Blood is the lifeblood

Chapter 5 Qi and Blood Disorders Cause All Diseases——Most Diseases Are Caused by Qi and Blood Disorders (1)
Constipation is qi and blood playing tricks
[Qi and Blood Health Supplement] Constipation is related to kidney, spleen, stomach, large intestine, lung, qi, blood, body fluid, cold and heat, deficiency and excess, etc.

近年来，功能性便秘的发病率正逐年上升。在我国北京、天津和西安地区对60岁以上老年人的调查显示，我国60岁以上老年人的慢性便秘比重高达15%～20%。而对北京地区18～70岁成年人进行一项随机、分层、分级调查显示，慢性便秘的发病率为6.07%，女性是男性的4倍。

Constipation is extremely harmful to human health. In addition to making people feel uncomfortable, symptoms such as abdominal distension, loss of appetite, dizziness, insomnia, irritability and irritability can also aggravate hemorrhoids, anal fissure, induce hernia, and also lead to aggravation of cardiovascular diseases incentives.So constipation seriously affects the quality of life of modern people.

The cause of disease of constipation is many and very complicated, has certain difficulty in treatment, very easy recurrence.If you are tired, get angry, or don’t pay attention to your diet, constipation will come back.What is the best way to treat constipation?
65-year-old Ms. Lin, who lives in Tainan, has been troubled by constipation for more than 40 years. She has taken countless kinds of laxatives and cannot defecate without taking laxatives.

When she went back to mainland China to visit relatives, Ms. Lin’s nephew knew about her aunt’s distress. The nephew was a student of the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He made a diagnosis for my aunt and determined that her constipation was caused by the obstruction of the lungs. He suggested taking traditional Chinese medicine to regulate the function of the viscera .Now, Ms. Lin can defecate on her own every morning, and finally got rid of her dependence on constipation medicine. Her joy can be imagined.

Why can't Ms. Lin get rid of constipation after taking medicine for so many years?In fact, it is because she has been treating the symptoms, not the root cause, and the reason for not treating the root cause is that she has not found the real cause of the constipation.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that constipation is a disease caused by constipation, prolonged defecation time, or difficulty in defecation.In ancient Chinese medicine, constipation has many names, such as "difficulty in defecation", "difficulty in the back", "spleen contraction", "closed", "yin knot", "yang knot", "constipation", "dryness in stool". ", "intestinal knot" and so on.

Ancient physicians had many discussions on the causes of constipation, and believed that there were many causes of constipation. Among them, constipation was related to kidney, spleen, stomach, large intestine, lung, qi, blood, body fluid, cold and heat, deficiency and excess, etc.Physicians of the past dynasties believe that: in the process of water and grain transformation, the stomach is in charge of receiving and decomposing water and grains, and its qi goes down; Dross.Therefore, abnormal decomposition of the stomach and loss of qi balance, failure of the spleen to transport and transform and failure of clear qi to rise, failure of the small intestine to secrete, and abnormal conduction of the large intestine can all cause abnormal stool and constipation.The kidney governs fluid, the lung governs qi, and when the kidney is deficient and the lung is dry, it can also cause constipation.There are many discussions on this in the medical books of the past dynasties: "Constipation in stool is also caused by kidney disease. According to the scriptures, the black water in the north enters the kidney, opens to the two yin, and covers the five fluids with the kidney. If the body fluid is strong, the stool will be harmonious." "If you are hungry and full, you are overworked, you damage your stomach qi, and you eat spicy, hot and flavorful things to help fire evil, lie in the blood, dissipate true yin, and lose body fluid, so your stool is dry. However, the disease of dryness is not First, there are heat-dryness, wind-dryness, yang knots, yin knots, and old people with qi deficiency and body fluid deficiency and dryness."

The above discussion attaches great importance to factors such as deficiency of kidney yin, insufficiency of body fluid, and damage to stomach qi.There are also many discussions about heat and cold that can cause constipation: "Those who have difficulty in defecating are caused by the disharmony of the three energizers and the five internal organs, the imbalance of hot and cold qi, the heat qi diverts into the intestines and stomach, and the body fluid is dried up, so the dross is lumpy and obstructed." "Stuffiness makes secret, and the stool is astringent and stagnant. Heat consumes its fluid, and the stool is hard and hard, while the large intestine is dry, astringent and tight." "Cold hands and feet, constipation, red urine or black stool, deep and slippery pulse... This name is yang and yin.” Physicians in the Qing Dynasty put forward the view that constipation is related to lung dryness: “Constipation of stool, people think that the large intestine is very dry, but who knows it is dryness of the lungs? Dryness of the lungs is the clearing of the qi. Can’t go down to the large intestine.” Some physicians put forward the discussion that constipation is related to intercourse, diet, seven emotions, etc.: “The original causes are all overwork in the house, improper diet, or excessive drinking of wine, overeating hot and hot, and excessive diet. The fire originates from the spleen and stomach, and the fire of lust originates from the gate of life, so that the fire is full of water, and the body fluid does not produce, so the transmission is abnormal, and it gradually becomes the syndrome of dryness." It is proposed that "worm accumulation", "seven emotions and qi stagnation", "phlegm stagnation and blockage ""Medicinal stone poison", "dirty cold" and "blood dryness" can all lead to constipation, which further enriches the etiology theory of constipation.

Of course, Chinese medicine also attaches great importance to the impact of constipation on the human body. As early as the Han Dynasty, physicians put forward the theory that the obstruction of visceral qi leads to decline: "If you want to live forever, the intestines will always be clear. If you want to live forever, there will be no dregs in the intestines." That is to say, when it enters the stomach, the poison stays in the stomach and does not dissipate. After a long period of accumulation, it will cause injury and harmonization, and cause various diseases." It explains the principle that protecting the smooth flow of stool is helpful for prolonging life and prolonging life.

Therefore, once suffering from constipation, it is necessary to find out the cause immediately and treat it in time to avoid future troubles.Generally speaking, as long as you pay attention to the details in your daily life, constipation can be avoided or eliminated.

1. A reasonable diet
Often eat a variety of high-protein, low-sugar foods such as fine grains, puffed foods, and foreign fast food, and do not eat or eat less crude fiber foods such as whole grains. The lack of fresh vegetables is an important cause of constipation.Patients with chronic diseases who have been bedridden for a long time and cannot eat normally, or some young people who blindly go on a diet in order to one-sidedly pursue a slim body, may cause food residues to cause weak stimulation of the colon wall due to eating too little or not drinking enough water, etc. Constipation.This situation must arouse your sufficient attention.

2. Develop good bowel habits

Due to the accelerated work pace of modern people, some people tend to ignore the desire to defecate, and some have to restrain defecation due to specific conditions.

3. Promote a healthy lifestyle
Due to the continuous improvement of the living and working environment, many people’s living habits have changed, such as traveling by car more often, lack of physical labor, lack of regularity in life, impermanence in daily life, lack of sleep, or greed for comfort, sedentary, etc. These can cause colon peristalsis to weaken or intestinal dysfunction, constipation occurs.

4. Psychological and spiritual factors

Unhealthy mental and mental states such as excessive stress, mental depression, or over-excitement can cause neuroregulatory dysfunction, digestive tract dysfunction, and constipation.Therefore, everyone should prevent the increase of psychological burden and maintain a relaxed and happy mood.

In addition, many drugs may cause side effects of constipation during treatment, such as gentamicin, norfloxacin and other antibiotics. When taking such drugs, you should pay attention to observe the changes in the stool, and if necessary, use methods such as enema to help laxative .If you need to take laxatives for your condition, you must use them under the guidance of a doctor, and you should not abuse them by yourself, let alone rely on laxatives for laxatives.

Depression is the "traffic jam" of Qi and blood

[Qi and Blood Health Sutra] Strictly speaking, depression is not a disease, but a symptom syndrome related to various factors such as Qi and blood, yin and yang, and physical fitness.

Now, there are more and more people suffering from depression, not to mention how many people commit suicide by jumping off a building every year because of depression, but when walking on the street and meeting acquaintances, usually the first sentence is no longer "eat Do you?” “Where are you going?” were replaced by exclamations such as “depressed” and “very annoying recently”.

Unless it comes to a moment of conflict with life, under normal circumstances, people will not think of depression as a disease, but just as a vent or expression of bad emotions, thinking that it will be fine after a while.In fact, depression is not only a psychological problem, but also a pathological problem, not only a mental problem, but also a problem of Qi and blood disorders.

Pregnancy and being a mother was originally a happy thing, but in Ms. Zhang's house, it turned into a catastrophic event.

Ms. Zhang is a white-collar worker in a foreign trade company. Not long ago, Ms. Zhang found out that she was pregnant during a physical examination. The mother-in-law, who was anxious to hold her grandson, was happy but also worried, because Ms. Zhang had a bad temper and early pregnancy reaction. , I really don't know if there will be any trouble.As expected by my mother-in-law, the food was unpalatable, the body was not feeling well, and the work was not going well, all of which would make Ms. Zhang beat her up.The mother-in-law accommodated her again and again, but the conflict intensified.The husband was worried that the mother-in-law's heart could not bear it, so he invited the mother-in-law to the house.

But even if she gets along with her biological mother, Miss Zhang's temper has not improved at all.Once, because her mother's watching TV affected her rest, she touched her mother!The husband was helpless, so he had to tell his father-in-law who was a doctor in his hometown in Hunan.The father-in-law was very angry and told him why the matter had developed to this point. It was not a simple emotional problem, but depression during pregnancy, which was related to Qi and blood disorders!

The father-in-law flew to Beijing quickly and prescribed a prescription for his daughter. After finishing five doses of Chinese medicine, Ms. Zhang's temper eased a lot.The personality and temper problems that the two families agreed on were actually related to depression and qi and blood!

The earliest records about depression in the classics of traditional Chinese medicine can be found in the concept of "depression" in the "Internal Classics". Imbalance in the ups and downs of the machine, "if the ups and downs do not move forward, and the qi exchange changes, it will become violent depression".Zhang Jingyue commented in "Lei Jing·Lucky Class": "The heaven and the earth have the stagnation of the five lucks, and the human body has the responses of the five internal organs. The stagnation will not be able to gather together. It should rise or fall, should not fall, should not melt, and stagnation The disease is over." Therefore, the "depression" in "Internal Classics" is depression in a broad sense, and its concept involves heaven, earth, and people.However, depression in Chinese medicine today mainly refers to the depression of individual emotions, which is depression in a narrow sense.Although the "depression" in "Neijing" is not the same as the current emotional depression, because the theoretical system of "Neijing" is based on the premise of "the great history of heaven and earth, and the connection between man and God", the "Neijing" The "depression" in "" is also closely related to the depression of emotion. Discussions in the "Internal Classics" involving "sorrow", "worry", "unhappiness" and "annoyance" are not only caused by psychological and emotional factors, but also further attributed to yin and yang, five elements, luck, viscera, qi and blood. etc. due to imbalances.This is exactly what we should learn and learn from in our current understanding of the etiology of depression.

1. Depression caused by imbalance of yin and yang
The theory of yin and yang is the common cornerstone of ancient Chinese philosophy and medicine, and it is also the core idea of ​​the "Neijing". Those who are yang are more happy; those who are more yin are more angry." "Suwen·Xuanming Wuqi Chapter": "When yang enters, yin will be calm, and when yin comes out, yang will be angry." It reveals the relationship between the imbalance of yin and yang and emotions. , reflecting the high degree of unity of philosophy and medicine.It is believed that the balance of yin and yang means normal spirit and peaceful mood, while the imbalance of yin and yang can lead to abnormal emotions.When Yang Qi is abundant, one is joyful and restless; when Yin is abundant and Yang is weak, one is depressed, tired, and even depressed.

2. Depressed internal organs
The "Nei Jing" attributes emotional activities to the five internal organs, and has a corresponding relationship between the "five wills" and the five internal organs: the heart stores the spirit, the lungs store the soul, the liver stores the soul, the spleen stores the mind, and the kidney stores the will; Ambition is joy, spleen is in aspiration for thinking, lung is in aspiration for worry, kidney is in aspiration for fear. "Su Wen·Shi Cong Rong Lun Pian" says: "Liver deficiency, kidney deficiency, and spleen deficiency all make people feel troubled and injustice." In fact, you can’t stop laughing." "Su Wen·Zang Qi Fa Pian" says: "Patients with kidney deficiency will have chest pain, abdominal pain, lower abdomen pain, Qingjue, and unhappy mind." In addition, "Su Wen·Xuan Ming Wu Qi Pian" says : "Essence Qi merges in the heart to cause joy, merges in the lungs to cause sadness, merges in the liver to cause anxiety, merges in the spleen to cause fear, and merges in the kidneys to cause fear."

It can be seen that the "Internal Classics" believes that the five internal organs are all involved in mental activities, and the dysfunction of the five internal organs, especially the deficiency of the heart, liver, kidney, and spleen, can lead to emotional disorders, such as "weight loss, sadness, unhappiness, worry" and so on. Manifestations of depression.

3. Depressed by luck
The Depression of the Five Lucks is an important part of the theory of luck in the "Nei Jing", but it does not discuss the changes in nature alone, but emphasizes the corresponding relationship between natural changes and corresponding physiological and pathological changes of the human body.

"Suwen Qi Alternation Great Theory": "The soil is too old, the rain and dampness are prevalent, and the kidney water is affected by evil. People's diseases are abdominal pain, Qingjue, unhappy mood, and weight annoyance." "Too old trees, the atmosphere It is prevalent, and the spleen and soil are affected by evil. People's diseases are diarrhea, food loss, weight loss, irritability, borborygmus, abdominal fullness, and respond to the stars of the year. What's more, they are prone to anger and dizziness." "Plain Questions. "Pian": "Or meet Wu Shen Wu Yin, long time and turn into depression, that is, white fog, clear and murderous, people's diseases are full of threats, sad." Unhappiness." "Su Wen · The Great Essay on the Truth": "When the sun returns, it will enter the heart, forget and be kind."

This shows that the occurrence of the five stagnations is due to the fact that the qi of the five fortunes is too short, and there are victorious changes, which correspond to a series of changes such as the stagnation and blockage of the body's viscera, meridians, qi, blood, and body fluids, resulting in the stagnation of the human body. even symptoms of depression.

4. Depression caused by Qi and blood rebellion
"Lingshu · Tiannian": "The blood and energy have been harmonized, the camp and defense have been connected, the five internal organs have been formed, the spirit has been given up, and the soul has been completed, and you have become a human being... At the age of 60, the heart energy begins to decline. If you are sad, the blood energy is sluggish, So it’s good to lie down." "Suwen Tiaojing Lunpian": "Blood merges above, qi merges below, upset and upset, good at anger." "If there is excess blood, you will be angry, if there is insufficient blood, you will be afraid." "Lingshu Five Chaos" : "Clean Qi is in the Yin, turbid Qi is in the Yang, the Energizing Qi is in the veins, the Wei Qi is retrograde, the clear and the turbid are interrelated, and the disorder is in the chest, which is called big. Therefore, the Qi is disturbed in the heart, and the heart is disturbed, and the head is bowed."

It can be seen that if Qi and blood are full and harmonious, the spirit will be peaceful and the mind will be smooth. If Qi and blood are deficient and disordered, depression symptoms such as worry, sadness, annoyance, and anger will occur.

To sum up, the "Internal Classics" expounds the etiology and pathogenesis that can lead to depressive symptoms from multiple perspectives such as the relationship between the five internal organs, the four seasons of yin and yang, the five movements and six qi, and the inversion of qi and blood, and organically and systematically incorporates many factors into yin and yang. Under the control of the five elements theory. "Internal Classics" breaks through the modern problem of mental depression through syndrome differentiation and treatment under the guidance of Qi and blood pathology. It does not just extract the symptoms of depression and treat them separately. In a sense, it reflects the unique charm and advantages of the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine. .We should draw nutrition from it, explore effective ways to cure depression in a broader field, and send the brightest spiritual light to modern people suffering from depression.

If you don't sleep well, it's because of your blood

【Qi-Blood Health Sutra】All kinds of diseases disappear after a restful sleep, and it is difficult to sleep when Qi and blood are not in harmony.There are thousands of reasons for insomnia, all of which cause insomnia by disturbing qi and blood.Therefore, to eradicate insomnia, Qi and blood must be adjusted.

In recent years, due to the accelerated pace of life, increased competitive pressure, and heavy work and study, the incidence of insomnia has been increasing.According to surveys, nearly 30% of the world's population has experienced insomnia.Among them, about 17% have severe insomnia and need to take drugs to make themselves fall asleep; especially in big cities, this trend is more obvious, and more than half of the population suffers from sleep disorders.

Insomnia is called "insomnia", "unable to lie down", "unable to sleep", "unable to close eyes" and so on in the ancient literature of traditional Chinese medicine.According to expert research, there are five main inducing factors for insomnia, namely, mental and psychological factors (accounting for about 50%), disease factors (accounting for about 20%), environmental factors (accounting for about 5%), drugs and physical factors.All these factors affect sleep by disturbing Qi and blood.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the root of insomnia lies in "the yang energy is strong and does not enter the yin, and the deficiency of yin qi leads to insomnia."Therefore, the excess of yang and the decline of yin will easily lead to insomnia. If the internal organs are disturbed by external evils or the Qi and blood are imbalanced, as long as there is a situation of yang excess and yin deficiency, insomnia may occur.For example, overworking the mind and body will consume blood and damage yin; the liver stores blood, and stress will cause stagnation of liver qi.Old age and chronic illness, impaired kidney yin, and insufficient essence and blood may all cause insomnia.The kidneys are the innate vital energy and vitality. Only when the heart and kidneys intersect can one fall asleep normally.When thoughts and emotions are overly excited, resulting in inflammation of the heart, or the body is too weak, the kidney qi and kidney water are relatively insufficient, which will affect the quality of sleep.

(End of this chapter)