Jealous Breast (Du 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: Thirst Hot breast Breast pain Breast lumps Breast redness and three other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Weak (Ruo)
Tongue coating: Partial absence of coating
Tongue color: Pale
Pathology
Jealous Breast (Du 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 Jealous Breast (Du Ru) gives rise to such diverse symptoms as hot breast, breast hardness, breast pain and breast distention (as well as four others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Jealous Breast (Du 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 Jealous Breast (Du Ru) is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as breast engorgement.
Diagnosing Jealous Breast (Du 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: Thirst Hot breast Breast pain Breast lumps Breast redness Breast hardness Breast distention Uneven milk supply
Treating Jealous Breast (Du Ru)
Herbal formulas used to treat Jealous Breast (Du 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 Jealous Breast (Du Ru), Tuo Li Xiao Du San is also used to treat Blow Breast (Chui Ru).
Special highlight: the link between breast engorgement and Jealous Breast (Du Ru)
Milkvetch Roots (Huang Qi) is the key herb for Tuo Li Xiao Du San, a formula used for breast engorgement caused by Jealous Breast (Du Ru)
Typical symptoms for breast engorgement caused by Jealous Breast (Du Ru): Thirst Hot breast Breast pain Breast lumps Breast redness Breast hardness Breast distention Uneven milk supply
Recommended herbal formulas: Unblock Nursing Tea, Tuo Li Xiao Du San
'Jealous Breast' (Du Ru, 妒乳) is due to the baby's inability to suck properly because of an incorrect feeding position or an inappropriate breastfeeding technique. As a result the milk doesn't flow out properly which leads to engorged, hot, painful and hard breasts.
In turn Qi and Blood, the main components needed for the production of milk, stagnate which is why the mum will also have Qi and Blood Stagnation symptoms like unusual thirst.
This condition should be treated fairly fast via an...Read more about breast engorgement