TCM conditioning and syndrome differentiation treatment of spleen deficiency and dampness

In life, many people’s physique tends to be in a sub-healthy state. Some people have spleen deficiency or kidney deficiency. So what are the symptoms of spleen deficiency and dampness? What is spleen deficiency and dampness?

Symptoms of spleen deficiency and dampness

That is, dampness obstructs the spleen and earth. Refers to the pathogenesis of internal dampness stagnation caused by spleen deficiency. The spleen is responsible for transporting and transforming water and moisture. If the spleen is weak, its transport and transformation functions are impaired, causing stagnation of water and moisture. The stagnation of water and moisture, in turn, affects the spleen's transport and transformation. Symptoms include decreased appetite, fullness and stuffiness in the stomach, loose stools, or even nausea and vomiting, sticky mouth without thirst or thirst with a preference for hot drinks, limb fatigue, or even edema, thick and greasy tongue coating, and slow pulse.

What is spleen deficiency and dampness

Spleen deficiency and dampness is the name of a disease in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which means dampness stagnates the spleen and earth. Refers to the pathogenesis of internal dampness stagnation caused by spleen deficiency. The spleen is responsible for transporting and transforming water and dampness, and circulates body fluids for the stomach. If the spleen is weak, its transport and transformation functions are impaired, causing stagnation of water and dampness. The stagnation of water and dampness, in turn, affects the spleen's transport and transformation. Symptoms include decreased appetite, fullness and stuffiness in the stomach, loose stools, or even nausea and vomiting, sticky mouth without thirst or thirst with a preference for hot drinks, limb fatigue, or even edema, thick and greasy tongue coating, and slow pulse. The treatment should be to strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness. Traditional Chinese medicine treatment should focus on clearing heat and removing dampness, diuresis and dampness removal, and aromatic dampness transformation. Prescriptions that can be used include modified Shenling Baizhu San and modified Huoxiang Zhengqi Wan.

Pathology of spleen deficiency and dampness

Spleen deficiency and dampness syndrome is a syndrome characterized by spleen weakness, spleen failure to transport and transform qi, and accumulation of water and dampness. The main clinical manifestations are abdominal distension, diarrhea, and edema. It is commonly seen in phlegm, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, edema, as well as chronic gastroenteritis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, nephritis and other diseases in Western medicine.

The absorption, transfer and distribution of water are closely related to the spleen's function of transporting and transforming water and moisture. If the body is weak, or if the person is overworked, has an imbalanced diet, or even suffers from excessive vomiting and diarrhea, then the spleen qi and spleen yang will be damaged, leading to decreased spleen function in transporting and transforming water and dampness, stagnation of water and dampness, and the formation of spleen deficiency and dampness syndrome.

Symptoms of spleen deficiency and dampness

The clinical manifestations of spleen deficiency and dampness syndrome include decreased appetite, fullness and stuffiness in the upper abdomen, loose stools, nausea and vomiting, sticky mouth without thirst, or thirst with preference for hot drinks, limb sleepiness, and even edema, thick and greasy tongue coating, and slow pulse. In clinical diagnosis, it is necessary to further distinguish whether spleen deficiency is spleen qi deficiency or spleen yang deficiency; whether dampness is cold-dampness or damp-heat. The main symptoms of spleen deficiency include abdominal distension, especially after eating, decreased appetite, fatigue, shortness of breath, laziness to speak, sallow complexion, slow and weak pulse, and pale and tender tongue. The spleen is responsible for ascending qi, so if the spleen is deficient, the qi will sink, and may also cause chronic diarrhea, rectal prolapse, uterine prolapse, and gastroptosis. The main symptoms of spleen yang deficiency are based on the symptoms of spleen qi deficiency, with additional symptoms including cold pain in the abdomen, preference for heat and pressure, fear of cold and cold limbs, clear and thin leucorrhea in women, and a deep, slow and weak pulse. Spleen Yang deficiency and dampness obstruction are generally cold and damp, but there are also cases where dampness resides for a long time and turns into damp heat. The main clinical symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal distension, abdominal pain, sticky and unsmooth stools, or abdominal fullness, jaundice, dry and bitter taste in the mouth, yellow and red urine, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and slippery or rapid pulse.

The treatment of spleen deficiency and dampness should always be to strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness

If the syndrome is caused by spleen deficiency and dampness, you can use Shenling Baizhu Powder, Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction, and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction; if the syndrome is caused by spleen yang deficiency and dampness, use Shipi Drink to warm the yang and promote diuresis; if the syndrome is caused by damp-heat blocking the spleen, use Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction with Coptis chinensis, Scutellaria baicalensis, or Yueju Pills, Baohe Pills, etc. to strengthen the spleen, eliminate dampness and clear heat.

Dietary supplementation for spleen deficiency and dampness

The general treatment method is: invigorating Qi and strengthening the spleen, draining dampness and stopping diarrhea.

Prescription: Shenling Baizhu powder. Medicines: 30 grams of lotus seeds, 30 grams of coix seeds, 10 grams of amomum, 15 grams of platycodon, 20 grams of white hyacinth bean, 20 grams of poria, 15 grams of ginseng, 10 grams of licorice, 20 grams of atractylodes, 30 grams of yam, 10 grams of tangerine peel, and 5 dates.