Stomach Fire indicates a true Excess of Heat in the Stomach, creating symptoms such as mouth ulcers, bad breath, intense thirst as well as strong desire for cold drinks and foods. The Blood in the Stomach Channel get rebellious due to the extreme Heat or Fire, so that it leaks out of vessels and causes gums bleeding. The pain and swelling in the gums is also due to the Heat in the Stomach Channels.

Body Fluids are burned off by the excessive Heat, which creates extreme thirst, dry mouth and tongue, dry stools as well as constipation.

Over time the Heat disturbs the normal descending of Stomach Qi, causing obstruction to Stomach Qi or rebellious Stomach Qi, hence the symptoms of regurgitation, vomiting, acid reflux and nausea. The Heat also ferments the Stomach fluids and make it 'sour'. Constant and ravenous hunger is also a result of the Full Heat.

Stomach Fire and Stomach Heat are similar concept, except that the Fire is much more severe than Heat. For the prior pattern, there will be redder tongue, darker and drier coating, more intense thirst, darker urine, drier stools as well as more disturbed Mind. It is more common to have bleeding gums under the Fire pattern.

Sometime the Heat or Fire can combine with Phlegm and causes Phlegm-Heat in the Stomach. It causes additional symptoms such as feeling of chest oppression, mucus in stools, mental derangement and spitting of stick phlegm.