Post Date April, 15 2023
The kidney is an important organ in the human body, located on both sides of the spinal column behind the peritoneum, one on each side, resembling a broad bean. It is 10-12 centimeters long, 5-6 centimeters wide, and 3-4 centimeters thick; A single kidney weighs approximately 130-140 grams. The kidneys have the ability to excrete metabolites in the body; Maintain water balance through the generation and excretion of urine; Maintain electrolyte and acid-base balance in the body; Regulating blood pressure; Promote red blood cell generation; Promote various functions such as vitamin D activation.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the kidney is the "innate foundation", possessing the physiological functions of storing essence (kidney yin, kidney yang), regulating water, absorbing qi, as well as regulating bones, generating marrow, and nourishing the brain. The kidney opens the orifices in the ear and two yin, and its vitality is in the hair. It is not simply an anatomical concept of the kidney, but includes some functions of the reproductive, endocrine, respiratory, neurological, immune, hematopoietic, and motor systems in Western medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that due to improper diet, excessive fatigue, excessive psychological and mental pressure, sexual repression or excessive labor in the room, and prolonged illness, kidney deficiency (also known as kidney deficiency) can all lead to kidney deficiency. According to the excess and decline of essence and yin and yang in the kidney, kidney deficiency can be characterized by kidney yin deficiency, kidney yang deficiency, kidney qi instability, kidney inability to absorb qi, kidney yin and yang deficiency, yin deficiency and excessive fire. It is generally divided into two categories: yin deficiency and yang deficiency.
Usually, kidney deficiency can be characterized by the following symptoms: back pain, shin and heel pain, tinnitus and deafness, hair loss and withering, sparse teeth shaking, weak ulnar pulse, and sexual dysfunction (such as nocturnal emission, impotence, and slippery sperm). The following symptoms can also be observed in the kidney yin deficiency syndrome: restlessness of the five hearts, insomnia, night sweats, dry mouth and throat, dizziness and dizziness, nocturnal emissions, redness of the cheekbones in the afternoon, tongue redness with little coating or cracks, and thin pulse count. Kidney yang deficiency syndrome can also be seen on the basis of kidney deficiency syndrome: fear of cold limbs, clear and long urine, clear and clear valley or diarrhea at the fifth shift, male impotence, female vaginal discharge, infertility due to palace cold, pale complexion, pale tongue, white and moist fur, weak and delayed pulse.
For kidney deficiency, in addition to diet conditioning or Tonic Diet nourishing, the most important and commonly used method is to take kidney tonifying herbs. However, the following points must be noted when applying:
One is for those who do not receive tonifying for some deficiency, it is not advisable to directly use kidney tonifying agents. They can first regulate the spleen and stomach
The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine states that "with stomach qi, one is born; without stomach qi, one dies". Before taking kidney tonics, adjust the digestive function to have the ability to digest and absorb; Alternatively, while taking kidney tonifying agents, add products that strengthen the spleen and stomach, regulate qi and dissipate channels, to support transportation and transformation.
Secondly, it is necessary to distinguish between reality and falsehood
The so-called "diseases with great solidity have a weak appearance; diseases with extreme deficiency have a strong momentum", the former refers to true and false falsehood. If tonics are misused, the solidity will be more solid; The latter refers to true, false, and real, and if the attack agent is misused, the false is even more false. Therefore, before using kidney tonifying agents, the most important point is to clarify the existence of kidney deficiency (without empirical evidence). Kidney disease syndrome, with deficiency syndrome accounting for the vast majority, is said to have "kidney without excess syndrome". However, it is not absolute that there is no kidney deficiency syndrome, and there are also many clinical manifestations of kidney deficiency without deficiency syndrome. Therefore, it cannot be considered that kidney disease is kidney deficiency syndrome at the first sight.
The third is to carefully distinguish the indications
If you take traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations, you should pay more attention to its indications, because traditional Chinese patent medicines and simple preparations is mostly pills or capsules, which have mild effects and can only have good effects after taking it for a long time, especially for the chronic disease of kidney deficiency, which requires long-term treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully differentiate the symptoms and signs in order to prescribe targeted medicine. If the kidney yin is insufficient, the classic representative formula for tonifying kidney yin is Liuwei Dihuang Wan. But if there is a slight change in symptoms, or if one of the indications is the most prominent, then there is also a change in medication. Adding one or two herbs to the Liuwei Dihuang Pill can lead to multiple prescriptions.
Liuwei Dihuang Pill, combined with Zhimu and Huangbai, becomes Zhibai Dihuang Pill. It has the function of nourishing yin and reducing fire, and is suitable for symptoms such as bone steaming, hot flashes, deficiency, night sweating, back pain, and ejaculation caused by excessive yin deficiency and fire. The combination of Liuwei Dihuang Pill and Wuweizi is a Chengdu Qi Pill, which can nourish the kidneys and absorb qi, and is mainly used to treat kidney deficiency, asthma, and hiccup. Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, combined with Mai Dong and Wu Wei Zi, becomes Mai Wei Di Huang Wan. It has the function of nourishing the lungs and kidneys and is used for both lung and kidney syndromes.
(Intern Editor: Wu Weijie)
