Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel
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: Insomnia Dark Urine Restlessness Irritability Vulvar itching and five other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Slippery (Hua), Wiry (Xian)
Tongue coating: Thick coating, Yellow coating
Tongue color: Red
Pathology
Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel 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 Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel gives rise to such diverse symptoms as vulvar itching, yellow vaginal discharge, painful intercourse and restlessness (as well as six others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel patients tend to exhibit slippery (Hua) or wiry (Xian) pulses as well as a red tongue with thick coating, yellow coating.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as vaginal itching.
Diagnosing Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel
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): Slippery (Hua) or wiry (Xian)
Tongue coating: Thick coating, Yellow coating
Tongue color: Red
Main symptoms: Insomnia Dark Urine Restlessness Irritability Vulvar itching Painful intercourse Yellow vaginal discharge Smelly Vaginal discharge Sticky vaginal discharge Excessive vaginal discharge
Treating Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel
Herbal formulas used to treat Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Source date: 1682 AD
Number of ingredients: 10 herbs
Key actions: Clears Heat and Fire from the Liver and Gallbladder. Clears and drains Damp-Heat from the Lower Burner.
Formula summary
Long Dan Xie Gan Tang is a 10-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1682 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that clear Heat from the Organs.
Besides Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel, Long Dan Xie Gan Tang is also used to treat Damp-Heat in the Liver or Stagnant Liver Qi turning into Fire.
Special highlight: the link between vaginal itching and Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel
Chinese Gentian (Long Dan Cao) is the key herb for Long Dan Xie Gan Tang, a formula used for vaginal itching caused by Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel
Typical symptoms for vaginal itching caused by Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel: Insomnia Dark Urine Restlessness Irritability Vulvar itching Painful intercourse Yellow vaginal discharge Smelly Vaginal discharge Sticky vaginal discharge Excessive vaginal discharge
Recommended herbal formula: Long Dan Xie Gan Tang
Dampness as an External Evil with or without Heat, is undoubtedly the foremost reason for vaginal and vulvar itching. From a Western medicine point of view this pattern translates to trichomonas or candida infection.
The Dampness gets combined with Heat blocking the Liver Channel and other connecting Channel such the Spleen one. The Heat finds its origin in emotional stress such as anger, frustration, resentment, or sadness which cause Liver Qi Stagnation. If it is not treated for a while, the...Read more about vaginal itching