I. Spring is the right time for health preservation, and the solar terms conditioning should not be missed

In spring, everything comes back to life, and the Yang energy of the human body begins to rise in accordance with the laws of nature. At this time, if you can adjust your body according to the changes in the solar terms, you can not only prevent diseases, but also lay a solid foundation for health throughout the year. However, the climate in spring is changeable, and if you adjust your body improperly, it is easy to cause various discomfort symptoms. The following will use several real cases to explore common problems in spring and their TCM adjustment methods.

II. Case analysis: Common problems and solutions in spring

Case 1: Abnormal appetite in spring - Liver Qi regulation and spleen and stomach conditioning

Case description:

A mother in her 30s, who was overworked in her 20s and had a severely overdrawn body, had a weak pulse. Recently, she found that her appetite had improved, but this "good" was not a normal phenomenon, but was manifested in the fact that she still wanted to eat after 10 o'clock before going to bed.

TCM analysis:

1. The liver is responsible for the generation of qi throughout the body. In spring, liver qi rises, mobilizing kidney qi, and the spleen and stomach functions are enhanced, which manifests as an improved appetite.
2. However, the release of liver qi should conform to the laws of nature. If it is released too much, it will lead to abnormal spleen and stomach function, which will manifest as not being hungry when you should be, and being hungry when you shouldn't be.
3. The mother had hyperactivity of liver qi, which led to spleen and stomach dysfunction, manifesting as hunger before bedtime.
4. A greasy white tongue coating indicates that there is cold and dampness in the body and that the spleen and stomach function is insufficient.

The coating in the middle of her tongue is very white and greasy, much whiter than the surrounding area

Solution:

• 敛肝疏泄： 可服用乌梅白糖汤，乌梅具有收敛肝气的作用，防止肝气疏泄太过。
• 补肾助肝： 肾气不足会影响肝气疏泄，可适当服用补肾药物，如六味地黄丸等，以助肝气正常疏泄。
• 调理脾胃： 服用藿香正气丸，祛除体内寒湿，恢复脾胃正常运化功能。

Further thinking:

• Children's hunger before going to bed needs dialectical analysis: if the tongue coating is greasy, the internal heat is heavy, and the food is not digested, the spleen and stomach should be regulated. If the tongue coating is clean, there is a lot of exercise during the day, and the digestion is fast, it is normal to be hungry before going to bed, and you can eat easily digestible food, such as porridge, noodles, etc.

Case 2: Spring gastrointestinal discomfort - differentiation and medication of cold and dampness and dampness and heat

Case description:

A male patient in his 30s presented with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and headache. The tongue coating in the middle line from the root to the front of the tongue was thick, greasy, and yellow, and the tongue was reddish.

His tongue coating is greasy from the root of the tongue to the front part of the tongue along the midline, and is obviously thicker and greasy than the tongue coating on the sides. The tongue coating is also a bit yellow, not pure white, and is in stark contrast to the previous tongue coating.

TCM analysis:

• Syndrome differentiation:
  • ①. A yellow and greasy tongue coating indicates damp heat, not cold dampness. ②. A red tongue indicates heat in the body. ③ The symptoms are not caused by cold, but by improper diet.
• Medication analysis:
  • ☆ Huoxiang Zhengqi Pills are suitable for cold-dampness syndrome, but not so effective for damp-heat syndrome, and the cold-dispelling drugs in them tend to be hot and dry, which may aggravate the symptoms. ☆ Xiao Chaihu Granules can reconcile Shaoyang, soothe the liver and regulate qi, clear away heat and dispel dampness, and are more suitable for this patient.

Medication recommendations:

• For damp-heat cold, you can choose Xiao Chaihu Granule or Xiaoer Chaigui Antipyretic Granule. This patient has gastrointestinal damp-heat disease, and it is recommended to take Xiao Chaihu Granule.

The coating on his tongue shows that it is caused by his diet, not by catching a cold. Check if the tongue is wet or slippery. If there is obvious moisture covering the tongue surface when you stick it out, and it reflects light or even drips, then he has caught a cold. If the tongue is relatively dry, then he has not caught a cold.

Further thinking:

• Distinguish between cold and dampness and dampness and heat:
  • ☆ A white, greasy, and slippery tongue coating indicates cold and dampness. ☆ A yellow, greasy, and dry tongue coating indicates damp heat. ☆ When you have a cold, your tongue surface is slippery; when you don’t have a cold, your tongue surface is dry.
• Dietary precautions:
  • Avoid eating cold foods, such as water chestnuts. If you eat them, you can relieve the coldness through moxibustion or adding ginger.

Case 3: Insomnia in spring - regulating the spleen and stomach is the key

Case description:

An adult has been suffering from insomnia since the Chinese New Year, accompanied by nasal congestion, and the effect of taking prescriptions was not obvious.

TCM analysis:

His tongue is coated with white fur and he suffers from severe cold and dampness.

• Medication analysis:
  • Taking Huoxiang Zhengqi Pills can dispel cold and dampness, dredge the middle-jiao spleen and stomach, and allow Qi to circulate normally, thereby improving sleep.

Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine:

• Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired constitution and the source of Qi and blood metabolism. The normal function of the spleen and stomach directly affects the circulation of Qi throughout the body.
• Dysfunction of the spleen and stomach can lead to the inability of the upper heart and lungs to communicate normally with the lower kidney qi, thus causing insomnia.

Case 4: Complex tongue coating case - comprehensive conditioning of spleen, stomach and intestines

Case description:

Sister Fei's tongue coating is white in the middle and red at the tip. The tongue is darker in the middle part near the tip of the tongue, and there is a white greasy coating in the middle and lower parts near the root of the tongue. She also has symptoms such as acne on the wings of her nose, a foreign body sensation in the throat, and snoring while sleeping.

The tongue is divided into upper, middle and lower parts. The tip of the tongue is the upper part, the middle of the tongue is the middle part, and the root of the tongue is the lower part. The color of the middle part near the tip of the tongue is darker, which is caused by Fei Jie's eating water chestnuts, passion fruit and green oranges. The red line near the root of the middle and lower part of the tongue is all covered with a mass of white greasy fur, which corresponds to the intestines below the stomach, indicating that the intestines are very damp.

TCM analysis:

• Symptom analysis:
  • ☆ Red tip of tongue indicates strong heart fire. ☆ Dark tongue in the middle part indicates coldness in the spleen and stomach. ☆ Greasy white fur in the middle and lower part indicates heavy dampness in the intestines. ☆ Acne on the wings of the nose indicates dampness and heat in the stomach and intestines. ☆ Foreign body sensation in the throat and snoring indicate that the stomach qi is not descending and phlegm and dampness are blocked.
• Cause analysis:
  • Improper diet (eating cold foods such as water chestnuts, passion fruit, green oranges, etc.) causes the spleen and stomach to be cold, the intestines to be damp, and the stomach qi to not descend.

Solution:

• 饮食调整：☆ 暂停食用水果三天，避免寒凉食物。
• 药物调理： ☆服用藿香正气丸，祛除寒湿，疏通肠胃。
• Other suggestions: ☆ Try moxibustion on the epigastric area, or boil milk with ginger slices to relieve the coldness. Avoid eating wolfberry, which is easy to increase moisture.

III. Summary of the key points of spring health preservation

1. Cold and dampness syndrome: Huoxiang Zhengqi Pills can be used.
2. Damp-heat syndrome: Xiao Chaihu Granules, Xiaoer Chaigui Antipyretic Granules, etc. can be used.
3. For superficial heat syndrome, Yinqiao Jiedu Granules can be used.
4. Avoid eating cold foods.
5. Eat easily digestible, nutrient-rich foods in moderation.
6. You can eat warm foods such as ginger and red dates appropriately.
7. Maintain a regular schedule and ensure adequate sleep.
8. Do moderate exercise to improve your physical fitness.
9. Keep your mood happy and avoid excessive mood swings.