Article by Luo Dalun Illustrations by 8 Years Old Edited by Yun Shao
If you pay close attention, you will find that winter is a process where cold fronts sweep from the north to the south. On days without cold fronts, the temperature rises slightly, becoming a bit warmer, but after a few days, the cold front returns, causing rapid temperature drops across various regions, and everyone immediately feels the cold again.
So, during the days when cold fronts invade in winter, who is most likely to be affected? The first to be affected are those with Yang deficiency, as they have insufficient Yang Qi, making them very susceptible to cold evil.
Therefore, today we will discuss the manifestations of Yang deficiency in various organs!
01
Heart Yang Deficiency
First, let’s look at the upper jiao, which includes the heart and lungs. We will start with Heart Yang deficiency.
Individuals with Heart Yang deficiency have insufficient Yang Qi in the heart, lacking the power to promote and warm the body, leading to the following symptoms: palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, or chest pain that worsens in the cold. They may experience spontaneous sweating, fear of cold, cold limbs, fatigue, pale complexion, or cyanosis of the lips and face, a pale and swollen tongue or a dark purple tongue, white and slippery coating, and a weak pulse that may be intermittent or thready.
These symptoms are prone to occur in cold weather, and when cold evil attacks, problems are more likely to arise. For instance, some elderly individuals with Heart Yang deficiency may experience sudden chest pain or heart attacks while exercising outdoors in winter, resulting in hospitalization for emergency treatment.
In the past, a young man named Wang Mengying, while working, witnessed his boss suddenly collapse from heart pain. Judging it to be due to insufficient Heart Yang, he used a piece of Gan Jiang (Dried Ginger) he carried with him to brew a remedy that saved his boss’s life, leading to a lifelong friendship.
Thus, during winter, individuals with insufficient Heart Yang should take precautions. If they experience cold pain in the heart, it should be taken seriously.
02
Lung Yang Deficiency
Next, let’s examine the lungs in the upper jiao, which can also experience Yang deficiency.
Lung Yang deficiency is often seen in the elderly, those with weak constitutions, or those who have been ill for a long time. It can also occur in individuals with Yang deficiency. This condition is often caused by prolonged cough, wheezing, or asthma, which depletes Lung Qi, or by taking cold and cooling medicines that harm the lungs, combined with cold evil damaging the lungs, leading to Lung Yang deficiency.
Individuals with Lung Yang deficiency may exhibit the following symptoms: cough with clear, thin sputum in large amounts, cold limbs, spontaneous sweating, a back that feels cold to the touch, susceptibility to wind and cold, or wheezing and shortness of breath with slight exertion, or cold symptoms. They often feel fatigued, short of breath, with dizziness, and do not feel thirsty. The tongue is pale, with a white and moist coating, and the pulse is slow or weak. These symptoms can significantly worsen during the cold winter season, leading to conditions such as pulmonary atrophy, asthma, lung distension, and wind-cold colds.
Such individuals with Lung Yang deficiency are commonly seen in Northeast China, where many patients in TCM clinics during winter suffer from respiratory diseases caused by Lung Yang deficiency. Therefore, for this group, it is essential to adopt a strategy of warming and tonifying the lungs, ideally starting in summer for better results. Our TCM Sanfu Tie (Three-Voluntary Patches) is quite effective for this condition.
03
Spleen Yang Deficiency
Next, let’s look at Yang deficiency in the middle jiao, primarily involving the liver and spleen.
First, we will examine Spleen Yang deficiency, which presents with the following symptoms: cold limbs, reduced appetite, cold pain in the abdomen that prefers warmth and pressure, loose stools, or watery diarrhea with undigested food, or chronic diarrhea, pale complexion, fatigue, a bland taste in the mouth, a preference for warm drinks, or vomiting clear saliva, or edema, difficulty urinating, or excessive clear and thin vaginal discharge in women. The tongue is pale and swollen or has tooth marks, with a white and slippery coating, and the pulse is thin, slow, and weak.
These conditions become more pronounced as the weather turns cold. Whenever cold evil invades, it is very easy to experience vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gastric pain. Moreover, individuals with Spleen Yang deficiency often feel significant discomfort after consuming cold foods.
Thus, Spleen Yang deficiency is one of the most commonly encountered conditions. For such individuals, it is crucial to pay attention to nurturing, especially regarding diet, ideally warming and nourishing while avoiding cold foods, allowing the body to gradually recover.
04
Liver Yang Deficiency
Next, let’s examine Liver Yang deficiency. There are not many discussions on this condition, but all organs have both Yin and Yang, and the liver is no exception. Individuals with Liver Yang deficiency exhibit insufficient liver function, leading to stagnation of liver Qi, resulting in poor circulation in the meridians, causing abdominal pain, lower back pain, male hernias, and female lower abdominal pain. Additionally, the lack of warmth in the fascia leads to pain and stiffness in the limbs, which is also a manifestation of internal wind. At the same time, the liver blood fails to warm, leading to blood stagnation and internal dampness, resulting in symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, insomnia with vivid dreams, and nighttime agitation.
I have previously studied cases of nighttime agitation, where patients exhibited restlessness and mental unease at night but were normal during the day. After determining it was due to Liver Yang deficiency, physicians successfully treated them with formulas like Wu Zhu Yu Tang (Evodia Decoction).
05
Kidney Yang Deficiency
In the lower jiao, Kidney Yang deficiency is a well-known condition. Individuals with Kidney Yang deficiency have insufficient Mingmen fire, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, lack of energy, low vitality, easy fatigue; fear of cold, cold limbs (severe cases may feel cold even in summer), heavy body; lower back and knee pain, cold pain in the lower back, weakness of the muscles and bones; reduced sexual function, impotence, premature ejaculation; clear and prolonged urination, dribbling after urination, low urine output, or frequent urination at night; decreased hearing or tinnitus; memory decline, drowsiness, vivid dreams, spontaneous sweating; prone to lower back pain, joint pain; susceptible to osteoporosis, cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis; shortness of breath, wheezing, and phlegm; early morning diarrhea or constipation; edema, especially in the lower body; hair loss or premature graying; a body that is either overweight or underweight; and a pale or dark complexion.
Individuals with Kidney Yang deficiency feel these symptoms more acutely in winter. Some may feel extremely drowsy during the day and experience increased nighttime urination, which are manifestations of insufficient Kidney Yang. When cold evil attacks, problems are more likely to arise.
In summary, I have broadly discussed the manifestations of Yang deficiency in various organs, providing a general concept. Our overall Yang deficiency in the body will specifically reflect in various organs, sometimes with a focus on certain areas. Therefore, when regulating, it is necessary to adjust according to the responses of each organ. TCM has a wealth of specific formulas that correspond to these conditions, and we will discuss them more in the future. The articles I previously wrote on warming Yang are linked below for your reference.
If you are unable to determine where the problem lies, we can think in reverse: actually, warming Yang overall is also very beneficial for Yang deficiency in various organs.
Related Articles Links
“Winter Solstice: How Should Those with Yang Deficiency Spend Winter?”
“Warming and Tonifying Kidney Yang with Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan”
“Warming and Tonifying Kidney Yang: This Method is Simple and Effective!”
“Dietary Therapy: Warming Yang Soup 1”
“Dietary Therapy: Warming Yang Soup 2”
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