Module 3: Sweating Flashcards
Inquiry into the details of sweating can clue us in on what?
the condition of the antipathogenic qi
disease location and thermal nature
state of the body fluids
Cause of lack of sweating (Anhidrosis)?
a. Ext. WC
b. Int. yin xu
c. Int. yang xu
Causes of profuse sweating?
a. Excess heat
b. Yang exhaustion
c. Yin exhaustion
Cause of spontaneous sweating?
a. Ying/wei disharmony
b. Qi deficiency
c. Yang deficiency
Cause of night sweats?
a. Excess damp accumulation
b. Excess shaoyang pattern
c. Deficiency Ht Blood Xu
d. Deficiency Kd Yin Xu
Locations of sweating?
a. Half the body
b. Upper body
c. Lower body
d. Head
e. Chest
f. Hands/Feet
g. Armpit
What kind of sweating is caused by Wind-Cold Ext Excess Invasion?
Anhidrosis – “Sweat Block”
What kind of sweating is caused by Wind-Cold Ext Vacuity Invasion?
Profuse sweating: yang exhaustion
What kind of sweating is caused by Wind-Heat Ext. Invasion?
Hot Sweating: sweat occurring during a fever
Internal Replete Heat Patterns
What kind of sweating, where, and why?
Profuse sweating: excess heat
Location: Head
Yin Exhaustion (Blood sweating)
Here there should be an “unsurfaced fever” and emission of sweat without the
resolution of heat.
Profuse sweating: excess heat
Damp-Heat Qi Aspect
Damp-Heat Qi Aspect has what kind of sweating?
Here there should be an “unsurfaced fever” and emission of sweat without the
resolution of heat.
Profuse sweating: excess heat
Profuse sweating: excess heat
Location: Head
Yin Exhaustion (Blood sweating)
Internal Replete Heat Patterns
Yang ming qi, yang ming fu, all organ heat
Profuse sweating: excess heat
Usually transmitted from the middle burner
UB and LI obstruction by damp leads to inhibited urination and constipation with
hardness or fullness. Thirst from lack of steaming upwards from obstruction by damp and heat.
When damp-heat brews internally then the head is clogged from turbid phlegm misting the
clear orifices.
Gray-white, yellow and slimy tongue fur
Soggy + rapid pulse
Lower Burner Damp-Heat
What is the cause of profuse sweating and what is the location?
excess heat
Location: Lower body
Spontaneous sweating: qi deficiency
Usually spontaneous sweating accompanied by pale face, dizziness, SOB, lazy speech,
spirit-fatigue, lack of strength made worse with exertion.
Pale + flabby tongue and white fur
Vacuous pulse
Qi Vacuity Pattern
Profuse sweating: yang exhaustion
Usually COLD sweating, night sweating and/or half-body sweating. This must be
accompanied by other yang vacuity signs like: fear of cold, cold limbs and a pale face.
Yang Vacuity Pattern
Profuse sweating: yin exhaustion
Night sweating: deficiency kd yin xu
Usually night sweating, and/or half-body sweating, head sweating, sweating from the
hands/feet, spontaneous sweating, five palms sweating, steaming bone and tidal fever.
Red tongue with scanty dry fur
Fine and rapid pulse
Yin Vacuity Pattern
Profuse sweating: yang exhaustion
The sweat should emerge clear, thin and cool. This must be accompanied by signs of a
serious pattern such as cool muscles and skin, “reversal cold” of the hands and feet, weak
breath, a weak pulse that is about to expire and either pale moist lips and tongue or greenblue-
purple lips and tongue.
Location: Head
Yang Collapse Pattern
Reversal cold of hand and feet means yang qi cant travel to hand and feet and is stuck on the inside instead of going out and profusing, from so much cold
The sweat should emerge hot and sticky, this should be accompanied by hot skin and
muscles, warm hands and feet, red cheekbones, spirit fatigue, agitation and vexation, SOB,
rough panting, preference for drinking cold fluids.
Red tongue with a dry coat
Rapid, racing and forceless pulse
Profuse sweating: yin exhaustion
Location: Head
Yin Collapse Pattern
Palpitations, dull/pale complexion, insomnia, tiredness, poor memory, dream disturbed
sleep, reduced appetite, pale lips, abdominal distention, anxiety, propensity to be easily
startled, dizziness, loose stools, scanty menstruation, weak muscles.
Profuse sweating: yang exhaustion
Heart and Spleen Blood Vacuity * (GIO 581):
What is needed for sweat?
yang qi, body fluids, pores
What is profuse sweating?
excessive perspiration on the skin, over evaporation of fluids
What is anhidrosis?
Lack of sweating
What is spontaneous sweating?
Frequent sweating during the day, absent of any sweat inducing activity. Comes about with minor exertion
What are night sweats?
Sweating that occurs when asleep, stops upon awakening
What is the Dx for lack of sweating (anhidrosis)
Wind-Cold Ext Excess
What is the Dx for profuse sweating?
Wind-Cold Ext Vacuity Invasion
