The function of the heart in traditional Chinese medicine

We all know that the heart is very important to us. If our heart stops beating, our life may stop. In fact, the heart is divided into many parts, and the heart is also connected to our cerebral blood vessels, so the heart and brain nerves are generally connected by people, and they will appear together when diseases are caused. So what are the functions of the heart in traditional Chinese medicine?

1. The heart governs the blood vessels. The heart governs the blood vessels, which refers to the blood running in the vessels. It circulates throughout the body relying on the push of the heart qi to play its nourishing role. The relationship between the heart, veins and blood is also unambiguous from the perspective of Western medicine. Of course, the understanding of traditional Chinese medicine does not need to be supported or evaluated by Western medicine. To get back to the point, in traditional Chinese medicine, the heart governs the blood vessels, which means that the heart, vessels and blood form a relatively independent circulatory system, and the physiological functions of this system are all dominated by the heart.

The function of the heart in dominating the blood vessels mainly depends on three aspects: abundant heart qi, sufficient blood, and smooth and intact blood vessels. Only when the heart qi is abundant can blood flow normally in the veins and nourish the whole body, and the external manifestations include rosy and lustrous complexion, gentle and strong pulse, etc.; only when the blood is full can it circulate blood in the intact and unobstructed blood vessels with the help of the heart qi; only when the meridians are unobstructed and intact can the blood flow normally under the promotion of the heart qi. If the heart qi is insufficient or the blood vessels are empty, the complexion may be dull, the lips and nails may be pale, and the pulse may be thin and weak. If the heart blood is stagnant and the blood vessels are blocked, the complexion may be gray, the lips and tongue may be bluish, there may be stuffiness and stabbing pain in the precordial area, and the pulse may be knotted, intermittent, and wiry. If the meridians are unobstructed and intact, and the blood is abundant and flowing smoothly, then the body and mind will naturally be healthy and the spirit will be radiant; if the meridians are blocked or incomplete, bleeding or blood stasis will inevitably occur.

2. The heart contains the spirit. We must first explain the specific meaning of "the heart contains the spirit". The "spirit" mentioned here has two meanings: one is the spirit in a broad sense, which refers to life phenomena; the other is the spirit in a narrow sense, which refers to spirit, consciousness and psychological activities. All these functions and activities of the "spirit" are hidden in the heart. In "Su Wen", it is said that "the heart is the organ of the monarch, from which the spirit comes", that is to say, the human body and human life have a great relationship with the heart.

When the heart functions normally to store the spirit, the spirit will be high, the mind will be clear, the thinking will be quick, and the reactions will be responsive. If the function of the heart to store the spirit is abnormal, clinical manifestations such as insomnia, nightmares, forgetfulness, restlessness, and even coma and delirium may occur. Please look carefully. The function of the heart is to hide the spirit, not to be the main spirit. The main spirit is someone else, the gate of life of the human body - the brain and the five internal organs.