TCM treatment tips for gastric disease

Gastric disease is a common disease for people in modern society, and the main cause is unhealthy and irregular eating habits and lifestyles. Unhealthy eating habits may lead to problems with the digestive system and chronic gastritis may easily occur. Gastric disease is a chronic disease and treatment often does not produce quick results. The treatment of stomach problems requires conditioning and maintenance based on traditional Chinese medicine. So what are the unique skills of traditional Chinese medicine in treating stomach problems?

1. Liver and stomach qi stagnation type

It is more common in the early stages of chronic superficial gastritis, erosive gastritis or atrophic gastritis, and is often caused by emotional distress. The stomach may feel bloated after eating, or the stomach may feel bloated and painful and extend to the ribs, with frequent belching, and a slight improvement in flatulence, or nausea, bitter taste in the mouth, and difficulty in defecation. The tip of the tongue may be slightly red, the tongue coating may be thin and white, and the pulse may be stringy. The treatment is suitable for soothing the liver and stomach, regulating qi and relieving bloating. The prescription used is Chaihu Shugan San.

2. Spleen deficiency and stomach heat type

It is more common in chronic superficial gastritis, recurrent attacks of erosive gastritis, or active stage of atrophic gastritis, and manifests as deficiency accompanied by stomach heat, presenting a mixture of deficiency and excess, cold and heat. Symptoms include stomach noise or burning pain, pain at irregular times, pain when hungry, bloating when full, bitter and dry mouth but not drinking much, decreased food intake, loose or constipated stools, pale or light red tongue, thin yellow tongue coating, and thin and stringy pulse. The treatment is to strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, harmonize the middle and clear the stomach. The prescription used is Banxia Xiexin Decoction.

3. Weak spleen and stomach type

It is often seen in atrophic gastritis, or long-term superficial gastritis where the actual symptoms have disappeared but the spleen deficiency symptoms remain. Symptoms include a hollow and full stomach, or dull pain that is relieved by pressing, a preference for hot food, abdominal distension after eating, or vomiting of clear saliva, sallow complexion, fatigue, loose stools, etc., a pale tongue, a fat body, a white and moist tongue coating, and a thready and weak pulse. Treatment is aimed at strengthening the spleen and replenishing Qi, warming the middle and harmonizing the stomach. The prescription used is Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction.

4. Insufficient stomach yin

It is more common in chronic atrophic gastritis, or other types of gastritis caused by long-term illness and treatment that damages the yin. Symptoms include prolonged stomach pain, slight burning pain in the stomach, or noisy discomfort, dry mouth and poor appetite, or fullness after eating, dry and hard stools, red tongue with little fluid, thin white fur, and a thin and rapid pulse. The treatment is suitable for nourishing yin and benefiting the stomach, relieving acute pain. The prescription used is Yiwei Decoction.