Breathlessness - Food Stagnation in Large Intestine

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This is another Qi Stagnation and flow problem that can manifest as

breathlessness. The person may or may not have asthma per se, but may suffer

shortness of breath.

 

What happens is the Lungs' ability to send Qi downward depends on the Large

Intestine working smoothing. If there is Food Stagnation in the Large

Intestine, this can interfere with the descending of Lung Qi which in turn

triggers breathlessness.

 

Later you will be learning more about the symptoms of Food Stagnation.

There is a special class of herbs to treat Food Stagnation. In general,

these work by promoting disgestive secretions (for example, increasing bile

flow) or assisting the digestive process in some way (for example,

increasing peristalsis).

 

Food Stagnation is classified as an Excess condition though chronic

Deficiency often is a cause of the Food Stagnation.

 

Food Stagnation frequently is associated with Qi Stagnation, so herbs that

move Qi frequently are given along with herbs to relieve Food Stagnation.

(Info from Wicke, vol. 2, p. 89)

 

Food Stagnation may be accompanied by either Hot or Cold symptoms.

 

There is a separate class of herbs called Purging Herbs. Giving a person a

laxative is not necessarily the same thing as relieving Food Stagnation. It

can be, but in some cases it may make Food Stagnation problems worse in the

long-run by by aggravating the Root of the problem. Most of the Purging

Herbs are bitter in taste and Cold in thermal energy and work by greatly

increasing peristalsis. They work great for Interior Excess Heat Roots of

constipation, but can aggravate constiplation due to Cold Dampness, Yang

Deficiency, and other non-Excess Heat Roots. The person not only becomes

laxative dependent, having to take more and more laxatives in order to have

a bowel movement, other manifestations of the Root may increase in severity

or develop. For example, if the Root of the constipation is Yang Deficiency,

the person not only starts to require more an more laxatives in order to

have a bowel movement, the person with Yang Deficiency (Deficiency Cold) may

become more Cold, developing Excess Interior Cold on top of the Yang

Deficiency Cold because of the Cold energy of the purgative herbs. The Yang

Deficiency may develop into Kidneys Refusing to Receive Qi and true asthma

develop as a result.

 

BTW, one way to clear Heat from the Lung is to purge the Large Intestine.

The Lungs and the Large Intestine meridians/ organ systems are coupled

meridian systems. The Lungs are Yin Metal; the Large Intestine is Yang

Metal.

 

Victoria

 

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