Heart Qi Deficiency
Heart Qi Deficiency
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Pale or normal colour; midline crack to tip with swelling on each side in more severe cases
Empty (Xu)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
In severe cases, the pulse could feel slightly Overflowing and Empty (i.e. it feels very superficial and somewhat pounding with a light pressure of the finger but empty with a heavier pressure).
The key symptoms are the palpitations, the fatigue and the Empty pulse.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
Excessive or prolonged emotions, particularly sadness or grief, can cause Heart Qi Deficiency
Sudden blood loss (from a traumatic injury for instance) or chronic blood loss from a health condition such as menorrhagia. This is because Blood nourishes Qi: any severe or prolonged blood loss will cause a deficiency of Heart-Blood, which, in turn, will lead to deficiency of Heart-Qi.
Pathological Mechanism
Heart Qi Deficiency includes general signs of Qi deficiency (such as shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, pale face and fatigue) with the addition of palpitations, which is the characteristic symptom of Heart Qi Deficiency.
"Palpitations" here indicates a subjective feeling of the patient being aware of their heart beating in an uncomfortable way. It has nothing to do with the actual rhythm or pace of the heart. The patient may describe their "palpitations" as their heart beating unusually rapidly but it might just be an impression. Vice versa, someone’s pulse may be actually beating more rapidly than usual but, if they are not aware of it, this symptom would not be defined as "palpitations".
Treatment Approach
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations
In terms of diet, it is recommended to eat only cooked foods as well as warm or room temperature drinks. Whole grains, protein, legumes (especially aduki beans), lots of vegetables and congee are important. Make sure you eat three meals, or more as needed, per day. Do not skip meals. Avoid raw and cold foods and juices.
It is important to work on and resolve any emotional issues that might have caused Heart Qi Deficiency, especially sadness and grief.
Avoid excessive work and excessive sexual activity and get plenty of rest.
Explore More Patterns
Browse all TCM patterns of disharmony