Food Stagnation in the Stomach
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?
Key attributes
Chinese name: 食滞胃脘 Pinyin name: Shí Zhì Wèi Wǎn
Pattern nature: Full
Causes
Precursor patterns: Spleen Qi Deficiency
Common causes: Eating habits
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Nausea Belching Insomnia Foul breath Poor appetite and five other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Slippery (Hua), Full (Shi)
Tongue description: Thick coating which can be white or yellow
Treatment
Treatment principle: Resolve retention of Food, stimulate the descending of Stomach Qi.
Common formulas: Bao He Wan Zhi Shi Dao Zhi Wan Gua Di San
Pathology
This pattern tends to mostly occur in children or babies whose Stomach and Spleen are weak and food therefore tends to accumulate.
Adults can be affected too: most people can probably remember overeating a holiday meal with the accompanying bloating, belching, pain and poor sleep that resulted.
The basic mechanism is that food is improperly digested and thus retained in the Stomach. It causes a blockage and feeling of fullness and pain in the epigastrium.
Stomach Qi then becomes obstructed and rebels upwards, leading to symptoms of vomiting, nausea, belching and sour regurgitation.
The foul breath is due to the fermentation of food in the Stomach for too long.
Insomnia can also occur from this because an obstruction in the Middle Burner prevents Heart Qi from descending, which causes the Mind to be disturbed at night.
Causes
Precursor patterns: Food Stagnation in the Stomach can derive from Spleen Qi Deficiency
Eating habits: The main cause of this pattern is overeating but it can also be due to eating too quickly, eating in a hurry or eating while worried or stressed.
Diagnosing Food Stagnation in the Stomach
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 full (Shi)
Tongue description: Thick coating which can be white or yellow
Main symptoms: Nausea Belching Insomnia Foul breath Poor appetite Sour regurgitation vomiting of sour fluids Loose stools or constipation Abdominal pain due to overeating Fullness and pain of the epigastrium which are relieved by vomiting
Diagnosis commentary: Epigastric fullness, sour regurgitation and a thick tongue coating are enough in and of themselves to diagnose retention of Food in the Stomach.
Treating Food Stagnation in the Stomach
Treatment principle
Resolve retention of Food, stimulate the descending of Stomach Qi.
Herbal formulas used to treat Food Stagnation in the Stomach
Gua Di San
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 3 herbs
Key actions: Discharges Phlegm or food stagnation through vomiting .
Formula summary
Gua Di San is a 3-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 220 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that induce vomiting.
Besides Food Stagnation in the Stomach, Gua Di San is also used to treat Phlegm in Chest.
Bao He Wan
Source date: 1481 AD
Number of ingredients: 7 herbs
Key actions: Reduces food stagnation. Harmonizes the Stomach.
Formula summary
Bao He Wan is a 7-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1481 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that reduce food accumulation and transform Stagnation.
Zhi Shi Dao Zhi Wan
Source date: 1247 AD
Number of ingredients: 8 herbs
Key actions: Reduces and guides out stagnation and accumulation. Drains heat. Dispels dampness.
Formula summary
Zhi Shi Dao Zhi Wan is a 8-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1247 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that reduce food accumulation and transform Stagnation.
Diet recommendations
Since this pattern is commonly caused by overeating, it is wise to eat only lightly when suffering from it to leave time for the stagnation to dissipate.
Consequence patterns
If left untreated Food Stagnation in the Stomach can lead to Stomach Heat
The undigested food inherent to this pattern, together with the impairment of the descending of Stomach Qi, may lead to the formation of Phlegm.
If left untreated Food Stagnation in the Stomach can lead to Stomach Qi rebelling upwards