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Food stagnating in the stomach and intestines

食滞胃肠 〔食滯胃腸〕shí zhì wèi cháng

Also:

NB: Food stagnating in the stomach and intestines and food stagnating in the stomach duct are most bowel and visceral pattern identification names for the other above-listed terms, which are pathocondition/disease names.

A disease pattern chiefly characterized by glomus, distension, and pain in the stomach duct; vomiting and diarrhea with vomitus and stool that have a sour-putrid smell.

Description: Distension and pain in the stomach duct and abdomen that refuses pressure; aversion to food; belching of putrid gas; acid swallowing; vomiting of sour-putrid matter; relief from discomfort and pain after vomiting; in some cases, rumbling intestines, passing of flatus, and diarrhea with ungratifying defecation and foul-smelling stool with the smell of rotten eggs; in some cases, constipation; thick slimy tongue fur; a pulse that is slippery or sunken and replete.

Sour-putrid vomitus and stool are a major feature of this pattern, which is attributable to the putrefaction of stagnating food. This phenomenon is often referred to as food turbidity or foul turbidity.

Diseases: Stomach duct pain; vomiting; belching; abdominal pain; diarrhea; constipation.

Biomedical correspondence: indigestion; gastritis.

Pathogenesis: Food and drink stagnating in the stomach and intestine results from dietary irregularities, such as voracious eating and drinking (暴饮暴食 bào yǐn bào shí), unclean food, or excessive consumption of rich fatty food. This can be exacerbated by pre-existing spleen-stomach vacuity.

Analysis of signs

Treatment

Medicinal therapy: Treat by dispersing food and abducting stagnation, usually referred to as abductive dispersion. Commonly used medicinals include medicated leaven (Massa Medicata Fermentata, 神曲 shén qū), crataegus (Crataegi Fructus, 山楂 shān zhā), barley sprout (Hordei Fructus Germinatus, 麦芽 mài yá), radish seed (Raphani Semen, 莱菔子 lái fú zǐ), gizzard lining (Galli Gigeriae Endothelium Corneum, 鸡内金 jī nèi jīn), unripe bitter orange (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, 枳实 zhǐ shí)and are ca (Arecae Semen, 槟榔 bīng láng). Formulas such as the preparatory Harmony-Preserving Pill (保和丸 bǎo hé wán) are frequently used.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV and ST. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), CV-10 (Lower Stomach Duct, 下脘 xià wǎn), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ) as the main points. For voracious eating, add Lǐ Inner Court (里内庭 lǐ nèi tíng) and ST-37 (Upper Great Hollow, 上巨虚 shàng jù xū); needle all points with drainage. For spleen-stomach vacuity, add BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-21 (Stomach Transport, 胃俞 wèi shù), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), and SP-4 (Yellow Emperor, 公孙 gōng sūn); needle all points with supplementation, adding moxa.

Point selection according to signs:

Compare food damage, food accumulation, abiding food, feeding accumulation, and food stroke.

Clinical sketch: A 25-year-old Chinese female visiting the United States for the first time complains of a bloated stomach, diarrhea, and vomiting. Inquiry revealed that at a dinner party two days previously she had overeaten food she was not used to and drunk more red wine than she had ever drunk at one time before. As a result, she had felt stomach discomfort and nausea. The following day, she was taken out sailing, and vomited profusely over the side of the boat. She was diagnosed with food stagnating in the stomach duct exacerbated by seasickness.

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