Spleen and Heart Blood 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.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern? The Spleen in Chinese Medicine The Heart in Chinese Medicine The concept of Blood The concept of Deficiency
Key attributes
Chinese name: 心脾血虚 Pinyin name: Xīn Pí Xuè Xū
Pattern nature: Empty combined pattern
Pattern(s) it combines from: Spleen Blood Deficiency Heart Blood Deficiency
Causes
Precursor patterns: Liver Blood Deficiency Spleen Qi Deficiency
Common causes: 1. Diet poor in Blood-producing foods, 2. Emotional stress, 3. Excessive physical activity, 4. Severe blood loss
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Anxiety Insomnia Dizziness Pale lips Tiredness and nine other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se), Fine (Xi)
Tongue description: Pale and Thin
Treatment
Treatment principle: Nourish Blood, tonify the Heart and the Spleen, calm the Mind.
Common formulas: Gui Pi Tang
Pathology
The symptoms described here are of course a mix of symptoms from Spleen Blood Deficiency and Heart Blood Deficiency.
The Spleen rules transformation and transportation of food, Qi, and Body Fluids and their distribution to other Zang Organs. It is the origin of Blood production and keeps it running inside the vessels. The typical manifestations are general fatigue, muscle weakness as well as pale lips and face.
The Heart's main function in Chinese Medicine is to govern the flow of Blood, the Blood vessels and to house the Spirit / Mind (Shen - 神). Its symptoms include the so-called "psychological" symptoms such as anxiety, restlessness or easily scared.
Spleen Blood Deficiency here is not really a pattern per se, more of a consequence of Spleen Qi Deficiency. It describes what happens when a Deficient Spleen cannot generate enough Food-Qi (Gu Qi) which in turn induces a depressed production of Blood.
Causes
Precursor patterns: Spleen and Heart Blood Deficiency can derive from Liver Blood Deficiency Spleen Qi Deficiency
Diet poor in Blood-producing foods: A diet lacking in Blood-producing foods such as meat and grains leads to Blood Deficiency in general and Spleen Blood Deficiency specifically.
Emotional stress: Sadness, grief, anxiety and worry over a long period of time can disturb the Mind which affects the Heart since this is where it resides. Since the Heart governs Blood, this eventually may lead to Heart Blood Deficiency.
Excessive physical activity: Excessive physical activity may injure the muscles and therefore the Spleen, since it "controls the muscles". When the Spleen is impaired for a long time, Spleen Blood Deficiency may develop as Food-Qi produced by the Spleen is the essential ingredient of Blood.
Severe blood loss: A severe blood loss, for instance during childbirth, can induce general Blood Deficiency. This, in time, can lead to Heart Blood Deficiency. As Spleen-Qi holds Blood, blood loss also weakens Spleen-Qi and eventually impair the Spleen's role in producing Blood.
Diagnosing Spleen and Heart Blood 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.
Pulse type(s): Choppy (Se) or fine (Xi)
Tongue description: Pale and Thin
Main symptoms: Anxiety Insomnia Dizziness Pale lips Tiredness Poor memory Palpitations Loose stools Easily scared Poor appetite Scanty periods Muscle weakness Dull-pale complexion Dream disturbed sleep
Diagnosis commentary: The key characteristic symptoms here are the palpitations, the insomnia, the fatigue, the loose stools and the scanty periods.
Treating Spleen and Heart Blood Deficiency
Treatment principle
Nourish Blood, tonify the Heart and the Spleen, calm the Mind.
Herbal formulas used to treat Spleen and Heart Blood Deficiency
Gui Pi Tang
Source date: 1529 AD
Number of ingredients: 12 herbs
Key actions: Tonifies and nourish Qi and Blood. Tonifies Heart and Spleen.
Formula summary
Gui Pi Tang is a 12-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1529 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that tonify Qi and Blood.
Besides Spleen and Heart Blood Deficiency, Gui Pi Tang is also used to treat Qi Deficiency or Blood Deficiency.
Diet recommendations
To counter Spleen Blood Deficiency, it's important to eat a diet rich in Blood-nourishing foods like meats and grains.
It's also important to steer away from excessive physical activity, at work or sport. It injures the muscles and therefore the Spleen. Favor mild activities: if sport, Qigong is ideal.
Emotional stress is also very damaging for this pattern, particularly emotions like sadness, grief, anxiety and worry.
Consequence patterns
If left untreated Spleen and Heart Blood Deficiency can lead to Liver Blood Deficiency