Phlegm Fire harassing the Pericardium
Phlegm Fire harassing the Pericardium
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Red and swollen tongue with yellow, dry and sticky coating. The tip may be redder with swollen red points. There may be also keep crack.
Overflowing (Hong), Rapid (Shu), Slippery (Hua), Wiry (Xian), Full (Shi)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
Key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the chest oppression and pain, mental symptoms and red and swollen tongue with dry sticky yellowing coating.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
Long term emotional stress such as sadness, grief, worry, anger, frustration and resentment has serious negative impact on both the Heart and the Pericardium. It is because their Qi get stagnated and accumulated as Fire and Phlegm, which then disturbs the Mind.
Fire and Phlegm can be the result due to over consumption of hot and greasy foods.
Pathological Mechanism
The Pericardium is the guard and the first defense line of the Heart. Therefore when the Heart was invaded by Phlegm and Fire, the Pericardium suffers as well. Actually the related mental symptoms of these two Organs by Phlegm and Fire are quick similar with just different severe levels.
Fire harasses the Mind in both the Heart and the Pericardium, it causes mental restlessness, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep and agitation. When Phlegm obstructs the Mind which resides in both Organs, it leads to mental confusion, rash and manic behavior, violent behavior such as hitting or scolding people, uncontrolled laughter or crying, shouting, muttering to oneself, mental depression and dullness.
All the mental symptoms mentioned above are very similar to the ones with bipolar disease in the Western medicine. However, these two patterns can happen without being diagnosed with bipolar disease.
Different from above, the chest pain and feeling of oppression is unique to Phlegm Fire harassing the Pericardium, because the Pericardium channel goes though the chest. The same channel connects to the Lung channel, which leads to slightly rapid breathing.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Remove Fire from the Pericardium and the Heart, resolve Phlegm, open the Mind’s orifices, calm the Mind.
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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