Arrhythmia classification and treatment

Arrhythmia is a change in heart rhythm or frequency caused by abnormalities in the origin or conduction of cardiac beats. Patients often experience symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, forgetfulness, and fatigue. Traditional Chinese medicine classifies it as "palpitations" or "heart palpitations", and good results can be achieved by differentiating and treating it clinically.

Deficiency of both heart and spleen:

Palpitations, shortness of breath, sallow complexion, fatigue, dizziness, forgetfulness, restless sleep, and even worse due to worry and mental fatigue. The lips and tongue are pale, and the pulse is thready and weak. The treatment should be to nourish the blood and nourish the heart, invigorate the qi and calm the mind. The prescription for choice is Guipi Decoction: Angelica sinensis, longan meat, ginseng, astragalus, white atractylodes, roasted licorice, spinach seed, poria, polygala, and costus root.

Guilty and timid:

Palpitations, easy to be startled and panic, restlessness, insomnia, frequent dreams, easy awakening, irritability. The tongue coating is thin white, and the pulse is rapid or weak. The treatment should be to calm the nerves, soothe the mind and soothe the nerves. The prescription should be Anshen Dingzhi Pills with added ingredients: dragon teeth, Poria cocos, Poria, Codonopsis pilosula, Polygala tenuifolia, Acorus gramineus, Amber, magnet, Schisandra chinensis, etc.

Deficiency of both Qi and Yin:

Palpitations and restlessness, shortness of breath and fatigue, aggravated by movement, chest tightness, dry mouth, tinnitus, insomnia, dreaminess, spontaneous sweating and night sweats. The tongue is pale or light red, with little coating and a thin pulse. The treatment should be to invigorate qi and nourish blood, promote blood circulation and calm the mind. The prescription selected is Tianwang Buxin Dan: ginseng, Scrophularia, Salvia, Poria, Schisandra, Polygala, Angelica, Asparagus, Ophiopogon, Platycladus, Ziziphus jujuba, Rehmannia, cinnabar, etc.

Yin deficiency and excessive fire:

Palpitations, restlessness, insomnia, dizziness, dry mouth and throat, or erosion of the mouth and tongue, fever in the five parts of the body, night sweats, and sore and weak waist. The tongue is red, with little or no coating, and the pulse is thready and rapid. The treatment should nourish yin and clear heat, nourish the heart and calm the mind. The prescription includes cinnabar, coptis chinensis, raw rehmannia, angelica, roasted licorice, anemarrhena, phellodendron, cooked rehmannia, yam, cornus fruit, peony bark, etc.

Deficiency of heart yang:

Palpitations and restlessness, which worsen with movement, chest tightness and shortness of breath, pale complexion, cold body and limbs, fear of cold and preference for warmth, and spontaneous sweating. The tongue is pale, and the pulse is deep, thin, rapid or weak. The treatment should be to warm and nourish the heart yang, calm the mind and relieve palpitations. You can choose Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Decoction with added ingredients: cinnamon twig, roasted licorice, dragon bone, oyster, ginseng, aconite, safflower, etc.

Drinking Lingxin:

Palpitations and dizziness, shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping, chest tightness and abdominal distension, cold body and limbs, scanty urination, or swelling of the lower limbs, thirst without desire to drink, nausea and spitting of saliva. The tongue is pale, the tongue coating is white and smooth, and the pulse is stringy and slippery. The treatment should be to invigorate the heart yang, transform qi and promote the circulation of water. The prescription is Ling Gui Zhu Gan Decoction with added ingredients: cinnamon twig, poria, roasted licorice, white atractylodes, tangerine peel, aconite, astragalus, scutellaria baicalensis, safflower, ginger, etc.

Qi stagnation and blood stasis:

Palpitations, chest tightness, heart pain, pain like needles, or bluish lips and nails, dark purple tongue or ecchymosis, and sluggish or intermittent pulse. The treatment should be to regulate qi and activate blood circulation, remove blood stasis and dredge meridians. The prescription can be peach kernel and safflower decoction or Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction with modifications: peach kernel, safflower, salvia miltiorrhiza, red peony root, chuanxiong, Corydalis yanhusuo, green peel, raw rehmannia, angelica, cinnamon twig, licorice, etc.

Phlegm and fire disturbing the heart:

Heart palpitations come and go, easily frightened, chest tightness and heat, irritability, excessive phlegm and nausea, insomnia and dreaminess, dry and bitter mouth, constipation, and short and dark urine. The tongue is red with yellow and greasy coating, and the pulse is stringy and slippery. The treatment should be to clear away heat and resolve phlegm, calm the mind and soothe the nerves. The prescription is Huanglian Wendan Decoction with added ingredients: Coptis chinensis, Pinellia ternata, Tangerine peel, Ginger, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, Citrus aurantium, Licorice, Trichosanthes kirilowii, Sophora flavescens, Scutellaria baicalensis, Dragon bone, Oyster, etc.