When mentioning the liver, people often think of diseases such as “hepatitis B, fatty liver, alcoholic liver disease, and liver cancer,” but they tend to overlook liver qi stagnation and excessive liver fire.
In their view, these two conditions do not pose a threat to life, but this is not the case. As the saying goes, “All diseases begin with qi,” and it can be said that the emergence of tumors in the body is closely related to liver qi stagnation.
The harm of liver qi stagnation to the body should not be ignored. If you experience any of the six manifestations, it is advisable to adjust your condition as soon as possible.
Manifestation 1: Stomach Pain
When liver qi is relatively strong, it can invade the stomach. If the liver fails to regulate, liver qi stagnation can lead to dysfunction in the spleen and stomach, resulting in bloating and pain in the stomach area.
Main symptoms include: bloating in the stomach, pain in the ribs, and a reduction in pain after gas is expelled from the stomach, along with symptoms of acid reflux.
Additionally, liver qi stagnation and stomach fire can lead to a yellow tongue coating, dry mouth, and a bitter taste.
Manifestation 2: Indigestion
Liver qi stagnation can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. When the liver and stomach are not in harmony, it can lead to emotional changes, with the liver failing to regulate and the stomach failing to descend, resulting in functional dyspepsia.
Main symptoms: irritability, easy anger, belching, a red tongue, and a thin tongue coating.
Manifestation 3: Kidney Essence Deficiency
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states that “the liver and kidneys share the same source.” When the liver has issues, the kidneys can also be affected.
This is particularly true for men, as kidney essence deficiency can lead to a reduction in vital energy and blood, causing the liver to lose nourishment, resulting in disordered qi dynamics and long-term liver qi stagnation leading to heat transformation.
Main symptoms: chest tightness, shortness of breath, belching, irritability, dry mouth, bitter taste, dizziness, and tinnitus.
Manifestation 4: Mammary Gland Hyperplasia
Liver qi stagnation can lead to emotional changes, causing liver qi to become stagnant.
This results in blocked meridians and poor circulation of qi and blood. When qi stagnates in the body, it can lead to physical changes.
Main symptoms: swelling and pain in the breasts, palpable lumps upon touch, chest tightness, irritability, and a gloomy disposition.
Manifestation 5: Insomnia
In TCM, the liver houses the soul. When liver qi stagnates, it can affect sleep.
Liver qi stagnation can lead to excessive liver fire, disturbing the mind and causing insomnia, particularly waking from sleep between 1-3 AM.
Main symptoms: shallow sleep, dizziness, red eyes, tinnitus, dry mouth, bitter taste, lack of appetite, constipation, and dark, scanty urine with a red tongue and yellow coating.
Manifestation 6: Irregular Menstruation
Women may experience irregular menstruation and reduced menstrual flow.
When liver qi stagnates and transforms into heat over time, it can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, reduced flow, or prolonged bleeding with thick menstrual blood.
Main symptoms: lower abdominal bloating and pain, chest tightness, breast tenderness, irritability, and a dark red tongue.
How to Adjust Liver Qi Stagnation in Daily Life?
Sleep to Nourish the Liver
In TCM, it is said: “The liver stores blood,” and “when a person sleeps, blood returns to the liver.” From a TCM perspective, the time between 11 PM and 3 AM is when the liver and gallbladder meridians are active. If a person cannot sleep during this time, they will miss the best time to nourish liver blood, which can easily lead to liver qi stagnation over time.
Frequent late nights can lead to insufficient sleep, weakening the body’s resistance and affecting the liver’s self-repair at night.
Diet to Protect the Liver
1. Drink Water Regularly
Water is essential for the human body. Only by maintaining adequate hydration can the internal environment remain stable and protect and nourish the liver.
Additionally, one can soak some herbs that help maintain liver health in water, such as: Citron (Xiang Yuan), Rose (Mei Hua), Dried Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi), Goji Berries (Gou Qi Zi), Mulberries (Sang Shen), Peach Kernels (Tao Ren), and Mint (Bo He).
Goji Five Harmony Tea is regarded as a “superior product” for liver nourishment, helping to soothe the liver, relieve stagnation, clear heat, calm the mind, and effectively maintain liver health and enhance liver function.
Drinking one or two cups of Goji Five Harmony Tea daily can significantly improve liver health.
2. High-Quality Protein
High-quality protein is essential for the liver’s self-repair process.
High-quality protein provides various amino acids and factors that combat fatty liver, increasing the synthesis of apolipoproteins, which helps to transport lipids out of the liver, alleviating fatty liver and promoting the recovery and regeneration of liver cells.
Sources include: eggs, fish, legumes, and soy products.
Exercise to Nourish the Liver
1. Hand Exercises
Hand bathing: Calm the mind, focus, and sink the qi to the dantian. Bring both hands together and slowly rub them together, gradually increasing speed until they are warm.
Effect: Patients with chronic liver disease often experience liver qi stagnation and blood stasis, which can lead to symptoms of cold hands and feet. Hand bathing can not only regulate the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body but also improve blood circulation in the hands, alleviating local symptoms.
2. Leg Exercises
Walking: Moderate exercise that neither increases the burden on the liver nor strains the heart.
The liver governs the tendons, which include fascia, tendons, and ligaments, connecting joints and muscles and facilitating joint movement.
Walking can exercise the tendons and muscles, thereby enhancing liver function. Additionally, regular walking promotes the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body, nourishing the internal organs and meridians, and promoting metabolism.