Spontaneous bleeding of the gums

Also bleeding gums. Bleeding of the gums unattributable to injury. Spontaneous bleeding of the gums is due to accumulated heat in the stomach from excessive consumption of acrid spicy and rich foods, and less commonly due to insufficiency of stomach yīn with vacuity fire flaming upward or spleen vacuity with failure to control blood.

Patterns

Stomach heat (胃热 wèi rè) spontaneous bleeding of the gums is accompanied by bad breath, constipation, slimy yellow tongue fur, and copious oozing of blood.

Medicinal therapy: Clear the stomach and drain fire. Use formulas such as Stomach-Clearing Powder (清胃散 qīng wèi sǎn) or Jade Lady Brew (玉女煎 yù nǚ jiān).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on ST and SP. Select ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), SP-1 (Hidden White, 隐白 yǐn bái), and PC-4 (Cleft Gate, 郄门 xī mén); needle with drainage.

Kidney yīn vacuity (肾阴虚 shèn yīn xū) causes mild redness and swelling of the gums, loosening of the teeth with mild pain, and scant oozing of blood.

Medicinal therapy: Enrich yīn and downbear fire. Use formulas such as variations of Anemarrhena, Phellodendron, and Rehmannia Pill (知柏地黄丸 zhī bǎi dì huáng wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on KI and LI. Select KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), KI-1 (Gushing Spring, 湧泉 yǒng quán), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān); needle with even supplementation and drainage.

Spleen vacuity with blood containment failure (脾虚统摄无权 pí xū tǒng shè wú quán) can give rise to spontaneous bleeding of the gums marked by continuous scant bleeding.

Medicinal therapy: Supplement the spleen, boost qì, and contain the blood. Use Center-Supplementing Qì-Boosting Decoction (补中益气汤 bǔ zhōng yì qì tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on SP, ST, and CV. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), SP-1 (Hidden White, 隐白 yǐn bái), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo); needle with supplementation and add moxa.