What are the methods for testing physical constitution in Traditional Chinese Medicine? How to test yourself?

More and more people are paying attention to health preservation. Chinese medicine believes that health preservation should be carried out reasonably according to personal constitution, and it is more effective to choose a health preservation method suitable for your own constitution. Misjudging your physical condition may have the opposite effect. So what are the methods of physical constitution testing in traditional Chinese medicine?

11 ways to quickly determine your physical condition

Although each of us has a similar physical condition, we can still make some distinctions overall. Here, I will introduce to you a simple and very comprehensive method of classifying body constitutions in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I hope it will be helpful to you.

1 Normal physique: moist skin, rosy lips, full of energy, good diet and sleep, normal bowel movements, pale red tongue, and a gentle pulse. Less prone to illness, stronger resistance, resistant to cold and heat, no need for tonic, dietotherapy or mild tonic

2 Yin-cold constitution: belongs to the cold (solid) constitution, usually with cold limbs and no sweat, likes warmth and fears cold, often has abdominal pain and diarrhea, joint pain, bland mouth without thirst, clear and long urine, pale tongue with white coating, and tight or slow pulse. It is prone to rheumatic joint pain, being affected by cold evil, being afraid of cold and damp climate, and it is suitable to warm the yang and dispel the cold. You should eat warm food, such as lamb, ginger, cinnamon, etc.

Yin-cold constitution: belongs to cold (solid) constitution, usually cold limbs without sweat, likes warmth and fears cold

3 Yang deficiency constitution: belongs to deficiency and cold constitution. The limbs are often cold, the patient is afraid of cold and likes warmth, feels tired, likes to eat hot food, sleeps a lot, has loose stools, clear and long urine, the tongue is fat and tender with teeth marks on the edges, the tongue coating is moist, and the pulse is deep, slow and weak. Most diseases are caused by cold, and the patient is prone to symptoms such as phlegm, swelling, diarrhea, impotence, etc. The patient is easily affected by cold evil and dampness. It can tolerate summer but not winter, so it is advisable to use products that warm the yang and replenish the deficiency.

4 Yin deficiency constitution: It belongs to the constitution of deficiency and heat, the patient is mostly thin, irritable, with red cheeks, hot hands and feet, especially in the afternoon, dry mouth and throat, dry eyes, dizziness and tinnitus, poor sleep, dry stool, red tongue with less and dry coating, and thin and rapid pulse. It is prone to suffer from yin deficiency and dryness and heat, is afraid of dryness and heat, and can tolerate winter but not summer. It is good for nourishing yin and replenishing deficiency, and it is sweet and cold and reduces fever. Such as lily, wolfberry, Ophiopogon japonicus, sea cucumber, American ginseng, etc.

5 Yang-heat constitution: belongs to the real heat type. The face is often red, the patient is afraid of heat and prefers cold, is thirsty and sweats a lot, likes cold food, is prone to high fever when sick, has yellow urine and constipation, has a red tongue with yellow coating, and has a rapid and strong pulse. Most diseases are caused by heat, and the person is prone to sores and ulcers. He is afraid of heat, can tolerate winter but not summer. He should eat bitter foods or drinks that can clear away heat, such as bitter melon, kuding tea, lotus seed core, etc.

6 Qi deficiency constitution: This is a weak constitution, with pale complexion, shortness of breath, laziness to speak, easy sweating, poor appetite, easy fatigue, pale red tongue, enlarged tongue, and weak and slow pulse. Easy to catch cold, the disease will last for a long time and will not heal, the internal organs will be prone to sagging, and there is intolerance to wind, cold and heat. It is advisable to eat yam, lotus seeds or Pseudostellaria baicalensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Polygonatum sibiricum, etc.

7 Blood deficiency constitution: sallow or pale complexion, dull lips and nails, dizziness, palpitations, insomnia and forgetfulness, or numbness of limbs, pale tongue and weak pulse. It is good for replenishing qi and producing blood. Use angelica, rehmannia, and longan meat.

8. Blood stasis constitution: The complexion is often dull, the lips are dull or purple, the eye sockets are dark, the skin is rough, or there are masses, stabbing pain, the pain is fixed, the tongue is dark purple with petechiae, the pulse is thin and wiry, or the pulse rate is irregular. It is easy to suffer from bleeding, abdominal mass, stroke, chest pain (coronary heart disease) and other diseases. It is suitable for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, using hawthorn, peach kernel, etc.

9 Phlegm-damp constitution: fat body and big belly, oily facial skin, sticky and profuse sweat, slightly floating eyelids, chest tightness and abdominal distension, heaviness and drowsiness, likes to eat fatty and sticky foods, loose stools, fat tongue with many teeth marks, greasy white tongue coating, and slippery pulse. It is easy to suffer from diseases such as diabetes, stroke (cerebrovascular accident), and chest pain. It has poor adaptability to humid environment and rainy season. It is suitable for removing dampness and reducing phlegm. It is advisable to take coix seed, poria cocos, red bean, wax gourd peel, lotus leaf, lotus stem, etc.

10. Damp-heat constitution: Oily face, prone to acne, heavy body, drowsiness, sticky and uncomfortable stools, wet scrotum in men, yellow and foul-smelling discharge in women, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, and slippery and rapid pulse. Prone to diseases such as acne, jaundice, gonorrhea, and fever. It is difficult to adapt to the high temperature and hot and humid climate. The diet therapy is the same as that for phlegm-dampness constitution, and spicy and irritating foods should be avoided.

Damp-heat constitution: Oily face, prone to acne, heavy body, drowsiness, sticky and uncomfortable stools

11. Qi stagnation constitution: depressed mood, fullness in the chest and flanks, wandering pain, sighing, belching and hiccups, a foreign body sensation in the throat, or breast pain and dysmenorrhea. It is easy to suffer from depression, irritability, insomnia, plum pit qi, panic and other diseases. People with poor adaptability to mental stimulation should adjust their mentality and take foods that promote the flow of qi, such as rose, bergamot, radish, etc. It is not advisable to take supplements.