wk6 / c3 (menstruation) Flashcards
Always early- (more than 7 days early):
Qi deficiency or blood heat
Always late- (more than 7 days late):
blood deficiency, blood stagnation, cold.
Irregular: (sometimes late, sometimes early):
stagnation of liver Qi,
Blood stagnation,
spleen & kidney deficiency.
- Amount:
loss of blood can vary between 30-80mls.
Heavy period
is if blood loss is profuse.
(ask patient to quantify how many times they need to change)
Heavy loss either due to
Qi deficiency
or blood heat
(depending on colour)
If period is scanty-
blood deficiency,
stasis of blood
or
cold uterus.
Colour:
dark red at the beginning,
deep red in the middle,
& pinkish at the end.
colour- Dark red or bright red:
blood heat
colour- Pale:
blood deficiency
colour
Blackish/very dark:
stasis of blood
colour
Purplish: full cold
full cold
colour
Brownish & dilute:
empty cold
colour
Scarlet red:
empty heat in blood.
Consistency:
does it coagulate, is it thick or dilute.
consistency
Clotted with dark clots:
blood/cold stagnation
consistency
Clotted with fresh looking clots:
heat
consistency
Large clots:
blood stasis
consistency
Watery:
blood or
yin xu (def)
consistency
Tissue fragments:
kidney yang deficiency
Menstrual pain:
Pain before period:
stagnation of
qi & blood
Pain during period:
blood heat or blood stagnation
Pain after period:
blood deficiency
Sever, stabbing pain:
blood stagnation
Severe cramping relieved by warmth:
cold.
pain-
Dragging feeling in lower abdomen:
sinking of Qi
Pain on ovulation:
damp-heat
PMS: irritability, depression, crying:
liver Qi stagnation
PMS
Nausea:
liver invading St
PMS
Headache:
Liver Qi stagnation, liver yang rising
PMS
Distension of breasts:
liver qi stagnation
pms
Swollen/ painful breasts:
phlegm + Qi stag
Retention of water:
SP yang & Kid yang
deficiency.
Inquiry involves questions about: 6
- length
- Amount
- Colour
- Consistency
- pain (and symptoms)
- PMS (and symptoms)
What is a normal cycle?
start
early - before 13
after 16
cycle length
Start of menarche- between 10-16 mean age 12.
Early menarche before 13- indicates blood heat,
after the age of 16- blood & Kidney deficiency.
Cycle- l_ength,_ ideally 28 days but this may vary. Ask about regularity of the cycle. Occasional deviation from normal cycle is normal.
cycle
Early arrival of period indicates: -2 main-
Heat in the Blood
(red tongue, blood bright red & thick- heat scorches the bv, Blood forces blood out of the blood vessels)
OR
spleen Qi Deficiency
(pale tongue, blood is light red, thin- weak spleen Qi could not hold blood within the vessels)
Late period -3 main-
Cycle
If Blood is light coloured, thin & little in amount=
If Blood is dark purple with clots and in little in amount=
If Blood is deep red with clots + scanty=
- Blood Deficiency (uterus unable to fill w blood, Blood fails to fill Chong & Ren channels),
- Cold
- Blood stagnation
Cycle
Irregular period - related to disorder of Qi and Blood (wh fail to fill the chong and ren mai)
-2-
- If Blood is purple with clots with breast distension=
- If Blood is light red & thin=
- Stagnation of Liver Qi
- Deficient Spleen & Kidney (which leads to dysfunction of Chong & Ren Channels.)
Cycle
Dysmenorrhea:
Pain before period and relieved after bleeding -
Excess condition of Liver Qi stagnation.
Dysmenorrhea-
Dull pain in lower abdomen after bleeding with sore back/legs=
Qi/blood deficiency & Kidney essence deficiency (that cause malnourishment of Chong & Ren Channel & uterus)
or Liver Yin deficiency
dysmenorrhea
Cold pain in lower abdomen that is relieved by warming + dark purple blood=
Cold syndrome (cold coagulates Blood leading to contraction of the uterus)
Amenorrhea is
This is when the period stops for more than 3 months or does not arrive at all in a mature women.
amenorrhea indicates -4-
- Deficient Blood and Qi,
- Stagnant Qi/Blood Stasis,
- Deficient Kidney/Liver Yin,
- Mucus/dampness Obstructing Menses
Normal color is
a dull to medium red
Very dark red or bright red Indicates
Heat in the Blood
Pale blood Indicates
Deficiency of Blood
Purple/blackish Blood Indicates
Stasis of Blood or Cold
quality
Congealed blood with clots Indicates
Blood stasis or Cold
quality
Watery blood Indicates
Blood or Yin Deficiency
Turbid blood Indicates
Blood Heat or Stagnation of Cold
vaginal discharge
White, thin + in large amounts=
leucorrhoea (which pertains to cold-damp pouring down caused by Spleen deficiency) or damp in kidney (articulate)
vaginal discharge
Yellow, thick, fetid vaginal discharge in large amounts + genital itching=
damp-heat pours down to lower jiao.
vaginal discharge
Red thick + fetid odor is due to
Liver Qi stagnation
(which transforms into heat. Heat damages the blood vessels and blood leaks out)
damp heat or
liver fire (articulate)
天癸
Tiānguǐ
(heavenly gui)
menstrural cycle depends on
qi and blood
(and there circulation)
irregular period (articulate notes)
scanty due to -2-
- qi and blood deficiency
- stagnation of blood or phlegm
dysmenorrhea
2 general causes
- excess (liv qi stag)
- deficiency (qi and blood, or kid essence, or liver yin)
vaginal discharge
is a_
and should _
normal physiological function
should increase at
- ovulation
- during pregnancy
when asking questions regarding vaginal discharge, what should be concidered -3-
- colour
- quantity
- odor
what is a major cause of vaginal discharge?
dampness
Bright red or dark red blood that includes clots, thick viscosity, and profuse quantity is indicative of?
excess heat
Dark purple blood with clots, scanty flow with abdominal pain relieved by warmth indicates?
Excess cold causing Blood stagnation.
