Phlegm-Fire harassing the Heart
Phlegm-Fire harassing the Heart
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Red and swollen tongue with yellow sticky coating and deep middle crack. Redder and swollen tip with points.
Overflowing (Hong), Rapid (Shu), Slippery (Hua), Wiry (Xian), Full (Shi)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
Key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the red tongue with sticky yellow coating and all these abnormal mental symptoms.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
Qi Stagnation happens if severe emotional stress such as depression is not solved for a long term. It then becomes Fire and obstructs the Heart.
Fire and Phlegm can be the result due to over consumption of hot and greasy foods.
Overexposure to External Heat can lead to Internal Heat. It can condense the Blood and disturb the Body Fluids transformation, hence the Phlegm occurs.
Pathological Mechanism
This is an Excess pattern and all the mental symptoms are caused by Phlegm obstructing the Heart so that the Mind (Shen) is disturbed and lose its residence at the Heart. This obstruction can lead to the loss of insight , manic depression, extreme mental instability or even brain injury.
All the mental symptoms mentioned are very similar to the ones with bipolar disease in the Western medicine. However, Phlegm-Fire harassing the Heart can happen without being diagnosed with bipolar disease.
On the other hand, Heart Fire agitates the Mind so that insomnia, dream disturbed sleep, anxiety and agitation happen.
Finally this pattern also features the symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency. The Spleen is the origin of all Body Fluids transformation and transportation. When this function is in disharmony, fluids accumulates to Phlegm.
The existence of the Phlegm can be shown by the yellow sticky coating of the tongue and the Slippery Pulse. While Heat can be observed by the red tongue color.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Clear Fire, remove Phlegm, calm the Mind, open the Mind’s orifices.
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations
As for food, better avoid alcohol, tobacco, meat, coffee, sodas, juices, any caffeinated foods and drinks, any hot, spicy, greasy and fried foods or any processed foods especially with additives. Eat lots of vegetables, tofu, black beans, greens, rice, barley, legumes.
Try psychotherapy such as cupping, meditation or any relaxation therapies.
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