Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus
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: Cold limbs Late period Infertility Purple lips Painful period and nine other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), Deep (Chen), Slow (Chi), Wiry (Xian)
Tongue color: Bluish-Purple
Treatment
Common formulas: Wen Jing Tang
Pathology
Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus 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 Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus gives rise to such diverse symptoms as late period, painful period, dark clots in menstrual blood and brown vaginal discharge (as well as ten others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus patients tend to exhibit choppy (Se), deep (Chen), slow (Chi) or wiry (Xian) pulses as well as a bluish-purple tongue.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as infertility, perimenopausal syndrome or leiomyoma (as well as twelve others).
Diagnosing Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus
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): Choppy (Se), deep (Chen), slow (Chi) or wiry (Xian)
Tongue color: Bluish-Purple
Main symptoms: Cold limbs Late period Infertility Purple lips Painful period Feeling of cold Lochia retention Irregular menstruation Cold feeling in vagina Brown vaginal discharge White vaginal discharge Cold in the lower abdomen Dark clots in menstrual blood Abdominal pain after childbirth
Treating Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus
Herbal formulas used to treat Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus
Wen Jing Tang
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 12 herbs
Key actions: Warms the Uterus and vessels. Nourishes Blood. Dispels Cold. Dispels Blood Stagnation.
Formula summary
Wen Jing Tang is a 12-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 220 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that invigorate Blood and dispel Blood Stagnation.
Besides Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus, Wen Jing Tang is also used to treat Cold in the Uterus or Qi And Blood Stagnation.
Related conditions
Please keep in mind that a Western Medicine condition can be caused by several Chinese Medicine patterns of disharmony and vice versa. As such a patient suffering from one of the conditions below will not necessarily be suffering from Dampness and Phlegm in the Uterus, it is just one pattern that's commonly associated with the condition. Click on a condition to learn what other patterns it's associated with.
Infertility Perimenopausal syndrome Leiomyoma Polycystic ovaries Endometriosis Sciatica Erectile dysfunction Dysfunctional uterine bleeding Uterine hypoplasia Endometrial hyperplasia Habitual miscarriage Threatened abortion Vaginitis Oligospermia Benign prostatic hypertrophy