Liver and Heart Blood Deficiency
Liver and Heart Blood Deficiency
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Pale, Thin and slightly dry
Choppy (Se), Fine (Xi)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
Blurred vision, palpitations, a Pale tongue and a Choppy pulse are enough in and of themselves to diagnose Liver and Heart Blood Deficiency. Together with dizziness, insomnia and poor memory they are the key characteristic symptoms of this pattern.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
Emotions that affect the Heart and may cause Heart Blood Deficiency include anxiety, worry, sadness and grief. Worry and sadness can affect the Liver too, causing Liver Blood Deficiency.
A diet poor in Blood-nourishing such as grains or meat may lead to Liver Blood Deficiency
Excessive physical activity, such as physical work or exercise, may injure the sinews and therefore Liver Blood. Aerobic exercise (i.e. "cardio") like jogging also may injure Heart Blood.
Severe blood loss from a trauma or childbirth may deplete Liver Blood which in turn may lead to Heart-Blood Deficiency.
Pathological Mechanism
The Heart controls Blood circulation while the Liver stores Blood. Only when Heart Blood is plentiful does the Liver have Blood to store. And when Liver Blood is Deficient, Heart Blood is certain to be Deficient also.
As such signs of Heart Blood Deficiency almost always occur along Liver Blood Deficiency. This is why generally speaking, this combination of patterns is more likely to start with Liver Blood rather than Heart Blood Deficiency.
Both the Heart and Liver are involved in mental activities and mood: the Heart because it rules the Mind (Shen), the Liver because it houses the Ethereal Soul (Hun) and is in charge of the smooth and regular flow of Qi to all parts of the body.
Insomnia, for instance, is a characteristic "mental" symptom that can be attributed to both Heart Blood or Liver Blood deficiency as both the Mind and the Ethereal Soul play a role in sleep. The Mind is anchored in Heart Blood and the Ethereal Soul in Liver Blood: when either is deficient, one or the other ‘wanders’ at night, causing insomnia.
The combination of Heart Blood and Liver Blood deficiency is also frequently seen in postpartum depression. It is often caused by the massive blood loss suffered during childbirth which induces Liver Blood Deficiency. As the Liver is the Mother of the Heart, this in turn induces a Deficiency of Heart-Blood. Deficient Heart-Blood fails to house the Mind and the woman becomes depressed and suffers from insomnia.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Nourish Blood, tonify Heart and Liver, calm the Mind and settle the Ethereal Soul.
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations
Eat a balanced diet including a lot of meat and grains. Eat only cooked foods (i.e. nothing raw) and do not skip meals.
Meditation and contemplation is also known to help with this pattern.
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