External Pathogenic Factors Flashcards
What are the 6 pathogenic factors?
- Fire/Heat
- Damp
- Wind
- Cold
- Dryness
- Summer heat
What pathogenic factors are Yang?
Wind, Summer-Heat, Dryness and Fire are Yang, which tend to injure Yin.
What are the Yin pathogenic factors?
Cold and dampness are yin pathogenic factors which therefore tend to injure yang.
What is the seasonal relationship of the pathogenic factors?
Wind = Spring (Liver) Cold = Winter (Kidneys) Summer-Heat = Summer (Heart) Dampness = Late Summer (Spleen) Dryness = Autumn (Lungs)
What is Wind?
Wind is Yang in nature and tends to injure blood and Yin.
Wind is often the vehicle where other pathogenic factors will invade the body.
Wind arises quickly and changes rapidly.
What are the clinical manifestations of Wind?
Rapid onset
Rapid changes in signs and symptoms
Moves from place to place
Tremors, convulsions, stiffness or paralysis
Numbness / tingling
Affects the Lungs first (external) then the Liver (Internal)
Affects the skin and causes itching.
What does external wind do?
External wind invades the Lung’s defensive Qi portion causing exterior symptoms such as aversion to cold, fever, occipital stiffness, headache and a floating pulse.
What does external wind do the face?
Invades the channels of the face directly and causes deviation of mouth and eye-brows = facial paralysis
How does external wind affect the joints?
Exterior wind can invade any channel, in particular the Yang Channels and settle in the joints causing stiffness and pain of the joints.
What happens when wind invades the defensive Qi portion?
It penetrates via the skin and interferes with the circulation of defensive Qi in the space between the skin and the muscles.
Defensive Qi warms the muscles therefore when wind invades the person will feel chilly and has aversion to cold.
What does the invasion of Wind do to the lungs?
It invades the Lungs defensive Qi portion (sneezing, runny nose and itchy throat).
What are the signs and symptoms of Wind Cold?
Cough Aversion to cold Slight breathlessness Fever Itchy throat Blocked or runny nose with clear watery discharge Sneezing Occipital headache Body aches
What is the pulse and tongue in Wind Cold?
P: Floating tight
T: Thin white coat
What is the treatment principle in Wind Cold?
Treatment principle:
Release exterior, expel wind cold, support descending and dispersing
What are the signs and symptoms of Wind Heat?
Cough Aversion to cold Slight breathlessness Fever Sore throat Blocked or runny nose with yellow discharge Sneezing Headache Body aches Slight sweating Slight thirst Swollen tonsils
What is the pulse and tongue in Wind Heat?
P: Floating rapid
T: Slightly red on sides or front
What is the treatment principle in Wind Heat?
Release exterior, expel wind heat, support descending and dispersing.
What is Cold?
Cold is a yin pathogenic factor and tends to injure Yang.
What does cold do to the body?
Cold injures Yang Cold congeals blood Cold contracts Cold causes clear discharges Cold pertains to the kidneys
How does cold congeal blood?
Cold congeals blood and is a major cause of blood stasis. When blood stagnates there is intense pain, when the stasis comes from cold there is chillness, aggravated by cold and alleviated by the application of heat.
What kind of discharge comes from Cold?
Thin, watery and clear fluid discharges.
Clear white discharge from the nose, very pale urine, watery loose stools and clear watery vaginal discharges.
What are the clinical manifestations of cold?
Feeling cold Cold limbs Thin clear discharges Pain (spastic or crampy nature) Aggravation from cold and alleviation by warmth Desire for warm drinks No thirst White complexion White tongue coating Pale tongue body Slow pulse
What are the manifestations of Cold?
Invasion of the Muscles and sinews by cold
Invasion of cold in the Lung’s defensive Qi portion (sweating, runny nose, itchy throat, occipital headache)
Invasion of channels and joints by cold (Painful obstruction syndrome)
Invasion of cold in the stomach, intestines and uterus
What is Summer-Heat?
Summer-Heat is a yang pathogenic factor and tends to injure Yin.
What are the clinical manifestations of Summer-Heat?
Fever Aversion to Cold Sweating Headache A feeling of heaviness An uncomfortable sensation in the epigastrium Irritability Thirst Tongue red at the front or sides with a white sticky coating Soggy and rapid pulse
What part of the body does Summer-Heat invade?
Summer-Heat invades the defensive Qi portion of the body which causes aversion to cold.
What are the characteristics of Summer-Heat?
Summer-Heat injures Yin Summer-Heat is a seasonal pathogenic factor Summer-Heat invades the top of the body Summer-Heat is scattering Summer-Heat has some interior Heat Summer-Heat harbours Dampness
What is Dampness?
Dampness is a Yin pathogenic factor and it tends to injure Yang.
Dampness is sticky, difficult to get rid of, heavy, slows things down, infuses downwards and causes repeated attacks.
What are the general manifestations of Dampness?
Feeling of heaviness Poor appetite Feeling of fullness Sticky taste Urinary difficulty Vaginal discharge Sticky tongue coating Slippery or soggy pulse
What are the manifestations of Dampness?
Feelings of heaviness and muzziness
Sticky taste, poor appetite
Fullness of the epigastrium, fullness after eating
Loose stools
Turbid urine, difficult painful urination
Swollen, painful joints
Numbness
Genital eczema, genital itching
Vaginal discharge, painful periods, infertility
Greasy sweat
Vesicles, papules, oozing skin lesions
Mouth ulcers and swollen lips
Red swollen eyelids, eyes oozing fluid, stye
What is dryness?
Dryness is a Yang pathogenic factor, it tends to injure blood or yin. It is related to the season of autumn and the lungs.
What are the clinical manifestations of dryness?
Dry throat Dry lips Dry tongue Dry mouth Dry skin Dry stools Scanty urination
What is Fire?
Fire is primarily an internal pathogenic factor.
What is the nature of fire?
Rise to the head Dry fluids Injure blood and yin Cause bleeding Affect the Mind
What are the clinical manifestations of Fire?
Fire is drying Fire damages blood and yin Fire causes bleeding Fire has the potential to general Wind Fire affects the Mind Fire causes ulcers with swelling
