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Author | Luo Dalun Source | Dalun Parenting
Parent’s Complaint：A two-and-a-half-year-old girl, underweight at 21 pounds. She has been experiencing abdominal distension for a week, severe in the first few days, unable to digest water, with scanty yellow urine and thin, foul-smelling stools. In the last two days, her urine has normalized, but her stools remain dry, and she still has abdominal distension. The child has no appetite and is irritable.
Uneven Distribution of Urine and Stool, Problem Lies in the Spleen and Stomach
“Underweight” indicates that nutrient absorption is not good. If nutrient absorption were adequate, the child would grow normally. Which organ is responsible for nutrient absorption? The answer is the spleen and stomach. Therefore, upon seeing the term “underweight,” we can deduce that the child may have issues with her spleen and stomach.
“Abdominal distension” is classified very finely in TCM. If the abdomen is filled with gas, it will distend; if there is a lot of water, dampness will also cause distension. The causes of these two conditions are different.
“Unable to digest water, drinking water also causes distension, scanty yellow urine, and thin, foul-smelling stools.” From this, we can see that the problem lies in the spleen and stomach. Because the spleen and stomach cannot transform and transport water and dampness, the stools are thin and unformed, and dampness obstructs the flow of qi in the body, preventing the intestines from holding onto the water, leading to scanty urine.
The water in urine and stools is distributed by the body’s righteous qi. A person with sufficient righteous qi will have normal and balanced amounts and states of urine and stools. If righteous qi is insufficient, some may experience diarrhea and scanty urine; others may have frequent urination and dry stools.
These symptoms indicate that the child has insufficient righteous qi and a weak spleen and stomach, leading to abdominal distension.
With Dampness Present
The Entire Tongue Coating is Thick
Looking at the tongue photo: the child has a thick tongue coating that covers the entire surface of the tongue, indicating that she has both food accumulation and dampness issues. Food accumulation often reflects in the middle part of the tongue, but if there is dampness, the entire tongue coating will be thick. Therefore, in this case, dampness and food accumulation are mixed together.
On one hand, we need to resolve food accumulation
On the other hand, we need to eliminate dampness
In such cases, how should we adjust the child’s condition? On one hand, we need to resolve food accumulation, and on the other hand, we need to eliminate dampness.
For cases with significant dampness, I recommend using Huo Xiang Zheng Qi (Agastache Qi Rectifying) . Huo Xiang Zheng Qi contains aromatic herbs that promote qi movement and eliminate dampness. We usually use Huo Xiang Zheng Qi to treat colds caused by cold dampness; how should we use it in this case?
We can use Huo Xiang Zheng Qi water to soak a cotton ball and place it in the navel; after a while, you may hear the child’s stomach gurgling, indicating that the dampness is gradually resolving; or we can mix Huo Xiang Zheng Qi water in hot water for foot baths, which will also be absorbed. Huo Xiang Zheng Qi water can invigorate the righteous qi of the spleen and stomach, helping to resolve dampness.
At this time, we can also combine some food accumulation resolving herbs, such as Jiao San Xian (Fried Three Immortals). We can also add some Chao Lai Fu Zi (Fried Radish Seed). Lai Fu Zi, or radish seed, has the function of promoting qi and relieving stagnation. In more severe cases, we can also add Chao Bing Lang (Fried Areca Nut), and the combination of Jiao San Xian and Chao Bing Lang can be referred to as Jiao Si Xian (Fried Four Immortals).
In this case, the two-year-old child does not have severe food accumulation, so using Fried Radish Seed is sufficient. Using 6g of Jiao San Xian and 6g of Fried Radish Seed to decoct will help resolve the food accumulation and improve the abdominal distension symptoms.
When There is Heat in the Body
Avoid Eating Heat-Producing Foods
The child’s tongue underside is slightly purplish, indicating some internal heat. During this period, it is important to avoid heat-producing foods, such as beef, lamb, and spicy foods.
Huo Xiang Zheng Qi water is also used to invigorate the spleen and stomach for a short time and should not be used continuously, as it is a heat-producing medicine. Use it for a day or two to resolve dampness, and the heat contained will become apparent. At that point, do not use Huo Xiang Zheng Qi anymore; switch to eating cooling foods. Avoid heat-producing foods and let the body recover on its own.
Daily Care for Weak Spleen and Stomach
Once you see a child with such a tongue coating, you can be sure that the child’s spleen and stomach are weak. Because of the weakness of the spleen and stomach, dampness arises, and food accumulation occurs. Therefore, after resolving food accumulation and dampness, we need to start tonifying the spleen and stomach.
How to adjust the child’s spleen and stomach is a common question.
How to tonify the spleen and stomach? I suggest that the best way is through diet. This includes commonly mentioned foods like Shan Yao (Chinese Yam), Yi Yi Ren (Job’s Tears), and Qian Shi (Euryale Seed), which are all daily foods that can help tonify the spleen and stomach. It is also important to provide a diverse diet for the child, including a variety of grains.
Why are children generally weaker nowadays? Because they live in cities for a long time, exercise less, and eat mostly refined foods like rice and white flour, leading to a lack of nutrition. The grains mentioned here are not limited to the five grains mentioned in the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine), but include various grains that can be tried to benefit the child’s spleen and stomach, as grains nourish the spleen and stomach.
Among the foods we encounter, meat provides the necessary protein, fat, and minerals, while vegetables provide vitamins and dietary fiber; the functions of these different foods are not the same. In reality, it is rare to hear of someone who eats cabbage every day and has a very healthy spleen and stomach, as eating only cabbage cannot nourish the spleen and stomach.
Adjusting the spleen and stomach is a gradual process that requires attention to daily diet and lifestyle. Parents can treat each meal as a great opportunity to adjust their child’s spleen and stomach: if the three meals a day are not appropriate, it may harm the child’s body; if the meals are appropriate, the child will become healthier.
Therefore, focusing on the three meals a day is much more effective than going to the hospital for treatment. Going to the hospital for treatment can be costly, and the child may also suffer from inappropriate treatments like IV drips, which can harm the body. It is better to pay attention to the three meals a day, allowing the child to gradually adjust their spleen and stomach through each meal, leading to better health and preventing various discomfort symptoms.
Finally, a Summary
Tongue Diagnosis Analysis
1. Thick tongue coating — indicates food accumulation
2. Tongue coating covering the entire tongue body — indicates internal dampness
Adjustment Methods
1. Resolve food accumulation + eliminate dampness
Resolve food accumulation: 6g of Jiao San Xian, 6g of Fried Radish Seed
Eliminate dampness: Huo Xiang Zheng Qi water soaked cotton ball placed in the navel or mixed in hot water for foot baths
2. Tonify the spleen
Adjust the spleen and stomach through diet, provide a diverse diet, and consume more grains.
Author Bio: Luo Dalun, PhD in TCM Diagnosis from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Health Manager, former chief editor of Beijing TV’s “Health Hall” program. Dr. Luo has been dedicated to introducing ancient TCM culture to modern people, widely disseminating TCM knowledge through the internet, television, newspapers, and other media. He has published over 800,000 words of TCM popular science works, including “Bai Jia Jiang Tan • Da Guo Yi” and “Ancient TCM: Legends of Seven Great Doctors,” and has long written column articles for publications like “Health Times,” being recognized as one of the “Top Ten Fashion Figures in Healthy China 2012.”
Related Reading
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Recipes for nourishing the spleen and stomach with simple meals.
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