Chinese medicine diagnosis is completely different from modern medicine diagnosis. We treat on a holistic level. The following is a list of symptoms and the heading of that section will give you an idea of what causes the problem. For a complete evaluation, you need to have an acupuncturist look at your tongue and take your pulse, as well as ask other questions. This list is informational only.
You only need to have ONE symptom per list to have that considered as being out of balance.
Overall Temperature (Kidney function):
- Cold hands
- Cold fingers
- Cold feet
- Cold toes
- Sweaty hands
- Sweaty feet
- Hot body temperature (sensation)
- Cold body temperature (sensation)
- Afternoon flushes
- Night sweats
- Heat in the hands, feet, and chest
- Hot flashes any time of the day
- Thirsty
- Perspire easily
- Lack of perspiration
- Take water to bed
Overall energy (Lung, Kidney function):
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty keeping eyes open in the daytime
- General weakness
- Easily catch colds
- Low energy
- Feel worse after exercise
Overall blood (Liver, Spleen, Heart function):
- Dizziness
- See floating black spots in front of your eyes (looks like there are black spots on the wall)
Heart function:
- Palpitations
- Anxiety
- Sores on the tip of the tongue
- Restlessness
- Mental confusion
- Chest pain traveling to shoulder
- Frequent dreams
- Wake unrefreshed
Lung function:
- Nasal Discharge
- Cough
- Nose Bleeds
- Sinus Congestion
- Dry mouth
- Dry throat
- Dry Nose
- Dry Skin
- Allergies
- Alternating fever and chills
- Sneezing
- Headache
- Overall achy feeling in the body
- Stiff shoulders
- Sore throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Sadness
- Melancholy
Spleen function:
- Low appetite
- Abrupt weight gain or loss
- Abdominal bloating
- Abdominal gas
- Gurgling noise in the stomach
- Fatigue after eating
- Prolapsed organs
- Easily bruised
- Pensive
- Over-thinking
- Worry
Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine, Small Intestine function:
- Loose
- Constipated
- Incomplete
- Diarrhea
- Blood in stools
- Mucous in stools
- Undigested food in stools
Dampness trapped in the body:
- General sensation of heaviness in the body
- Mental heaviness
- Mental sluggishness
- Mental fogginess
- Swollen hands
- Swollen feet
- Swollen joints
- Chest congestion
- Nausea
- Snoring
Stomach function:
- Burning sensation after eating
- Large appetite
- Bad breath
- Mouth (canker) sores
- Bleeding, swollen or painful gums
- Acid reflux
- Ulcer (diagnosed)
- Belching
- Hiccoughs
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
Liver, Gall Bladder function:
- Alternating diarrhea and constipation
- Chest pain
- Tight sensation in the chest
- Bitter taste in the mouth
- Anger easily
- Frustration
- Depression
- Irritability
- Skin rashes
- Headache at the top of the head
- Tingling sensation
- Numbness
- Muscle cramping
- Grinding Teeth
- Convulsions
- Lump in the throat
- Neck tension
- Limited Range-of-Motion, Neck
- Shoulder tension
- High-pitched ringing in the ears
- Gall stones (history or current)
Kidney, Urinary Bladder function:
- Sore knees
- Weak knees
- Low back pain
- Memory problems
- Excessive hair loss
- Low-pitched ringing in the ears
- Kidney stones
- Bladder infections
- Wake during the night twice or more to urinate
- Lack of bladder control
- Fear
- Easily startled