What does floating pulse mean?

As we all know, there are many pulse conditions on the human body, including floating pulse. If you have not studied this area specifically, you will be very unfamiliar with these pulse conditions. A person's floating pulse will be affected by many factors, which can cause the pulse to become abnormal. Therefore, if the floating pulse is abnormal, you must pay attention to it, find the cause in time and solve it accordingly. The following is a detailed introduction to the floating pulse.

What does floating pulse mean?

Floating pulse: The pulse is shallow. Just press lightly to feel the effect, and press harder to feel the effect slightly reduced. This pulse is mostly a superficial symptom of exogenous infection, indicating that the disease is located on the surface. Floating and tight pulse indicates superficial cold, floating and rapid pulse indicates superficial heat, floating and strong pulse indicates superficial excess, and floating and weak pulse indicates superficial deficiency. It is common in the early stages of colds, flu and various infectious diseases.

However, there are also cases in which the body is weak due to long-term illness or because the yin is deficient and the yang has no support, resulting in the floating yang escaping outward and presenting a floating and weak pulse.

Tight pulse: Floating and tight pulse indicates wind-cold, floating and rapid pulse indicates wind-heat, and floating and slow pulse indicates superficial deficiency. Floating pulse is often seen in the early stages of various acute infectious diseases. When fever occurs and the pulse is floating, it is generally due to increased cardiac output, peripheral vascular dilation, decreased vascular elastic resistance, and increased radial artery filling.

Floating and rapid pulse: A rapid pulse is a variation of floating and tight. If it is tight, it must not be slow, and it can also be called rapid. It is the pulse of typhoid fever.

The earliest records of pulse diagnosis can be found in Huangdi Neijing Suwen during the Warring States, Qin and Han dynasties (2nd century BC) and in 81 Difficulties Classic written by Qin Yueren (Bian Que) in the 5th century BC. Bian Que made great contributions to the study of pulse diagnosis and was the first to establish his theory. Therefore, it is recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian that "To this day, the world's discussion of pulse diagnosis all started with Bian Que."

Meridians in traditional Chinese medicine refer to the pathways through which qi and blood flow in the human body. Meridians can be divided into two categories: regular meridians and extraordinary meridians. There are twelve regular meridians, namely the three yin meridians of the hands and feet and the three yang meridians of the hands and feet, collectively known as the "twelve meridians", which are the main channels for the circulation of qi and blood.

There are eight extraordinary meridians, namely Du, Ren, Chong, Dai, Yin Qiao, Yang Qiao, Yin Wei and Yang Wei, collectively known as the "Eight Extraordinary Meridians". They have the function of commanding, connecting and regulating the twelve meridians.

The twelve extra meridians are the meridians that branch out from the twelve main meridians. Their main function is to strengthen the connection between any two of the twelve main meridians that are exterior and interior to each other. Also, because they reach certain organs and body parts that the main meridians do not reach, they can make up for the deficiencies of the main meridians.