Heart Vessel obstructed

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

This is a complicated pattern as it is the combination of four other patterns and their features at the same time: Phlegm, Heart Blood Stagnation, Heart Qi Stagnation,  and Cold.  

If Phlegm is the dominant one out of the above four patterns, the pulse is rather Slippery instead of Wiry, Choppy or Knotted. Regardless the Phlegm in the Heart is of Hot or Cold nature, it can cause a swollen tongue, a feeling of chest oppression, feeling of heaviness, shortness of breath with inability to lie down, and spitting of phlegm. Di Tan Tang, together with Long-stamen onion builbs, Snake gourds and Crow-dipper rhizome, is more suitable for treatment if Phlegm is the main feature. 

Heart Blood Stagnation causes stabbing or pricking pain which comes and goes. This pain often occurs around the Heart or chest area but may also spread to the upper back or shoulder. In additional to that, the patients' lips, face, nail and tongue can turn to purple color due to the Stagnation of Heart Blood. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang is more recommended if these features are more obvious. 

Emotional symptoms such as mental restlessness or depression are caused by both Heart Qi and Blood Stagnation. Chai Hu Shu Gan San is recommended if Heart Qi Stagnation is more dominant. 

Finally, there are also Cold pattern features such as cold hands or feeling of cold. This Coldness  can congeal muscle and worsen chest pain discussed above. In this case, it is suggested to use Dang Gui Si Ni Tang together with Immature bitter orange, Long-stamen onion bulbs and Cinnamon twigs. 

Causes

Precursor patterns: Heart Vessel obstructed can derive from Qi Stagnation Yang Deficiency or Empty Yang

Emotional stress: Emotional stress such as worry, anxiety and anger can cause Heart Qi Stagnation and then Heart Blood Stagnation.

Diet: Excessive consumption of dairy foods and greasy foods accumulates Phlegm, which is one of the pathogenic factors in this pattern.

Excessive physical work : Excessive physical work can harm Heart and Kidney Yang, which then fail to move Blood and Qi in the chest. As a result, Heart Qi and Blood stagnate.

Diagnosing Heart Vessel obstructed

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 Heart Vessel obstructed

Treatment principle

Invigorate Heart Qi and Heart Blood, eliminate Stagnation, remove Phlegm, expel Cold, open the chest, calm the Mind.

Herbal formulas used to treat Heart Vessel obstructed

Consequence patterns

Dryness

Blood Stagnation and Phlegm are the two patterns under this complex aggregated pattern. When Blood stagnates or Phlegm accumulates in the chest, it can cause Dryness in other part of the body.