Spleen and stomach weakness

　　Dietary irregularities, excessive fatigue, excessive worry and thought, insufficient endowment, aging, recovering from illness, and not taking care of the body after recovery can all lead to the syndrome of spleen and stomach weakness. 'Source Analysis of Various Diseases - Various Diseases of the Five Zang and Six Fu - Spleen Disease': Excessive spleen Qi, for excess in shape, will cause abdominal distension, difficulty in urination, heavy body, severe hunger, foot痿 and unable to grasp, this is the excess of spleen Qi, then it should be drained. Spleen Qi deficiency leads to the use of the limbs, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal distension, intestinal noise, this is the deficiency of spleen Qi. Therefore, its etiology has three aspects: one is dietary disorder, two is excessive fatigue, and three is due to acute and chronic diseases. All these causes consume the spleen and stomach, leading to insufficient spleen and stomach, malaise in transformation, and the formation of the syndrome of spleen and stomach weakness.

　　Spleen and stomach weakness has a long course, diarrhea may be light or severe, or intermittent, stools are loose and colorless, without odor, mixed with indigestible food residues, easy to diarrhea after eating, abdominal distension and frequent defecation after eating a lot, reduced appetite, sallow complexion, fatigue, emaciated physique, pale tongue, thin white coating. Treatment should focus on strengthening the spleen and Qi, and assisting in transforming dampness.

　　Symptoms of spleen and stomach weakness: After eating a little greasy food or eating a little more, the frequency of defecation increases, accompanied by undigested food. The stools are alternately loose and watery, persistent and recurrent. Reduced appetite, chest oppression and discomfort after eating, sallow complexion, fatigue, pale tongue coating, and weak pulse.

　　1. Digestive tract: Constipation or loose stools

　　In terms of the digestive tract, diseases caused by spleen deficiency generally include: loss of appetite, picky eating, lack of taste in the mouth. The spleen plays a very important role in the digestion and absorption of food, so almost all gastrointestinal diseases can appear or be accompanied by spleen deficiency. Spleen deficiency usually results in loose stools, but it may also lead to dry and hard stools or constipation, as spleen deficiency can cause the intestines to lack momentum.

　　2. Muscles: Obesity or thinness　　

      The spleen governs the muscles, so people with spleen deficiency feel weak all over their body, sweat a lot, and have shortness of breath. Additionally, the eyelids belong to the 'muscle wheel', and people with spleen deficiency feel their eyelids are heavy and seem unable to lift them, and their lower limbs are prone to edema. Being too thin is due to spleen deficiency's inability to transform and absorb, and obesity is due to spleen deficiency generating dampness, which is difficult to transform and accumulates in the body. Spleen dampness obesity is often characterized by an overweight abdomen.

　　3. Gynecology: Excessive leukorrhea

　　Female often suffer from spleen deficiency and dampness due to gynecological inflammation. Excessive leukorrhea, excessive or insufficient menstrual flow may be caused by spleen deficiency. Insufficient menstrual flow is due to insufficient Qi and blood caused by spleen deficiency, and thin endometrial growth. Excessive menstrual flow is due to spleen deficiency's inability to retain menstrual blood.

　　4. Sleep: Dribbling saliva is also due to spleen deficiency

　　People with spleen deficiency may experience symptoms such as decreased memory, feeling dizzy, and poor sleep quality. Many people may dribble saliva while sleeping, which is also related to spleen deficiency. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that saliva is the fluid of the spleen, and normally it will not overflow. When the spleen is deficient and cannot retain body fluid, it will lead to the phenomenon of dribbling saliva while sleeping.

　　5. Self-check: Look at your tongue

　　In addition to the symptoms we mentioned above, you can also look at your tongue in the mirror. If the teeth marks on the edges of the tongue are obvious, it is a sign of spleen deficiency.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen and stomach are the foundation for postnatal development, the source of vital qi and blood, and a pair of interior and exterior organs that work together to absorb and digest water and food. However, they have their own characteristics in function. The stomach is responsible for receiving and storing food and grains, and its function is to digest and mature food and grains, with the ability to intake food and grains and perform initial digestion. The spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation, and its function is to transport and transform food and grains, with the ability to further digest and absorb food and grains.

　　For those with a history of spleen and stomach cold, or symptoms such as stomachache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea due to cold, it is recommended to eat spicy and hot foods such as scallions, ginger, chives, garlic, and pepper. For people with spleen and stomach deficiency, it is advisable to eat red dates, yam, mung beans, euryale flos, and lotus seed meat. For those with excessive stomach heat, it is recommended to eat products such as pears, lotus root, sugar cane, and honey, which are dry and cool and generate moisture. For patients with qi stagnation, it is recommended to eat more radishes, finger citron, and tangerines, or use the peel of tangerines as seasoning. The following will focus on the aspects related to spleen and stomach diseases.

　　Common clinical manifestations of spleen and stomach deficiency: The course of the disease is long, diarrhea may be light or severe, or intermittent, stools are loose and watery, color light and odorless, mixed with indigestible food residue, easy to defecate after eating, abdominal distension and frequent stools after eating more, lack of appetite, yellowish complexion, fatigue, thin and weak physique, pale tongue, thin white fur, and weak pulse. Spleen and stomach deficiency is a diagnosis based on traditional Chinese medicine, mainly using the method of traditional Chinese medicine dialectics to confirm the diagnosis, and Western medicine examination cannot determine it, so there is no need for Western medicine examination.

　　The concept of 'Spleen and Stomach Deficiency' is relatively general in traditional Chinese medicine, including symptoms such as spleen qi deficiency, spleen yang deficiency, spleen failure to control blood, qi sinking, stomach yang deficiency, stomach qi deficiency, stomach yin deficiency, and spleen and stomach cold. These are often caused by irregular diet, overexertion, and prolonged illness leading to damage of the spleen qi. Over the generations, medical experts have conducted in-depth research and elaboration on the syndrome of spleen qi deficiency, pointing out that the spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation, being the source of vital qi and blood, and the foundation for postnatal development. If there is insufficient endowment from birth, aging, or after a serious illness, if the primordial qi has not yet recovered and is neglected, it can lead to spleen qi deficiency, abnormal transportation and transformation function, resulting in a lack of source of vital qi and blood, and the formation of the syndrome of spleen qi deficiency. Diet adjustment is very important for patients with spleen and stomach deficiency, and the following experts introduce the dietary therapy for spleen and stomach deficiency.

　　1. The益脾饼 consists of Baizhu (white atractylodes), Ganjiang (dried ginger), Jinejin (gastrolith), and Shuzao (dried date meat). The first three ingredients are ground into fine powder and roasted, then mixed with the date meat, pounded into paste, and made into small cakes. These cakes are then roasted over charcoal until dry. They are taken on an empty stomach in the morning, chewed and swallowed slowly.

　　2, Honey Boil honey over water and take it on an empty stomach before meals, 2-3 times a day, and continue to take it every day.

　　3,薏米莲子粥Coix seed, lotus seed meat (peeled and heart removed), appropriate amount of rock sugar. First decoct the coix seed, then add the lotus seed meat, add rock sugar after the congee is done, and eat it as breakfast.

　　4,山药扁豆糕Fresh山药,扁豆,陈皮,红枣肉. Cut the山药 into thin slices, chop the dates, mix them evenly, and steam the cake to eat it for breakfast, 50-100 grams each time.

　　5, Barley Soup with lamb, Fructus amomi, and Barley. Cut the lamb into slices and boil it with Fructus amomi, filter the broth, and then cook the barley with the broth, boil it until done, and add a little salt, or it can be cooked with the meat after filtering.

　　For the spleen and stomach weakness, invigorate the spleen and Qi, assist in the transformation of dampness. The main prescription: Liujunzi decoction, Shenling Baizhu Powder. Commonly used Chinese herbs include Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Dioscorea opposita, Coix seed, dried Shanzha, dried Shengfu, Citrus reticulata, Amomum villosum (added later). It can be decocted in water, one dose per day, divided into 2-3 servings.

　　If there is abdominal pain from time to time, add Moschus moschatus, Cyperus rotundus, and Atractylodes macrocephala. If there is loose stools, clear urine, and hidden pain in the abdomen, add Coptis chinensis, Myristica fragrans, and Fructus Alpiniae oxyphyllae. If there is insufficient qi, reluctance to speak, loose stools that do not stop, and even prolapse of the rectum, add Astragalus membranaceus, Cimicifuga foetida, and Pueraria lobata. If there is damp-heat, bitter taste in the mouth, yellow tongue, or sticky stools, add Coptis chinensis, Portulaca oleracea.

　　1, Liujunzi decoction is suitable for various syndromes of spleen deficiency

　　Herbal medicine: Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Citrus reticulata, Pinellia ternata, Licorice.

　　Epigastric and abdominal distension, pain, nausea and vomiting, add Moschus moschatus, Amomum villosum, and Herba agastaches. If there is diarrhea with cold pain in the abdomen, cold limbs, add Coptis chinensis, and dried ginger, or if there is cough, sputum, nausea, dizziness, add Bambusa textilis, and fructus aurantii. If there is long-term cough with copious sputum and thin, shortness of breath, and fatigue, add dried Aster tataricus, Flos farfarae, and Radix Platycodonis.

　　2, Shenling Baizhu Powder is suitable for various syndromes of spleen deficiency with dampness

　　Herbal medicine: Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Licorice, Dioscorea opposita, fried Dolichos lappaceus, lotus seed, Coix seed, Amomum villosum, Platycodon grandiflorus.

　　If there is leukorrhea with white color, thin quality and large amount, add Atractylodes macrocephala, Plantago asiatica, Alisma orientale, and Bupleurum chinense. If the leukorrhea does not stop for a long time, you can also add Rubus corchorifolius, Euryale ferox, and calcined Longgu and Mugan. For children with malnutrition, take this recipe and add chicken stomach, Shengfu, Maiya, and Shanzha, grind them into fine powder, take 3 grams each time, three times a day.