Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern?
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Fever Blister Breast pain Breast lumps Nippple crack and ten other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Weak (Ruo)
Tongue coating: Partial absence of coating
Tongue color: Pale
Pathology
Blow Breast (Chui Ru) is a pattern of disharmony in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine views the human body as a complex system that tends toward harmony. A pattern of disharmony is a disorder that prevents that harmony from occurring.
Patterns give rise to symptoms that may at first glance seem unrelated from a Western standpoint but that actually make a lot of sense when one understands Chinese Medicine theory. For instance here Blow Breast (Chui Ru) gives rise to such diverse symptoms as breast pus discharge, breast pain, breast infection and breast distention (as well as eleven others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Blow Breast (Chui Ru) patients tend to exhibit weak (Ruo) pulses as well as a pale tongue with partial absence of coating.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Blow Breast (Chui Ru) is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as breast engorgement or mastitis.
Diagnosing Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
Diagnosing a pattern in Chinese Medicine is no easy feat and should be left to professional practitioners. In particular one has to know how to differentiate between different types of pulses and tongue coatings, shapes and colors as well as learn to read from a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Pulse type(s): Weak (Ruo)
Tongue coating: Partial absence of coating
Tongue color: Pale
Main symptoms: Fever Blister Breast pain Breast lumps Nippple crack Breast redness Breast nodules Breast hardness Breast infection Breast distention Breast skin crack Uneven milk supply Breast skin ichness Breast pus discharge White spots on nipples
Treating Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
Herbal formulas used to treat Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
Tuo Li Xiao Du San
Source date: 1548 AD
Number of ingredients: 11 herbs
Key actions: Draws out toxicity. Expels pus from the interior. Tonifies Qi and Blood.
Formula summary
Tuo Li Xiao Du San is a 11-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1548 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that clear internal abscesses and sores.
Besides Blow Breast (Chui Ru), Tuo Li Xiao Du San is also used to treat Jealous Breast (Du Ru).
Special highlight: the link between mastitis and Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
Milkvetch Roots (Huang Qi) is the key herb for Tuo Li Xiao Du San, a formula used for mastitis caused by Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
Typical symptoms for mastitis caused by Blow Breast (Chui Ru): Fever Blister Breast pain Breast lumps Nippple crack Breast redness Breast infection Breast distention Breast skin crack Uneven milk supply Breast skin ichness Breast pus discharge White spots on nipples
Recommended herbal formulas: Unblock Nursing Tea, Tuo Li Xiao Du San
It is easy for cracks to appear on the breast or the nipple skin if the breasts or nipples get irritated due to incorrect baby sucking technique or unsuitable feeding position. Cracks then leave the mother vulnerable to bacteria (e.g. Staphylococcus aureusfrom) passed from the baby's mouth and nose to the mother's breast or nipples. It causes infections and as a result, worsen the cracks. Sometimes there are also white stick spots, blisters or abscess appear in nipples or breasts.
This is how...Read more about mastitis
Special highlight: the link between breast engorgement and Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
Milkvetch Roots (Huang Qi) is the key herb for Tuo Li Xiao Du San, a formula used for breast engorgement caused by Blow Breast (Chui Ru)
Typical symptoms for breast engorgement caused by Blow Breast (Chui Ru): Breast pain Breast lumps Breast nodules Breast redness Breast hardness Breast pus discharge
Recommended herbal formulas: Unblock Nursing Tea, Tuo Li Xiao Du San
'Blow Breast' (Chui Ru, 吹乳) is when the feeding baby has Phlegm stagnating in the diaphragm, which makes his/her breath burning hot. This Heat is then transmitted to the mother when breastfeeding, which leads to the development of nodules (in Chinese Medicine hardnesses are often caused by Heat causing the coagulation of Body Fluids) that complicate the passage of milk flow.
Blow Breast needs to be dealt with fairly fast by drinking an appropriate herbal formula and massaging the nodules -...Read more about breast engorgement