Qi stagnation and blood stasis refer to a pathological state where both Qi stagnation and blood stasis coexist.Currently, many women experience Qi stagnation and blood stasis, often characterized by introverted personalities who tend to bottle up their feelings when faced with unhappiness or setbacks. Over time, this can easily lead to physical issues.So, what are the symptoms of Qi stagnation and blood stasis?
Self-Assessment for Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis
1. Feeling weak when speaking or lacking energy, often feeling fatigued and reluctant to talk.
2. Pale or dull complexion.
3. Frequent palpitations, chest tightness, or intermittent chest pain, dark lips, and a tongue with purple coloration.
4. Symptoms such as stabbing pain in the hypochondrium, jaundice, poor appetite, and abdominal distension.
5. Limbs easily feel numb or painful, with hands and feet feeling cold or hot.
6. Women may experience abdominal distension and pain before or during menstruation, with a reluctance to touch. Menstrual flow may be scant or difficult, gradually increasing, with dark purple blood containing clots; pain decreases or disappears after clots are expelled, often accompanied by breast and rib distension before menstruation.
7. Men may feel discomfort or heaviness in the lower abdomen, perineum, or testicles, or experience blood in urine or semen. The tongue may appear purple or have stasis spots.
8. The tongue may appear dark purple or have stasis spots, with a deep and thin pulse.
9. Often irritable and easily angered; patients may struggle to remain calm and frequently feel anxious or angry.
Predominantly Qi Stagnation
Chest tightness with a tendency to sigh, pain in the sides, stomach, and abdominal distension, belching, a sensation of obstruction in the throat, introverted personality, melancholic disposition, narrow-mindedness, abdominal pain or diarrhea during emotional fluctuations, breast and lower abdominal distension in women, dark tongue color, and wiry pulse.
Predominantly Blood Stasis
Purple or dark lips and nails, cyanotic or rough skin, localized stabbing or fixed pain, or palpable masses, facial pigmentation, dark circles under the eyes, chloasma, painful menstruation with dark purple blood containing clots, or amenorrhea, purple or dark tongue with cyanotic spots, stasis in sublingual veins, and a choppy pulse.
What to Do for Menstrual Irregularities Due to Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis
1 Relieve Mental Stress
Listening to soft music can help relax tense nerves. Engaging in gentle full-body exercises such as yoga, Tai Chi, or Ba Duan Jin can be beneficial. During exercise, the brain releases a hormone called endorphin, which acts like a sedative and can induce feelings of happiness.
2 Pay Attention to Rest and Warmth During Menstruation
During menstruation, it is essential to take good care of oneself, avoid excessive fatigue, refrain from staying up late, and protect against cold and dampness. Avoid rain, immersion in water, cold drinks, and excessively cold fruits. It is crucial to keep warm, especially in the lower body.
3 Maintain a Routine of Brisk Walking
Tests show that the oxygen intake during brisk walking is eight times that of a resting state, significantly improving blood stasis conditions.
4 Soak in Hot Water or Bathe Feet Daily
This helps improve the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body. Regular medicinal baths or massages can enhance the effects. Soaking feet in hot water at a temperature of 40-42 degrees Celsius for varying durations, ideally until sweating occurs in the shoulders and back (in a room temperature of 25-28 degrees Celsius), may take half an hour for some, while those with low blood Qi may need to soak for two hours.
5 Choose Foods that Promote Qi Movement and Blood Circulation
For example: Daikon (白萝卜), citrus fruits (柑橘), garlic (大蒜), ginger (生姜), fennel (茴香), cinnamon (桂皮), clove (丁香), peach kernel (桃仁), chives (韭菜), yellow wine (黄酒), red wine (红葡萄酒), onion (洋葱), ginkgo (银杏), rose tea (玫瑰花茶), jasmine tea (茉莉花茶), etc. If experiencing emotional depression, focus on psychological counseling combined with herbs that soothe the liver and regulate Qi, such as Citron (香橼), Bupleurum (柴胡), Curcuma (郁金), Green Peel (青皮), Cyperus (香附), Chuanxiong (川芎), and Green Plum (绿萼梅). Keeping a jar of aged Citron on hand for regular consumption can help soothe the liver and regulate Qi, providing a sweet and sour taste that nourishes Yin.
Participate in Group Activities
Those with blood stasis constitution often experience emotional repression and lack of openness. Engaging with optimistic and cheerful individuals in group activities can be beneficial. Cultivating interests and immersing oneself in hobbies can provide joy and focus.
Dietary Restrictions for Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis
Individuals with Qi stagnation and blood stasis should limit salt and MSG intake to avoid increasing blood viscosity and worsening blood stasis. Foods that can cause gas, such as sweet potatoes (甘薯), taro (芋艿), fava beans (蚕豆), and chestnuts (栗子), should be avoided. Additionally, limit consumption of fatty meats, cream, eel, crab roe, egg yolks, fish roe, chocolate, fried foods, and sweets to prevent elevated blood lipids that can obstruct blood vessels and affect Qi and blood circulation. Cold drinks should also be avoided to prevent disruption of Qi and blood flow.