to the anus. Although the excretion of feces is mainly controlled by the large intestine, traditional Chinese medicine believes that it is also related to the kidneys. For example, insufficient kidney yin can cause drying up of intestinal fluid and constipation. Deficiency of kidney yang can cause loss of warmth of the spleen and inability to move moisture, which can lead to diarrhea. Weak kidney qi can cause chronic diarrhea and slipping.