Ba Gang (Eight Principles) Diagnosis - Interior/Exterior & Heat/Cold Flashcards
Ba Gang / Eight Principles
List:
Interior Exterior Hot Cold Excess Deficiency Yin Yang
Interior / Exterior
Meaning:
Indicates the location of the disharmony, not the cause. For example, diseases caused by an exterior pathogen may begin in the exterior, but in time may affect the interior.
Exterior Conditions
Describe Types:
Disorders affecting skin and muscles, caused by exogenous pathogen (that have acute onset).
Those affecting the channels (can be acute or chronic).
Exterior Condition
Definition:
Condition where the body is invaded by an external pathogenic force. Presents in the body as chills.
External Pathogens
List:
Wind Heat Cold Damp Dry Summer Heat
Wind-Cold
Describe:
External syndrome denoted by more chills than fever.
If there are no chills than it’s not an exterior pattern.
Typical pulse for exterior patterns:
Floating
Why do exterior patterns typically have a floating pulse?
Floating pulse is reflective of defensive qi coming to the surface to fight off pathenogenic forces.
Wind-Cold
Sub-categories:
Excess Wind-Cold
Deficiency Wind-Cold
Excess Wind-Cold
Defining Characteristic(s):
No sweating
Deficiency Wind-Cold
Defining Characteristic(s):
Sweating
Why the presence/absence of sweating with Excess Wind-Cold?
There is no sweating with Excess Wind-Cold as the pores are contracted with cold syndrome.
Why the presence/absence of sweating with Deficiency Wind-Cold?
There is sweating with Deficiency Wind-Cold as there is insufficient qi to keep the pores closed and body fluids inside; qi is exhausted, resulting in leakage.
Wind-Heat
Describe:
External syndrome denoted by more fever than chills plus a sore throat.
There is no Deficiency Wind-Heat category, only excess.
How can you confirm whether Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat (frequency of chills and fever are indeterminate)?
Ask about thirst. Presence of thirst would indicate heat.
Bi Syndrome (Obstruction Syndrome)
Describe:
Where exogenous pathogens (Wind, Damp, Cold) penetrate the channels and obstruct the circulation of Qi causing pain.
Wind/Wandering Bi
Describe:
Characterized by pain that migrates from joint to joint; pain tends to be sore and aching.
Cold/Painful Bi
Describe:
Characterized by severe excruciating pain in the affected joints with limited range of movement.
Damp/Fixed Bi
Describe:
Characterized by heavy aching with possible swelling and numbness in the joints and limbs.
Heat Bi
Describe:
Characterized by red, swollen, painful joints that are warm to the touch.
Interior Condition
Types of Disorders:
Disorders that affect the qi and blood, internal organs, bones and marrow.
Internal Disorders
Causes:
Exterior pathogens that have penetrated into the interior (exterior that has become interior).
Exterior pathogens directly affecting the interior.
Internal (emotional) or miscellaneous cause.
How are exterior syndromes defined?
Presence of chills. If there are no chills then it’s not an exterior syndrome.
How are interior syndromes defined?
If it’s not exterior, then it’s interior.
Signs of 1/2 Exterior - 1/2 Interior Syndrome?
Alternating chills and fever.
Heat / Cold
Meaning:
Indicates the basic nature of the imbalance. Easiest of the diagnostic principles because they are defined by color, temperature, and sensation.
Cold
Characteristics:
Desire for warmth; can be relieved by warmth
Pale/blue
Typically slow or tight pulse
Heat
Characteristics:
Warm to touch
Redness or yellow; all the yellows such as yellow tongue coating, yellow discharge, yellow urine.
Rapid pulse
Types of Heat
List:
Excess heat
Empty heat
Excess Heat
Description:
Caused by Yang excess
Main signs of Excess Heat
List:
Fever (sometimes), thirst, red face, red eyes, constipation. Urine is scanty and dark.
Pulse: Rapid and full
Tongue: Red body with yellow coating
Excess Heat
Cause(s):
Too much hot energy food
Long-term emotional distress
Empty Heat
Description:
Heat caused by Yin deficiency
Main signs of Empty Heat
List:
Afternoon fever or feeling of heat in the afternoon, dry mouth, dry throat at night, night sweats, fever in 5 hearts, dry stools, scanty dark urine, mental restlessness and fidgeting, vague anxiety.
Pulse: Floating/Empty and Rapid or Thin and Rapid
Tongue: Red body (in severe cases peeled), with no coating
Empty Heat
Cause(s):
Common cause if Kidney Yin deficiency as kidneys are the foundation of all yin energies in the body.
Stress, excessive sexual indulgence, overwork, smoking, alcohol, and drug abuse.
Types of Cold
List:
Excess Cold
Deficiency Cold
Excess Cold
Description:
Arises from excess of Yin.
Main signs of excess cold
List:
Chilliness, cold limbs, no thirst, pale face, abdominal pain worse on pressure but improved by heat, desire for warm drinks, loose stools, profuse clear urine.
Pulse: deep, full, and tight
Tongue: Pale with thick white coating
Excess Cold
Cause(s):
Invasion of Exterior Cold into interior
Liver channel: swelling/pain in scrotum
Deficiency Cold
Description:
Caused by deficiency of Yang
Main Signs of Deficiency Cold
List:
Chilliness, cold limbs, dull-pale face, no thirst, listlessness, spontaneous sweating, loose stools, profuse clear urination
Pulse: Deep, slow, or weak
Tongue: Pale with thin white coating. May be wet and swollen
Deficiency Cold
Cause(s):
Yang Qi is too weak to warm the body. This is usually related to deficiency of Yang of Kidney, Spleen, Heart, or deficiency of Lung Qi
