Deficiency Patterns (Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang)

Question 1

QI DEFICIENCY (definition & causes):

Answer 1

NOT ENOUGH QI. Lacking energy! Body unable to generate enough qi day to day.

May be due to: chronic illness, age/constitution, excess activity/lack of rest, malnutrition…

**Extremely common

Question 2

QI DEFICIENCY (chief symptoms):

Answer 2

◦ LACK OF ENERGY/fatigue, weakness
◦ Shortness of breath, low voice (lung qi)
◦ Spontaneous sweating
◦ Malaise: lack of motivation
◦ “PALE bright”complexion- still some vibrancy
◦ Symptoms worse w/ exercise**
◦ Loose stools, dribbling urine
◦ TONGUE: pale
◦ PULSE: weak

Question 3

BLOOD DEFICIENCY (definition & causes):

Answer 3

Not enough blood! Or Blood lacking quality, leading to reduced nourishment of the tissues**

A deficiency of qi* may lead to a reduced capacity for the body to produce blood – “Blood deficiency IMPLIES qi deficiency”

◦ Poor production of blood (via spleen “movement & transformation failure”)
◦ Loss of blood / bleeding
◦ Poor diet, chronic illness, weak constitution…

Question 4

BLOOD DEFICIENCY (chief symptoms):

Answer 4

◦ Sallow/PALE complexion - patient “looks sickly”
◦ Dizziness/lightheadedness: blood can’t rise to head
◦ Floaters
◦ Palpitations
◦ Insomnia: blood can’t “anchor spirit”
◦ Numbness of extremities
◦ DRY skin, lusterless hair, brittle nails
◦ Emaciation/loss of muscle mass
◦ Tongue: PALE, scant fur
◦ Pulse: THIN

Question 5

YANG DEFICIENCY (definition & causes):

Answer 5

An Empty-Cold condition characterized by Coldness and Deficiency.

“Furnace going out”

Due to: overwork, excess cold foods etc. (~same as qi deficiency)

Question 6

YANG DEFICIENCY (chief symptoms):

Answer 6

QI DEFICIENCY + COLD

ALL symptoms of QI DEFICIENCY plus…

◦ COLDER quality
◦ Overall condition may be deeper
◦ Symptoms of FLUID PHYSIOLOGY - “Yang energy empowers the triple burner system and the fluid dynamics it oversees”

Fear of cold/cold limbs, long voiding of clear urine, clear watery diarrhea, somnolence
◦ Tongue: pale, MOIST, enlarged
◦ Pulse: slow

Question 7

YIN DEFICIENCY (definition & causes):

Answer 7

An Empty-Heat condition: not enough yin to nourish and moisten the body

“Lack of radiator fluid”

Due to: febrile illness damaging yin humor, poor diet, blood loss, sexual habits, yang deficiency failing to create yin humor…

Question 8

YIN DEFICIENCY (chief symptoms):

Answer 8

BLOOD DEFICIENCY + HOT

ALL symptoms of BLOOD DEFICIENCY plus…

◦ HOTTER quality:
◦ “Vexing heat in the 5 hearts”
◦ Night sweats
◦ “Upbearing fire flush”
◦ Irritability/restlessness
◦ Tongue: Red boddy w/ PEELING/mirror coat
◦ Pulse: Thin, rapid

Question 9

Organs most affected by YANG deficiency

Answer 9

Spleen, kidney, heart

Question 10

Organs most affected by YIN deficiency

Answer 10

Kidney, lung, heart, liver, (stomach)