Dryness in Large Intestine
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.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern?
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Thirst Dry mouth Dizziness Dry stools Dry throat and three other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Fine (Xi)
Tongue color: Pale, Red
Treatment
Common formulas: Zeng Ye Tang
Pathology
Dryness in Large Intestine is a pattern of disharmony in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine views the human body as a complex system that tends toward harmony. A pattern of disharmony is a disorder that prevents that harmony from occurring.
Patterns give rise to symptoms that may at first glance seem unrelated from a Western standpoint but that actually make a lot of sense when one understands Chinese Medicine theory. For instance here Dryness in Large Intestine gives rise to such diverse symptoms as constipation, thirst, dry stools and dry mouth (as well as four others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Dryness in Large Intestine patients tend to exhibit fine (Xi) pulses as well as a pale, red tongue.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Dryness in Large Intestine is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation or hemorrhoids (as well as three others).
Diagnosing Dryness in Large Intestine
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.
Pulse type(s): Fine (Xi)
Tongue color: Pale, Red
Main symptoms: Thirst Dry mouth Dizziness Dry stools Dry throat Bad breath Constipation Thin body lacking strength
Treating Dryness in Large Intestine
Herbal formulas used to treat Dryness in Large Intestine
Zeng Ye Tang
Source date: 1798 AD
Number of ingredients: 3 herbs
Key actions: Nourishes Yin and Essence. Lubricates Dryness.
Formula summary
Zeng Ye Tang is a 3-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1798 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that enrich Yin and moisten Dryness.
Besides Dryness in Large Intestine, Zeng Ye Tang is also used to treat Body Fluids Deficiency or Large Intestine Dryness.
Related conditions
Please keep in mind that a Western Medicine condition can be caused by several Chinese Medicine patterns of disharmony and vice versa. As such a patient suffering from one of the conditions below will not necessarily be suffering from Dryness in Large Intestine, it is just one pattern that's commonly associated with the condition. Click on a condition to learn what other patterns it's associated with.
Irritable bowel syndrome Constipation Hemorrhoids Aphthous ulcers Chronic pancreatis Hyperthyroid