Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency are terms in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and many people struggle to distinguish between them. What are the differences between Yin deficiency and Yang deficiency? What is the most accurate method for diagnosis? Let’s take a look.
About Yang Deficiency
1
What is Yang?
The “Neijing” states: “Yang receives Qi from heaven to warm the skin and flesh.”Gu Songyuan said: “The warmth of the whole body is Yang Qi.”Zhang C gong said: “The return of Yang refers to restoring body temperature.”Based on the above, Yang refers to body temperature. Yang indicates the overall heat of the body, not merely the temperature measured by a thermometer.2
What is Yang Deficiency?
Yang deficiency means insufficient heat in the body.3
Causes of Yang Deficiency
(1) Insufficient constitution.(2) Excessive consumption of cold foods (the main cause of Spleen and Stomach Yang deficiency).(3) Excessive sweating (the main cause of Wei Yang deficiency).(4) Improper use of cold medicines.(5) Excessive sexual activity (the main cause of Kidney Yang deficiency).(6) Yin deficiency: Yin and Yang are interdependent; prolonged Yin deficiency will inevitably lead to Yang deficiency.(7) Qi deficiency (Yang deficiency must be supplemented with Qi).(8) Cold climate: wearing thin clothing (e.g., freezing to death indicates the death of Yang).4
Types of Yang Deficiency
(1) Kidney Yang deficiency(2) Spleen Yang deficiency(3) Heart Yang deficiency(4) Lung Yang deficiency(5) Stomach Yang deficiency(6) Wei Yang deficiency(7) Liver Yang deficiency(8) Exterior Yang deficiency(9) Interior Yang deficiency(10) True Yang deficiency collapse(11) Excessive Yin obstructing Yang (above, outside)(12) Bladder Yang deficiency(13) Yang collapse 5
Symptoms of Yang Deficiency
(1) General Symptoms of Yang DeficiencyHead: ① Headache (e.g., Yang deficiency headache), head feels like ice. ② Red complexion (e.g., Yang syndrome)Sideburns: Sweating from the temples to the crownFace: Pale complexion, face feels hot.Eyes: Protruding eyes, dark eyes, fatigue, lack of luster in the eyes.Ears: Tinnitus followed by deafnessNose: NosebleedsMouth: No thirst, foaming at the mouth, nausea, vomiting, although thirsty, no desire to drink, excessive clear phlegm, vomiting blood.Tongue: Swollen tongue, tongue coating must be slippery.Teeth: Loose teethThroat: Swollen, painful throatNeck: Neck feels cold, thick neck.Chest and sides: Chest and side pain, fullness.Abdomen: Abdominal pain, bloating, pain around the navel, lower abdominal pain like an egg rolling, hernia pain, intestinal colic, intestinal paralysis, abdominal pain with rumbling, abdominal muscle spasms.Back: Cold backWaist: Sore and heavy waistGenitals: Cold genitals, sperm leakage, impotence, nocturnal emissions, cold uterus, scrotal edema.Urination and defecation: Clear urine, frequent urination, clear and long urine, urinary retention (bladder paralysis), loose stools, diarrhea, constipation, alternating diarrhea and constipation.Limbs: Cold hands and feet, foot edema, sore and heavy knees.Whole body: Cold body, fear of cold, cyanosis, spontaneous sweating, excessive sweating, prone to colds, excessive cold, pockmarks.Mental state: Silence, lack of spirit, fatigue, fearfulness.Sensation: Excessive cold, face feels hot.Sleep: Curling up, restless during the day, quiet at night.Preferences: Likes heat, fears cold, dislikes cold clothing, likes sunlight, likes fire, likes hot food.Pulse: Deep, thin, slow pulse, weak, floating, large without root, deep and thin pulse at the right wrist.Breathing: Wheezing, cold breath, cough.Skin: Muscles feel like millet, edema, body heat, pressing between muscles and bones feels cold.Muscles: Flesh (eye rim)Tendons and bones: Tendons feel tightBlood: Coughing blood, nosebleeds must have black spots.Intestines and stomach: Slightly cold food leads to diarrheaDiet: Reduced appetite, no thirst, or thirsty but no desire to drink, although craving cold food, but not eating (some may eat, but the tongue must not be dry).Clothing: Even in hot months, do not part with warm clothing (some even wear cotton clothing). Sexual activity: Reduced libido, groaning after sexual activity. Note: The above symptoms indicate Yang deficiency (Yang deficiency leads to cold), and there are also cases of Yang deficiency fire not returning to the source, true cold false heat, internal cold external heat, leading to symptoms like vomiting, nosebleeds, and red face, so one cannot solely rely on one point to determine Yang deficiency; the main symptoms must be considered (Yang deficiency symptoms must also consider whether there is a false heat appearance).(2) Main Symptoms of Yang Deficiency Insufficient body temperature, fear of cold (including fear of wind and cold and dislike of cold food), cold hands and feet, clear urination, loose stools, moist tongue, deep, slow, thin, weak pulse, impotence, premature ejaculation, sore and weak waist and knees.1. Headache: Often occurs in the morning, accompanied by other Yang deficiency symptoms, prefers to be wrapped in warm items, and feels pain when encountering cold.2. Light in the eyes: A sign of true Yang exposure. Whether awake or asleep, one sees light in the eyes.3. Tinnitus followed by deafness: Kidney deficiency cannot close and store, Yin Qi fills the Yang orifices, the pulse at the wrist must be weak, suitable for Gui Fu Di Huang Wan with magnetic stone, Acorus, and Cistanche.4. Nausea and vomiting: Due to Kidney Yang deficiency, Yin fire surging upwards, suitable for Zheng Yuan Dan.5. Foaming at the mouth: If it is Yin deficiency, the mouth must be thirsty.6. Loose teeth: This is due to Kidney Yang deficiency, and virtual fire rising (if taking cold medicine, it will worsen).7. Diarrhea: Often occurs at dawn, or clear stools, or loose stools like duck droppings.8. Constipation: If there is cold accumulation. If there is Kidney Yang deficiency with intestinal accumulation.9. Cold hands and feet: Sometimes cold, sometimes warm is not Yang deficiency; it must be carefully distinguished.10. Cough: Yang deficiency cough is very rare. (Any chronic cold cough is Yang deficiency.)11. Wheezing: Yang deficiency wheezing is rare. Yang deficiency wheezing often belongs to a critical condition because it is the main symptom of true Yang collapse.12. Alternating diarrhea and constipation: This is the lower consumption among the three consumptions.6
Diagnosis
1. Must understand the main symptoms of Yang deficiency and general symptoms2. Yang deficiency must be compared and measured against Yin deficiency symptoms3. Yang deficiency must be compared and measured against Qi deficiency symptoms. In many places in TCM, Yang deficiency and Qi deficiency are related, but they are actually different, so they must be distinguished.7
Mechanism
Yang deficiency leads to Qi deficiency, Yang deficiency leads to blood deficiency, which cannot transform essence and blood. (The relationship between Yang and Qi, Qi belongs to Yang, excess Qi transforms into fire.)Yang deficiency leads to Yin deficiency: Yang generates Yin.Yang deficiency leads to external cold: such as frequently fearing cold, easily catching cold (insufficient resistance).Yang deficiency leads to turbid Yin rising: Turbid Yin spreads, easily causing wheezing, phlegm, fullness in the chest.Yang deficiency leads to water rising as phlegm: Kidney Yang deficiency easily forms phlegm and fluid.Yang deficiency leads to preference for Yang assistance: such as light in the morning and heavy in the evening.Yang deficiency leads to Yin must escape: for major vomiting and major nosebleeds.Yang deficiency leads to Yuan Qi unable to self-regulate: Yang rising leads to wheezing.Spleen Yang deficiency leads to dampness not transforming.8
Yang Deficiency Symptoms
1. Exterior Yang deficiency (Wei Yang deficiency):Main symptoms: Spontaneous sweating, fear of cold (spontaneous sweating is Yang deficiency, feeling cold after sweating).Common formulas: Huang Qi Liu Yi San or Yu Ping Feng San with Fu Zi (Qi deficiency add Ren Shen), Shao Yao Gan Cao Fu Zi Tang (after sweating, both Yin and Yang are deficient). 2. Heart Yang deficiency:Heart fire deficiencyCauses: Water and drink restraining fire, excessive sweating, liver not generating wood, and the child cannot nourish the mother.Main symptoms: Feeling cold in the heart, palpitations, six pulses weak, after sweating, hands feel cold, palpitations want to be pressed.Common formulas: Zhen Wu Tang, Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang, Gui Zhi Gan Cao Tang. 3. Kidney Yang deficiency:Life gate fire deficiencyCauses: Congenital insufficiency, excessive sexual desire, excessive sweating, prolonged illness. The first two are the main causes.Main symptoms: Sore and weak waist and knees, cold genitals, sperm leakage, no children, frequent urination, edema, no coating, slow pulse or floating large without root.Common formulas: Gui Fu Shen Qi Wan, Er Jia Long Gu Tang. 4. Lung Yang deficiency:Causes: External wind-cold not healing for a long time, insufficient constitution, excessive cold food.Main symptoms: Cough, shortness of breath, clear and thin phlegm, worsens slightly when it is cold or when eating cold food, but must be a long-term condition (light in spring and summer, heavy in autumn and winter, etc.), or has Yang deficiency main symptoms (cannot be confused with cold cough). Common formulas: Bao Yuan Tang, Liu Jun Zi Tang with Gan Jiang Wu Wei, for those with Kidney Yang deficiency, Zhen Wu, Shen Qi, etc.5. Liver Yang deficiency:Insufficient liver fire. Caused by insufficient life gate fire and insufficient heart fire.Main symptoms: Cold hernia, internal cold, mental exhaustion, nocturnal emissions, palpitations.Common formulas: Gui Gan Long Mu Tang, Dang Gui Si Ni Jia Wu Yu Sheng Jiang Tang. 6. Spleen Yang deficiency:Excessive consumption of cold food, excessive use of cold medicines for heat diseases.Main symptoms: Water and grain not transforming, loose stools, phlegm and fluid accumulation, vomiting and coldness.Common formulas: Liu Jun Zi Tang with Xiang Sha, Xiao Jian Zhong Tang, Li Zhong Tang, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang.9
Main Formulas for Yang Deficiency
1. Shen Fu Tang: Ren Shen one liang, Pao Fu Zi five qian, Sheng Jiang, Da Zao. Treats Kidney Yang deficiency, spontaneous sweating, wheezing, cold limbs. (From “Annotated Women’s Good Recipes”)2. Si Ni Jia Ren Shen Tang: Zhi Gan Cao two liang, Gan Jiang two and a half, Fu Zi one piece, Ren Shen one liang. Treats Kidney Yang deficiency, spontaneous sweating, wheezing, cold limbs, with clear stools, pulse weak and about to collapse.3. Si Ni Tang: Zhi Gan Cao two liang, Gan Jiang two and a half, Fu Zi one piece. Treats clear stools, cold limbs, weak pulse.4. Zhen Wu Tang: Ren Shen, Gan Jiang, Zhi Gan Cao each three liang, Bai Zhu one liang, Fu Zi one piece. Must also have difficulty urinating or see edema, palpitations, dizziness, cough, etc.5. Li Zhong Tang: Ren Shen, Gan Jiang, Zhi Gan Cao, Bai Zhu each three liang. Treats Spleen and Stomach Yang deficiency, clear stools, abdominal fullness, no tenderness.6. Wu Zhu Yu Tang: Wu Zhu Yu one sheng, Ren Shen three liang, Sheng Jiang six liang, Da Zao twelve pieces. Treats stomach cold, reduced appetite, nausea, or abdominal pain, sour swallowing.7. Liu Wei Hui Yang Yin: Ren Shen three qian to two liang, Pao Fu Zi, Pao Jiang each two to three qian, Zhi Gan Cao one qian, Shu Di five qian to one liang, Dang Gui three qian. Boil in water to take. Treats impending Yang collapse. (From “Jing Yue Quan Shu·New Formulas”)8. Qi Fu Tang: Zhi Huang Qi four qian, Pao Fu Zi four qian, Sheng Jiang ten slices. Boil in water to take. Treats Wei Yang deficiency, spontaneous sweating. (From “Chi Shui Xuan Zhu”) 9. Ji Ji Tang: Shu Di, Shan Yu each one liang, Sheng Shan Yao, Sheng Long Gu, Niu Mu Li each six qian, Fu Ling, Bai Shao each three qian, Fu Zi one qian. Treats both Yin and Yang deficiency, wheezing, spontaneous sweating, eyes looking upwards, heart palpitations like a hanging flag, or sperm leakage, nocturnal urination, diarrhea, etc. (From “Medical Records of Chinese and Western Medicine”) 10. Li Yin Tang: Bai Zhu four qian, Gan Jiang five qian, Gui Zhi tip, Zhi Gan Cao, Fu Ling, Bai Shao each three qian, Fu Zi one qian. Treats heart and kidney Yang deficiency, Spleen dampness not rising, stomach depression not descending, fluid evil flooding, etc.11. Hei Xi Dan: Treats Yang deficiency rising, wheezing, wanting to collapse, lower source cold, etc.12. Fu Zi Tang: Fu Zi two pieces, Fu Ling three liang, Ren Shen two liang, Bai Zhu four liang, Shao Yao three liang. Treats Yang deficiency, cold dampness internally, limb and joint pain, etc. 13. Dun Fu Tang: Dang Shen, Shan Yu, Bu Guo Zhi (pounded in fire) each four qian, Wu Fu Zi, He Tao Ren each three qian, Sheng Shan Yao five qian, Fu Ling, Sheng Ji Nei Jin each one qian and a half. Treats Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency, sore and painful waist and knees, early morning diarrhea, etc. (From “Medical Records of Chinese and Western Medicine”)14. Zheng Yuan Dan: Treats life gate fire decline, unable to generate earth, vomiting, coldness, chest fullness, red hot face, dizziness, and other symptoms of Yin fire surging upwards. 15. Xiao Jian Zhong Tang: Gui Zhi three qian, Zhi Gan Cao two qian, Da Zao two pieces, Bai Shao six qian, Sheng Jiang three qian, Yi Tang one liang. Treats virtual labor with urgent symptoms, or virtual labor with Yang deficiency fever symptoms.
About Yin Deficiency
1
What is Yin Deficiency?
Yin, in this context, is not an empty term, but refers to all bodily fluids. The Daoist scripture states: “Tears, saliva, essence, fluids, sweat, blood, and liquid, seven kinds of spiritual substances all belong to Yin.”Yin refers to the moisture in various tissues of the body. The so-called deficiency means insufficiency. The body’s moisture is generally a fixed amount, accounting for about two-thirds of body weight.This moisture is continuously consumed and replenished from food, which is normal. If consumption exceeds replenishment, and when it accumulates to 10%, all normal physiological functions will be affected. This will lead to certain changes, which can be perceived subjectively or objectively, resulting in phenomena that differ from the usual, which is commonly referred to as Yin deficiency syndrome.Thus, insufficient lung fluids indicate Lung Yin deficiency, insufficient kidney essence indicates Kidney Yin deficiency, insufficient heart fluids indicate Heart Yin deficiency, insufficient liver fluids indicate Liver Yin deficiency, and insufficient spleen fluids indicate Spleen Yin deficiency. The commonly referred to Yin deficiency primarily focuses on the lungs, spleen, and kidneys, while heart and liver Yin deficiency, due to their emphasis on blood, are categorized under blood deficiency.2
Causes of Yin Deficiency
1. Congenital insufficiency: This is the root cause of all deficiency syndromes, especially Yin deficiency.2. Prolonged illness (such as febrile diseases, prolonged fever, chronic cough, chronic diarrhea, chronic dysentery, chronic malaria, etc.): This is a cause of all Yin deficiency.3. Excessive sweating or purging (such as using sweating or purging medicines too frequently): This is also a cause of all Yin deficiency, but it is more common in heart, spleen, and kidney Yin deficiency.4. Carelessness in sexual activity: This is also a major cause of Kidney Yin deficiency.5. Excessive smoking, alcohol, spicy, and hot foods: This is a major cause of Lung Yin deficiency, as excessive fire leads to Yin deficiency.6. Overthinking: This is a major cause of Heart Yin deficiency.7. Long-term unresolved anger and frustration: This is a major cause of Liver Yin deficiency.8. Excessive fatigue: This is a major cause of Spleen Yin deficiency. In general, excessive indulgence in alcohol and sexual activity leads to the most Yin deficiency. This is because fewer people practice moderation, while many indulge excessively. Furthermore, a single thread cannot form a line; whether it is excessive thinking or excessive fatigue, none will quickly lead to Yin deficiency unless combined with excessive sexual activity or congenital insufficiency; even if it does form, it is easier to treat because it does not damage the root cause.3
Changes Caused by Yin Deficiency
In summary, there are about 20 types: 1. Yin deficiency leads to heat.This explains the body heat, bone steaming, five hearts feeling hot, and all heat syndromes caused by Yin deficiency.2. Yin deficiency leads to blood deficiency.This is because fluids are also a major component of blood.3. Yin deficiency leads to blood dryness.The above two points explain the menstrual irregularities, amenorrhea, and all dryness syndromes caused by blood insufficiency.4. Yin deficiency leads to water deficiency.5. Yin deficiency leads to insufficient fluids.The above two points explain the dryness of the mouth, thirst, dry nose, and dry throat caused by insufficient moisture.6. Yin deficiency leads to essence deficiency.This explains the symptoms of low essence, thin essence, and essence not being solid due to Yin deficiency.7. Yin deficiency leads to excessive fire.8. Yin deficiency leads to fire movement.9. Yin deficiency leads to excessive fire.10. Yin deficiency leads to excessive Yang.11. Yin deficiency leads to excessive fire.The above five points explain all fire phenomena caused by Yin deficiency, such as bitter mouth, preference for cold, dry tongue, and dry throat.12. Excessive fire from Yin deficiency leads to the consumption of fluids and phlegm.13. Fire movement from Yin deficiency leads to water rising as phlegm.The above two points explain the phlegm syndromes caused by Yin deficiency.14. Excessive fire from Yin deficiency leads to blood flowing out of various orifices.This explains the various bleeding syndromes caused by Yin deficiency.15. Yin deficiency leads to virtual fire rising.16. Yin deficiency leads to virtual Yang rising.17. Yin deficiency leads to virtual Yang reversing.The above three points explain the phenomena of red face, red lips, red cheeks, dry cough, vomiting, and all upper heat phenomena caused by Yin deficiency.18. Yin deficiency leads to marrow deficiency, fire sinking into the bones.This explains the bone steaming and skin cold symptoms caused by Yin deficiency.19. Yin deficiency leads to Yang having no attachment.20. Yin deficiency leads to Yang collapsing.The above two points explain the phenomena of sudden fainting, loss of voice, and absence of evil heat caused by Yin deficiency.4
Symptoms of Yin Deficiency
(1) Symptoms of Yin Deficiency in Various Body PartsHead: Dizziness, headache.Face: Red face and cheeks.Eyes: Dizziness, red eyes.Ears: Tinnitus, deafness (Yin deficiency fire rising leads to deafness).Nose: Dry nose, nasal congestion, breath like fire, nosebleeds.Mouth: Dry mouth, thirst, vomiting blood, spitting blood, vomiting.Tongue: Dry tongue, painful tongue, tongue bleeding.Teeth: Loose teeth, bleeding gums.Throat: Dry and painful throat, loss of voice, throat ulcers.Chest and abdomen: Chest fullness, Qi counterflow, internal heat, abdominal fullness (Zhong Chun said: Spleen deficiency leads to fullness, called quiet night syndrome, Spleen Yin deficiency).Back: Pain in the waist and spine.Genitals: Blood in urine, painful urination, men with nocturnal emissions, women with irregular menstruation, blood dryness leading to amenorrhea, painful intercourse.Rear genitals: Constipation, blood in stool, diarrhea.Limbs: Leg and calf pain, dry heat in the soles of the feet, heel pain, hot hands and feet, nails dry and discolored.Hair: Hair loss, hair disorder.Skin: Night sweats, dry skin.Tendons and bones: Bone steaming at night, body aches, or pain like fractures.Diet: Lack of taste, excessive hunger.Breathing: Qi counterflow, Qi obstruction, wheezing, phlegm cough, dry cough, coughing blood.Sleep: InsomniaThese symptoms, if not correctly standardized, may lead to misdiagnosis of Yang deficiency, Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, false fire, etc., as Yin deficiency, because different syndromes may have similar symptoms. We must compare the specific situation, the course of the disease, and accompanying symptoms to analyze carefully to make an accurate diagnosis.(2) Main Symptoms of Yin Deficiency1. Afternoon body heat2. Five hearts feeling hot3. Weak, thin, rapid pulse4. General symptoms are quiet at night and light in the morning, heavy in the evening5. Subjectively feeling heat, preferring cold food, but eating does not resolve the issue.(3) Accompanying Symptoms of Yin Deficiency1. Lung Yin deficiency(1) Cough that has not healed for a long time(2) Either expectorating turbid phlegm or dry cough without phlegm, or little phlegm, or blood-streaked phlegm.(3) Either breath like fire from the nose or nosebleeds.(4) Either chest fullness, Qi counterflow, or inability to sleep on one side, or wheezing, or hoarse voice.2. Spleen Yin deficiency(1) Reduced appetite(2) Fatigue in the limbs(3) Muscle wasting(4) Loose stools.3. Kidney Yin deficiency(1) Pain in the waist, spine, and legs(2) Nocturnal emissions(3) Dry heat in the soles of the feet(4) Heel pain(5) Painful urination(6) Tinnitus and deafness(7) Loose teeth(8) Bone steaming and internal heatNote: The above three types of Yin deficiency are not completely fixed, nor are they strictly divided; there are often interspersed situations, but we can determine the main and secondary treatment based on the severity of each part of the disease.5
Diagnosis of Yin Deficiency
The diagnostic methods for this disease, like other diseases, involve using the four diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking, along with various experiential methods for examination.1. Understanding from the main symptoms.This is the primary diagnostic method for all diseases, as every disease has its fixed main symptoms.2. Comparing similar symptoms.Once the main symptoms are established, to avoid errors, it is necessary to compare the symptoms similar to the main symptoms; this comparison is more accurate. For example: The main symptom of Yin deficiency is afternoon body heat, but we cannot immediately assume it is Yin deficiency upon seeing afternoon body heat; we must first compare it with the “afternoon body heat” of warm diseases to see if there are any climatic changes or frequent external infections. This comparison can help reduce errors.From the treatment perspective, the ancients said: “If it is not cool, it is because there is no water.” Also, “If internal heat does not resolve, repeatedly cooling, and cooling does not reduce the fire, it is due to insufficient Yin.” They also said: “If the exterior evil does not resolve, repeatedly dispersing, and dispersing does not lead to sweating, it is because Yin Qi cannot reach.” Furthermore, from the proportion of the disease, Gu said: “Yin deficiency accounts for 80-90%, Yang deficiency accounts for 10-20%.” This method is only used in the case of Yang deficiency and Yin deficiency; when using any method is unclear, it serves as a help, not a general application.6
Treatment Methods for Yin Deficiency
The treatment methods for Yin deficiency mainly consist of three parts:(1) Treatment for Lung Yin Deficiency 1. Clear the lungs and moisten dryness (clear metal and moisten the lungs):This is the main method for treating Lung Yin deficiency, such as Qing Jin Tang, Ba Xian Yu Ye, etc. When taking for a long time, be careful not to be too simple to avoid causing diarrhea or reduced appetite. 2. Clear the lungs and nourish the kidneys:This is the method for treating Lung deficiency with accompanying Kidney Yin deficiency, such as using formulas that combine Er Dong Er Di (Gu Ben Wan, etc.), or using lung-clearing medicines (like Qing Jin Tang) in the morning and kidney-nourishing medicines (like Liu Wei Di Huang Wan) in the evening, but the focus is on the lungs. When Lung Yin deficiency is at its most severe, regardless of whether the symptoms of Kidney Yin deficiency are evident, it is necessary to nourish Kidney Yin, as the kidneys are the root of congenital essence, while also being careful not to harm the spleen. 3. Clear the lungs and supplement the spleen:This is the method for treating Lung Yin deficiency with accompanying Spleen Yin deficiency, such as adding flavored Qing Ning Gao. Treating both meridians is more difficult, as the lungs prefer moistness while the spleen prefers dryness; supplementing the spleen hinders the lungs, while supplementing the lungs hinders the spleen. If lung-nourishing medicines are excessive, appetite may decrease, or diarrhea may worsen; if spleen-nourishing medicines are excessive, dry cough symptoms may worsen. Therefore, when treating Lung Yin deficiency, regardless of whether there are symptoms of Spleen deficiency, it is essential to always pay attention to preventing the onset of Spleen deficiency.(2) Treatment for Kidney Yin Deficiency 1. Nourish Yin and supplement the kidneys (nourish water and control fire):This is the general method for treating Kidney Yin deficiency with fire, such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, Zuo Gui Yin, etc. Yin deficiency must have fire; as Yin becomes more deficient, fire becomes more excessive. However, this fire is different from true fire and cannot be treated with bitter cold medicines, as using bitter cold will not only fail to be effective but may even worsen the condition. Therefore, for fire symptoms that do not respond to bitter cold medicines or worsen, this method is most appropriate. 2. Nourish Yin and lower fire (nourish Yin and subdue Yang): This is the method for treating Kidney Yin deficiency with fire rising or slightly accompanied by true fire symptoms, such as Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan, Da Bu Yin Wan, or Liu Wei Di Huang Wan with modifications. Because fire is often rising, it is necessary to use this method to be effective. 3. Nourish Yin and clear the lungs: This is the method for treating Kidney Yin deficiency with accompanying Lung Yin deficiency, such as Mai Wei Di Huang Wan. Because Kidney Yin deficiency easily affects the lungs, leading to cough and other symptoms. 4. Nourish the kidneys and regulate the spleen: This is the method for treating Kidney Yin deficiency with accompanying Spleen Yin deficiency. When both meridians are Yin deficient, the treatment should focus on the spleen; otherwise, if the spleen is deficient, it cannot absorb, and even the best medicines will not be effective. Therefore, when treating Kidney Yin deficiency, it is essential to pay attention to diet. (3) Treatment for Spleen Yin Deficiency The main treatment method requires using neither overly dry nor overly moist medicines, as the spleen prefers dryness and dislikes moisture, while Yin deficiency prefers moisture and dislikes dryness. This condition is most difficult to treat. The most effective medicines include Shan Yao, Lian Rou, Bian Dou, Yi Ren, or combined with Bai He, Dong Hua, Pa Ye, Mai Dong to treat accompanying Lung Yin deficiency symptoms, such as adding flavored Qing Ning Gao. Alternatively, after stopping diarrhea, take Liu Wei Di Huang Wan in the morning and evening to treat accompanying Kidney Yin deficiency symptoms. In general, Yin deficiency diseases should use sweet and cold medicines, and bitter cold medicines should be avoided, as bitter cold medicines are drying and can harm Yin; and it is necessary to decoct for a long time, as Yin deficiency medicines should be heavy and turbid, so they should be decocted for a long time. There is no quick remedy for Yin deficiency, so long-term use is required.
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