Blood Deficiency
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern? The concept of Blood The concept of Deficiency
Key attributes
Chinese name: 血虚 Pinyin name: Xuè Xū
Pattern nature: Empty
Pattern hierarchy: General pattern with specific forms like Heart Blood Deficiency or Spleen Blood Deficiency
Common combinations: Qi and Blood Deficiency Wind-Cold invading with Blood and Yin Deficiency Liver Yang Rising with Blood and Yin Deficiency
Causes
Precursor patterns: Liver Blood Deficiency Spleen Yang Deficiency Heart Blood Deficiency and three other possible precursors
Common causes: 1. Profuse Blood lose, 2. Diet, 3. Physical over-exertion, 4. Chronic diseases, 5. Mental over-work
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Insomnia Dizziness Pale lips Amenorrhea Poor memory and two other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), Fine (Xi)
Tongue description: Pale, thin and slightly tongue
Treatment
Treatment principle: Tonify the Spleen and Stomach, tonify and invigorate Blood, tonify Qi
Common formulas: Si Wu Tang Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang
Pathology
A Deficiency of Blood occurs when their entire body, a part of body or a particular Organ is insufficiently nourished by Blood. This can be caused by a loss of blood, insufficient Spleen Qi to produce Blood or congealed Blood which prevents new Blood from forming.
The Organs most likely to be affected by Blood Deficiency include the Heart (since it "governs Blood"), the Spleen (since it "controls Blood") and the Liver (since it "stores Blood"). Liver Blood Deficiency is the most common one and it is especially common in women with symptoms such as scanty periods or absence of periods (amenorrhoea).
In severe and long-term cases, Blood Deficiency can induce Dryness as Blood is part of Yin. This causes dry skin, dry hair, dry tongue and/or withered nails. In some cases, a long-term Dryness due to Blood Deficiency can lead to Wind in the skin and forms Dry-Wind, which can cause some skin diseases characterized by dry and itchy skin.
Causes
Precursor patterns: Blood Deficiency can derive from Liver Blood Deficiency Spleen Yang Deficiency Heart Blood Deficiency Spleen Qi Sinking Spleen Blood Deficiency Spleen not controlling Blood
Profuse Blood lose: Profuse Blood lose due to trauma, birth-giving or heavy menstruations can consume Blood and causes Deficiency.
Diet: Over eating, pick eating or alternating over eating and under eating can harm the Spleen's functions of transforming and transporting foods and drinks. Therefore not sufficient Blood, Food Essence or Body Fluids can be produce for body use.
Physical over-exertion: Physical over-exertion over a long period of time consumes Blood, Qi and Body Fluids. Blood Deficiency is one of the resulting pattern.
Chronic diseases: Blood is a type of Body Fluids, which can be largely consumed due to long term sickness.
Mental over-work: Long term mental over-work can largely consume Blood, especially the Heart Blood. The modern office work requests staring at computer for very long hours, it consumes Blood, which in return can not nourish the eyes.
Diagnosing Blood Deficiency
Diagnosing a pattern in Chinese Medicine is no easy feat and should be left to professional practitioners. In particular one has to know how to differentiate between different types of pulses and tongue coatings, shapes and colors as well as learn to read from a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se) or fine (Xi)
Tongue description: Pale, thin and slightly tongue
Main symptoms: Insomnia Dizziness Pale lips Amenorrhea Poor memory Scanty periods Dull white shallow face
Diagnosis commentary: Key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the pale lips and face, dizziness, Insomnia and numbness in the limbs.
Treating Blood Deficiency
Treatment principle
Tonify the Spleen and Stomach, tonify and invigorate Blood, tonify Qi
Herbal formulas used to treat Blood Deficiency
Si Wu Tang
Source date: 846 AD
Number of ingredients: 4 herbs
Key actions: Restores and nourishes Blood. Stimulates Blood circulation.
Formula summary
Si Wu Tang is a 4-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 846 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that tonify Blood.
Besides Blood Deficiency, Si Wu Tang is also used to treat Blood Stagnation or Liver Blood Deficiency.
Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang
Formula summary
Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang is a 2-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1247 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that tonify Blood.
Diet recommendations
Try an diet that is good in Blood generation, such as red meat, spinach or animal livers.
Special highlight: the link between late menstruation and Blood Deficiency
Ginseng (Ren Shen) is the key herb for Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang, a formula used for late menstruation caused by Blood Deficiency
Typical symptoms for late menstruation caused by Blood Deficiency: Insomnia Pale face Pale lips Dizziness Late period Palpitations Scanty periods Blurred vision Pale complexion Pale menstrual blood Lower abdominal pain
Recommended herbal formulas: Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang, Da Bu Yuan Jian, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, Si Wu Tang, Gui Pi Tang
Blood Deficiency leads to an insufficient amount of Blood in the Directing (Ren Mai 任脉) and Penetrating (Chong Mai 冲脉) Vessels. As they're the Vessels directing and coordinating Blood to the Uterus, the sheer lack of Blood means the periods will fail to happen at the expected time and get delayed consistently.
There can be several underlying reasons for this pattern but chronic illnesses or excessive work are typically the major ones because they impair the Spleen's transforming function. The...Read more about late menstruation
Special highlight: the link between scanty menstruation and Blood Deficiency
Ginseng (Ren Shen) is the key herb for Ren Shen Zi Xie Tang, a formula used for scanty menstruation caused by Blood Deficiency
Typical symptoms for scanty menstruation caused by Blood Deficiency: Insomnia Dry skin Dizziness Pale face Poor memory Palpitations Scanty periods Blurred vision Tingling of limbs Pale menstrual blood Feeling of bearing down
Recommended herbal formulas: Ren Shen Zi Xie Tang, Si Wu Tang
Blood Deficiency is an obvious pattern for scanty periods. It is often due to a malfunction of the Spleen which is the base of Blood making. Spleen rules transformation and transportation of food Essences (nutrition), Qi, and Body Fluids and their distribution to other Zang Organs. Unhealthy or poor diet can hurt the Spleen Qi and impair its function. For example, a diet lacking in Blood-creating ingredients can cause Blood Deficiency. This is the reason some vegans sometimes have scanty...Read more about scanty menstruation
Consequence patterns
In severe and long-standing cases, Dryness can be the consequence pattern as Blood is a form of Body Fluids.
The Liver stores the Blood, so a general Blood Deficiency can cause Liver Blood Deficiency and vice versa.
A frequent result of Liver Blood Deficiency is Liver Yang Rising.
Liver Blood Deficiency is also a frequent causes of Internal Wind with typical symptoms of vertigo and tics.