Body Fluids Deficiency

The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.

Pathology

Body Fluids are all the fluids in the body, except from Blood. This means that their Deficiency will inevitable result in various symptoms of Dryness. Typical symptoms include dry skin, dry mouth, dry nose, dry cough, dry lips and dry tongue.

A Deficiency of Body Fluids can cause Yin Deficiency but it can also be caused by a Yin Deficiency. Indeed Body Fluids are part of Yin and it is sometimes a first step to a more generalized Yin Deficiency. 

Other causes include a bad diet (for instance a diet that's too rich in drying foods such as baked foods) or a heavy and prolonged loss of fluids such as diarrhea, vomiting or sweating. Similarly, as there is a constant interchange between Body Fluids and Blood, a Deficiency of Fluids can also derive from a heavy loss of Blood, such as during childbirth, or from excessively heavy periods.

A Body Fluid Deficiency mostly affects the Lungs, Stomach, Kidneys and Large Intestine.

When it happens in the Lungs, it causes dry skin and dry cough. In the Stomach, it leads to dry tongue with horizontal cracks, dry mouth, desire to drink in small sips or no desire at all. In Kidneys, it gives rise to scanty urination, dry mouth at night and dry throat. In Large Intestine, it causes dry stools. 

Causes

Precursor patterns: Body Fluids Deficiency can derive from Loss of Blood

Diet: Excessive consumption of drying foods such as baked foods, or irregular eating habits can consume Body Fluids.

Heavy or prolonged loss of Fluids: This pattern can derive from heavy or prolonged loss of fluids such as sweating, vomiting, diarrhoea and etc.

Profuse Blood lose: Blood and Body Fluids are interchangeable. Profuse Loss of Blood such as menorrhagia, difficult birth giving, or severe injure can consume Body Fluids.

Diagnosing Body Fluids Deficiency

Diagnosing a pattern in Chinese Medicine is no easy feat and should be left to professional practitioners. In particular one has to know how to differentiate between different types of pulses and tongue coatings, shapes and colors as well as learn to read from a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms.

Treating Body Fluids Deficiency

Treatment principle

Moisten Dryness, supply Body Fluids, tonify Yin and Blood 

Herbal formulas used to treat Body Fluids Deficiency

Consequence patterns

Dryness

Body Fluids Deficiency can always cause a degree of Dryness. 

Yin Deficiency

Body Fluids are part of Yin. Actually it can be regarded as a mild form of Yin Deficiency. 

On the other hand, prolonged Yin Deficiency can also consume Body Fluids.