Urinary turbidity

Murkiness of the urine unassociated with inhibited urination or pain on urination. When the urine is white like rice water (泔 gān, water that rice has been rinsed in), the condition is called white turbidity. When the urine is red, it is called red turbidity.

White turbidity (白浊 bái zhuó) is attributed to spleen-stomach damp-heat pouring down into the bladder and is associated with fullness and oppression in the chest and stomach duct, dry mouth and thirst, yellow slimy tongue fur, and a rapid slippery pulse. If the condition persists, it may develop into insufficiency of the heart and spleen and into qì vacuity fall characterized by lassitude of spirit, lack of strength, white complexion, and a soft weak pulse. If there is insufficiency of kidney yīn with vacuity fire, signs include heat vexation, dry pharynx, red tongue, and a fine rapid pulse. If there is insufficiency of kidney yáng and lower origin vacuity cold, signs include white complexion, cold limbs, pale tongue, and a fine sunken pulse. White turbidity with pronounced stinging pain on voiding constitutes unctuous strangury.

Medicinal therapy: For spleen-stomach damp-heat pouring down into the bladder, clear heat and disinhibit dampness using formulas like Fish Poison Yam Clear-Turbid Separation Beverage (萆薢分清饮 bì xiè fēn qīng yǐn) and variations. For qì vacuity fall, treat by nourishing the heart and fortifying the spleen, upbearing the clear, and promoting astriction using Center-Supplementing Qì-Boosting Decoction (补中益气汤 bǔ zhōng yì qì tāng) or Origin-Securing Brew (秘元煎 mì yuán jiān).

• For kidney yīn vacuity, treat by enriching yīn and clearing heat with Anemarrhena and Phellodendron Eight-Ingredient Pill (知柏八味丸 zhī bǎi bā wèi wán) or Major Yīn Supplementation Pill (大补阴丸 dà bǔ yīn wán).
• For insufficiency of kidney yáng, treat by warming the kidney and promoting astriction with Velvet Deerhorn Supplementing and Astringing Pill (鹿茸补涩丸 lù róng bǔ sè wán).

Acumoxatherapy: For spleen-stomach damp-heat pouring down into the bladder, base treatment mainly on SP, LI, ST, CV, and back transport points. Select LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), BL-28 (Bladder Transport, 膀胱俞 páng guāng shù), CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and LR-8 (Spring at the Bend, 曲泉 qū quán); needle with drainage.

• For enduring illness with qì vacuity fall, base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, ST, and SP. Select BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-15 (Heart Transport, 心俞 xīn shù), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo); needle with supplementation.
• For kidney yīn vacuity, base treatment mainly on KI and CV. Needle with supplementation at BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), and KI-7 (Recover Flow, 复溜 fù liū), and with drainage at KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), and HT-8 (Lesser Mansion, 少府 shào fǔ).
• For kidney yáng vacuity, base treatment mainly on KI, GV and CV. Select BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī); needle with supplementation and add moxa.

See also bloody urine; turbidity.

Red turbidity (赤浊 chì zhuó) is usually attributable to damp-heat in the lower burner scorching the blood aspect and damaging the network vessels. In the initial stage, it forms a repletion pattern which can be treated with the above formulas with judicious addition of fire-clearing blood-cooling medicinals. If the condition persists and causes heart channel vacuity heat or kidney qì vacuity, the same formulas may be used with the addition of heart-supplementing and kidney-boosting medicinals.

Biomedical correspondence: chyluria, urinary tract inflammation; tuberculosis; tumors; phosphaturia.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on SP, CV, LR, KI, and back transport points. Select SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), BL-28 (Bladder Transport, 膀胱俞 páng guāng shù), CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), LR-8 (Spring at the Bend, 曲泉 qū quán), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi), and KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ); needle with drainage. For enduring illness with heart channel vacuity heat and kidney qì vacuity, add BL-15 (Heart Transport, 心俞 xīn shù), BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), HT-8 (Lesser Mansion, 少府 shào fǔ), and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī).