Phlegm in the Lower Burner
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: Vertigo Coughing Shortness of breath Vomiting frothy saliva Throbbing pulsations just below the umbilicus
Treatment
Common formulas: Wu Ling San
Pathology
Phlegm in the Lower Burner 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 Phlegm in the Lower Burner gives rise to such diverse symptoms as throbbing pulsations just below the umbilicus, vomiting frothy saliva, vertigo and shortness of breath.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Phlegm in the Lower Burner is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as hepatitis, cystitis or migraine (as well as sixteen others).
Diagnosing Phlegm in the Lower Burner
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.
Main symptoms: Vertigo Coughing Shortness of breath Vomiting frothy saliva Throbbing pulsations just below the umbilicus
Treating Phlegm in the Lower Burner
Herbal formulas used to treat Phlegm in the Lower Burner
Wu Ling San
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Key actions: Promotes urination,. Warms the Yang. Strengthens the Spleen. Promotes Qi transformation function. Drains Dampness. Clears edema.
Formula summary
Wu Ling San is a 5-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 220 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that promote urination and leach out Dampness.
Besides Phlegm in the Lower Burner, Wu Ling San is also used to treat Yin Excess or Kidney Yang Deficiency with Water overflowing.
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 Phlegm in the Lower Burner, 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.
Hepatitis Cystitis Migraine Trigeminal neuralgia Conjunctivitis Pyelonephritis Edema Glomerulonephritis Nephrotic syndrome Hydrocele Motion sickness Meniere's disease Gastrectasis Acute enteritis Ascites Congestive heart failure Pericardial and pleural effusions Hydrocephalus Polyhydramnios