General Symptoms and Their Meaning in TCM

Colors of the Face

Appearance
Eyes
Nose
Ears
Gums
Lips and Mouth
Throat
Chills and Fever
Perspiration
Appetite, Eating, and Taste
Defecation and Urination
Pain
Sleep
Menses
Colors of the Face
- Red (Excess or Xu Heat)
Whole Face Heat from External Evil or Hyperactivity of Zang
Fu (Excess)
Cheeks, Tidal Fever, Night Sweats Internal Heat (Xu)
- Pale (Cold or Loss of Blood)
Pale White Yin Excess or Yang Xu
Bright White with Puffy and Bloated
Appearance
Yang Qi Xu
Withered White Blood Xu
- Yellow (Damp or Xu)
Body, Face, Eyes, and Skin Jaundice
Bright Orange Yang Jaundice (Damp Heat)
Smoky Dark Yin Jaundice (Cold Damp or Long Term
Stagnation)
Pale Yellow (Not Bright) Blood and Qi Xu
- Blue (Cold, Pain, Blood Stagnation, Convulsions)
Pale with Blue Tinge and Severe
Pain in the Epigastrium and
Abdomen
Excess Yin and Cold
Bluish Purple Face and Lips with
Intermittent Pain Behind the
Stagnation of Heart Blood
Sternum or Precordial Region
Bluish Purple Face and Lips with
High Fever and Violent Movement of
Limbs in Children
Infantile Convulsion
Dark Gray (Blood Stagnation and Kidney Xu)
Pale and Dark with Lumbar
Soreness and Cold Feet
Kidney Yang Xu
Dark without Brightness with Scaly
Skin
Prolonged Blood Stagnation
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Appearance
Overweight with Mental Depression Qi Xu and Excess Damp Phlegm
Loss of Weight in Long Term Illness Exhaustion of Essential Qi
Thin with Dry Skin Blood Xu
Extended Neck Excess Lung Syndrome with Excess Phlegm
Facing Downward Qi Xu with Shortness of Breath, Dislike of
Speaking
Violent Movement of Limbs Wind Diseases, Infantile Convulsions
Weakness, Motor Impairment, and
Muscular Atrophy of Limbs
Wei Syndromes
Pain, Soreness, Heaviness and
Numbness in Tendons, Bones and
Muscles, with Swelling and
Restricted Movement of Joints
Bi Syndromes
Numbness or Impaired Movement of
Limbs on One Side of the Body
Hemiplegia or Wind Stroke
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Eyes
Redness and Swelling Wind Heat or Liver Fire
Yellow Sclera Jaundice
Ulceration or Canthus Damp Heat
Upward, Straight Forward, or
Sideways Staring
Liver Wind
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Nose
Flapping of Ala Nasi Heat in the Lungs or Qi Xu of both Lung and
Kidney
Clear Discharge Wind Cold
Turbid Discharge Wind Heat
Prolonged Turbid Discharge, with
Stinking Discharge
Rhinitis or Chronic Sinusitis
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Ears
Burnt Black and Dry and Withered
Auricles in Severe Illness
Consumption of Kidney essence
Purulent Discharge Damp Heat of Liver and Gall Bladder
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Gums
Pale Gums Blood Xu
Redness and Swelling Stomach Fire
Redness and Swelling with Bleeding Injury of Vessels by Stomach Fire
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Lips and Mouth
Pale Lips Blood Xu
Bluish Purple Lips Retention of Cold or Blood Stagnation
Red and Dry Lips Excess Heat
Sudden Collapse with Open Mouth Xu
Sudden Collapse with Lockjaw Excess
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Throat
Redness, Swelling, and Soreness Lung and Stomach Heat
Redness and Swelling with Yellow or
White Ulcer Spots
Toxic Heat in Lung and Stomach
Bright Red with Mild Soreness Yin Xu with Hyperactive Fire
False Gray and White Membrane
over Throat that is Hard to Remove,
and Bleeds Following Removal
Diphtheria from Heat in the Lung Consuming
Yin.
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Chills and Fever
- Chills Accompanied by Fever (External Pathogen Fighting with Antipathogenic Qi (Zheng Qi))
Severe Chills, Mild Fever, Absence of
Sweating, Headache, General
Aching, and a Superficial Tight Pulse
Wind Cold
Mild Chills, Severe Fever, Thirst,
Sweating, and a Superficial Rapid
Pulse
Wind Heat
- Alternating Chills and Fever
Alternating Chills and Fever with a Intermediate Syndrome
Bitter Taste in the Mouth, Thirst,
Fullness and Stuffiness in the Chest
and Hypochondrium
Alternating Chills Occurring at
Specific Times of the Day
Malaria
- Fever without Chills
High Fever with Aversion to Heat,
Profuse Sweating, Severe Thirst,
and a Surging Pulse
Excess Heat in the Interior
Fever at a Fixed Hour of the Day Tidal Fever
Tidal Fever in the Afternoon or
Evening, with Night Sweating, and a
Red Tongue with Little Moisture
Yin Xu
Fever more Pronounced in the
Afternoon with Constipation, and
Fullness and Pain in the Abdomen
Yangming Fu Syndrome
- Chills without Fever size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#0000FF">
Chilled Appearance, Cold Limbs, and
a Deep, Slow, and Weak Pulse
Interior Cold Xu
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Perspiration
Absence of Sweating in Exterior
Syndromes
Invasion by Pathogenic Cold
Presence of Sweating in Exterior
Syndromes
Exterior Xu from Exposure to Wind, or Exterior
Heat from Invasion of Pathogenic Wind Heat
Night Sweating (May also have Tidal
Fever, and a Red Tongue with Little
Coat
Yin Xu with Hyperactivity of Yang Heat
Spontaneous Sweating (May also
have Chills, Listlessness, and
Lassitude)
Qi and Yang Xu
Profuse Sweating with High Fever, Excess Interior Heat
Mental Restlessness, Thirst for Cold
Drinks, and a Surging Pulse
Profuse Sweating with Listlessness,
Feeble Energy, Cold Limbs, and a
Deep Thready Pulse in a Severe
Case
Total Exhaustion of Yang Qi
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Appetite, Eating, and Taste
Poor Appetite in a Prolonged Illness
with Emaciation, Loose Stools,
Lassitude, and a Pale Tongue with
Thin White Coat
Spleen and Stomach Weakness
Poor Appetite with Stuffiness in the
Chest, Fullness in the Abdomen, and
a Thick Sticky Tongue Coat
Stagnation of Qi of the Spleen and Stomach
Caused by Retention of Food or Dampness
Excessive Appetite and Easily
Hungry in a Skinny Patient
Excess Stomach Fire
Hunger with no Desire to Eat, or
Eating Small Amounts of Food
Impairment of Stomach Yin, Producing Internal
Xu Heat
Lack of Thirst During an Illness Body Fluids are not Consumed (Usually present
in a Cold Syndrome, or where Heat is not
Noticeable)
Presence of Thirst During an Illness Consumption of Body Fluid or Retention of
Phlegm Damp in the Interior Preventing Fluid
from Ascending
Bitter Taste in the Mouth Liver and Gallbladder Fire
Sweet Taste in the Mouth Damp Heat in the Spleen and Stomach
Sour Regurgitation Retention of Heat in the Liver and Stomach
Tastelessness Spleen Xu
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Defecation and Urination
Constipation from Dryness of the
Stool
Accumulation of Heat or Consumption of Body
Fluids
Loose Stools Spleen Xu, or Damp Retention in the Spleen
Watery Stool with Undigested Food Spleen and Kidney Yang Xu
Bloody Stool with Mucus and
Tenesmus
Damp Heat in the Intestines and Stagnation of
Qi in the Intestinal Tract
Yellow Urine Heat Syndrome
Clear and Profuse Urine Absence of Pathogenic Heat, or Cold Syndrome
Turbid Urine Damp Heat Pouring Downward, or Downward
Leakage of Turbid Essence.
Red Urine Injury of Vessels by Heat
Clear Urine with Increased Volume Infirmity of Kidney Qi, and Bladder Dysfunction
in Controlling Urine
Scanty, Yellow Urine, with Urgent
and Painful Urination
Downward Movement of Damp Heat in to the
Bladder
Dribbling Urination or Retention of
Urine in Severe Cases
Exhausted Kidney Qi (Xu) or Stagnant Bladder
Qi (Excess) due to the Downward Infusion of
Damp Heat, Stagnant Blood, or Stones.
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Pain
Severe Distention and Mild Pain
Moving from Place to Place, Often
Occurring in the Chest, Epigastric,
Hypochondriac, and Abdomen
Qi Stagnation
Headache with Distending Sensation
in the Head
Upward Disturbance by Fire and Heat
Prickling Pain, Sharp and Fixed in
Location, Often Occurring in the
Chest, Epigastric, Hypochondriac,
and Lower Abdominal Regions.
Blood Stagnation
Pain with and Heavy Sensation Dampness Blocking Qi and Blood
(Weighty Pain), Often Occurring in
the Head, Four Limbs and Lumbar
Regions
Colicky Pain Abrupt Obstruction of the Qi by Substantial
Pathogenic Factors
Pulling Pain which is Spasmodic in
Nature and Short in Duration
Liver Wind
Burning Pain with a Burning
Sensation and a Preference for
Coolness, Often Occurring in the
Hypochondriac regions on Both
Sides, and in the Epigastric Region
Invasion of the Collaterals by Pathogenic Fire
and Heat or from Excessive Yang Heat due to
Yin Xu
Pain with a Cold Sensation and a
Preference for Warmth, Often
Occurring in the Head, Lumbar,
Epigastric, and Abdominal Regions.
Pathogenic Cold Blocking the Collaterals or Lack
of Warmth and Nourishment in the Zang Fu and
Meridians due to Yang Qi Xu
Dull Pain that is not severe, lingers,
and lasts for a long time
Xu Cold Syndrome
Headaches 1. Disturbance of the Clear Yang by Pathogenic
Factors (Usually Excess) 2. Stagnation of Qi and
Blood in Endogenous Diseases Blocking the
Meridians and Depriving the Brain of
Nourishment 3. Blood and Qi Xu Failing to
Nourish the Head, and the Sea of Marrow
Becomes Empty.
Chest Pain Pathological Change in the Heart and Lungs
Hypochondriac Pain Obstruction or Undernourishment of the Liver
and Gallbladder Meridians
Epigastric Pain (Upper, Middle.
Lower)
Invasion of the Stomach by Pathogenic Cold,
Retention of Food in the Stomach, or Invasion of
the Stomach by Liver Qi
Abdominal Pain

- Upper is SP
- Lower is KI, BL, LI, SI, Uterus
- Sides are LIV
Excess Causes: Retention of Cold,
Accumulation of Heat, Stagnation of Qi,
Stagnation of Blood, Retention of Food or
Parasitic Diseases
Xu Causes: Qi Xu, Blood, Xu, Deficiency of
Cold
Lumbago Obstruction of the Kidney Meridian or Deficiency
of the Kidney Failing to Nourish the Lumbar
Region
Pain in the Limbs (Joints, Muscles, Retardation of Qi and Blood Circulation due to
or Meridians) Invasion of the Exogenous Pathogenic Factors
Persistent Pain in a Recent Disease
or Pain that is Aggravated by
Pressure
Excess Condition
Intermittent Pain that is Alleviated
by Pressure
Xu Condition
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Sleep
Insomnia with Palpitations and
Dizziness
Failure of Blood to Nourish the Heart due to
Heart and Spleen Xu
Insomnia with a Restless Mind, and
Dream Disturbed Sleep
Hyperactive Heart Fire
Difficulty Falling Asleep due to an
Uncomfortable and Empty Sensation
in the Stomach or Gastric
Discomfort After a Full Meal
Derangement of Stomach Qi Leading to Mental
Restlessness
Lethargy Accompanied by Dizziness Phlegm Damp in the Interior
Half Asleep with General Lassitude Heart and Kidney Yang Xu
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Menses
Menses of Shortened Cycle,
Excessive in Amount, Deep Red in
Color, and Thick in Quality
Excess Heat in the Blood
Menses that are Light Colored,
Profuse in Amount, and Thin in
Quality
Failure of Qi to Command Blood
Prolonged Cycle with Scanty
Purplish Dark Discharge or Clots
Stagnation of Blood due to Cold
Thin, Scanty, Light Colored Flow Blood Xu
Irregular Menstrual Cycle Disharmony of the Flush and Conception Vessels
due to Obstruction of Liver Qi
Premenstrual or Menstrual
Distending Pain in the Breasts and
Lower Abdomen which Intensifies on
Pressure During Menses
Stagnation of Blood due to Cold
Dull Pain in the Lower Abdomen
During or After Menses which is
Alleviated by Pressure
Qi and Blood Xu