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When it comes to fluid deficiency, many people may not understand what it means, but you are certainly familiar with the term “dehydration.” Fluid deficiency actually refers to the insufficient water in the human body, and the most common situation is diarrhea. Let’s learn about it together. Fluid deficiency syndrome refers to the lack of body fluids, leading to the loss of moisture and nourishment in the body, organs, and orifices, resulting in symptoms such as thirst, a desire to drink water, reduced urination, dry stools, and dryness of the mouth, nose, lips, skin, and other orifices.
Clinical Manifestations
With insufficient body fluids, the organs, tissues, and orifices lose nourishment and moisture, leading to dryness of the mouth, lips, nose, throat, and skin, even resulting in skin that is shriveled and lacks elasticity, sunken eyes, and abnormal thirst with a constant desire to drink; due to fluid depletion, urine production is insufficient, hence the appearance of short and yellow urine; the deficiency of intestinal fluids leads to dry and hard stools; with insufficient yin fluids, yang energy becomes relatively excessive, thus presenting with a red and dry tongue and a thin, rapid pulse.
Syndrome Analysis
High fever, excessive sweating, severe vomiting or diarrhea, and burns can lead to excessive fluid depletion; a dry external environment or excessive yang energy in the body can also secretly deplete fluids; insufficient water intake in daily life or weakened organ functions leading to inadequate fluid production can all result in fluid deficiency syndrome. Generally, if the degree of fluid damage is mild, characterized by a slight lack of fluids, it is termed as fluid injury or fluid deficiency, primarily presenting with dry symptoms; if it follows excessive loss of fluids due to sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea, it is termed as fluid exhaustion or fluid loss, often accompanied by clinical features such as shriveled skin and sunken eyes. However, in clinical practice, both are often referred to collectively without strict differentiation.
Case Example
Ms. Pan, female, adult, first diagnosed on March 31, 1978. Due to improper diet, she initially presented with indigestion and was treated with a modified Bao He Decoction, which was ineffective. That night, she experienced over ten episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, and the next morning, I was invited for a consultation. The patient appeared emaciated, with sunken eyes indicating dehydration, a thin and rapid pulse (120 beats/min), and her limbs were tense with cramping, expressing extreme thirst and vomiting upon drinking water. The condition was critical, requiring immediate correction of dehydration. After the vomiting subsided, I prescribed Ban Xia Xie Xin Decoction with added Zhi Mu (Zingiberis Rhizoma) and Wu Mei (Mume Fruit) for decoction. In the afternoon, upon re-examination: vomiting had ceased, and diarrhea had decreased. I advised her to take the second decoction, and soon the diarrhea also stopped. Subsequently, I prescribed a modified Si Jun Zi Tang (Four Gentlemen Decoction), and she was stable after one dose.
Notes: Zhi Mu has a slightly warm and pungent flavor, specifically dispelling wind and cold, promoting digestion, and stopping vomiting and diarrhea. Wu Mei has a sour and warm flavor, specifically generating fluids and stopping thirst, astringing the intestines and stopping diarrhea, and benefiting the meridians. The combination of these two herbs in Ban Xia Xie Xin Decoction effectively treats cholera (acute gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea) with rapid efficacy.
Warm Reminder:This platform shares health-related graphic information for reference and learning only, and it should not be used as a basis for medical diagnosis. If needed, please consult a TCM practitioner for guidance.
This article was compiled byZeng Lingzhi Edited byLiu Wei Typeset byDai Yeli
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