How to identify liver and gallbladder diseases based on symptoms of damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder?

Damp-heat syndrome of the liver and gallbladder often leads to some liver and gallbladder diseases. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, these are often symptoms caused by a decline in the function of dispersing and discharging qi, and patients are often affected by some damp-heat evil. For example, if one likes greasy food and is usually anxious, it can lead to depression and heat. It can also lead to spleen and stomach dysfunction, causing stool stagnation, indigestion, bad breath, yellow tongue coating, etc.

1. Different emphasis on dampness and heat.

Although the causes of damp-heat in the spleen and stomach and damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder are both damp-heat, the emphasis of the damp-heat is different. Dampness and heat in the spleen and stomach. Dampness is more serious than heat. The manifestations of dampness include heavy limbs, poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools. The manifestations of heat are relatively mild. Damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder: heat is more serious than dampness. Symptoms of heat include fever, dry mouth, bitter taste in the mouth, and hard and dry stools. The symptoms of short and red urine are obvious, while the symptoms of wet urine are relatively mild.

2. Both spleen and stomach dampness and liver and gallbladder dampness and heat have symptoms of spleen and stomach dysfunction

Such as abdominal distension, poor appetite, and nausea. The above symptoms caused by damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder are due to the liver qi attacking the stomach. When the spleen and stomach are diseased and their transportation and transformation are impaired, abdominal distension, poor appetite, and nausea will occur. Therefore, the spleen and stomach symptoms are relatively mild. Damp-heat in the spleen and stomach is caused by the accumulation of damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, which causes dysfunction of receiving, transporting and transforming, and abnormal ascending and descending functions, leading to abdominal distension, poor appetite, and nausea. Therefore, the spleen and stomach symptoms are relatively obvious. Damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder often presents with symptoms of the spleen and stomach. However, damp-heat in the spleen and stomach does not cause liver and gallbladder symptoms such as side pain and bitter taste in the mouth.

3. Damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder due to damp-heat stagnation in the liver and gallbladder

When the function of regulating and dispersing qi fails, liver qi stagnates and pain occurs if the qi is not flowing smoothly. Therefore, there is pain and distension in the ribs. However, damp-heat in the spleen and stomach causes abdominal distension and pain, but there are no symptoms of pain and distension in the ribs. In addition, damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder has symptoms of damp-heat moving downward, such as scrotal eczema, dampness, testicular swelling, and heaviness and pain. Or symptoms such as yellow and smelly vaginal discharge, vulvar itching, etc. If there is damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, there will be no symptoms of damp-heat descending.

4 Treatment courses for damp-heat in the spleen and stomach and damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder

The treatment course for damp-heat in the spleen and stomach is longer. There is less recurrence after recovery. Although the treatment course for liver and gallbladder damp-heat is relatively short, recurrences occur frequently. Because the dampness and heat in the spleen and stomach are greater than the heat, the characteristic of dampness-induced disease is a long course of illness, so it is lingering and difficult to cure.