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Also qì.tternAny disease pattern of qì. Below is a brief description of the major qì disease patterns, with links to entries that provide more detail.

Qì vacuity (气虚 qì xū): Lassitude of spirit and lack of strength; shortness of breath and weak breathing; low voice and laziness to speak; signs are exacerbated by exertion. It is caused by constitutional insufficiency; poor nourishment; insufficient production of qì resulting from functional disorders of the lung, spleen, or kidney; taxation damage; enduring illness; decline in health from advancing age.

Qì fall (气陷 qì xiàn): See spleen vacuity qì fall.

Qì desertion (气脱 qì tuō): Weak faint breathing; incessant sweating; clouded spirit. This is an extreme form of qì vacuity.

Qì stagnation (气滞 qì zhì): Distension and fullness; glomus and oppression; distension and pain; scurrying pain; signs are intermittent, of unfixed location, often triggered or exacerbated by emotional factors and relieved by good moods, belching, or passing of flatus. It is caused by affect-mind depression (mental depression, frustration, etc.); obstruction of qì dynamic by phlegm, dampness, food accumulation, or static blood; or injuries from knocks and falls or to excessive physical straining. Depressed liver qì is a major form of qì stagnation caused by affect-mind depression and other factors.

Qì counterflow (气逆 qì nì): Signs vary depending on whether the lung, stomach, or liver is affected. Lung qì ascending counterflow manifests in panting. Stomach qì ascending counterflow is marked by nausea, vomiting, hiccup, and belching. Liver qì ascending counterflow manifests in headache and distension in the head, red eyes, and irascibility. The causes vary according to the pattern it occurs in.

Qì block (气闭 qì bì): Sudden clouding collapse; asphyxiation; gripping pain; cold limbs; urinary and fecal stoppage. It arises in numerous different ways.

Treatment (medicinal therapy): Qì vacuity and qì fall are treated by supplementing (sometimes called boosting) qì; qì stagnation and qì counterflow are treated by rectifying qì.

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