Stomach-Fire

Key Insight
emotional stress, no rest
Physical connection
Physical Symptom
Illnesses
Psych (excess)
Psych (deficient)
Related Principle
More specific principle
Type
Specifics
Lesson
Look for
Mouth ulcers, Thirst, Thick, dry, dark-yellow, tongue coating, Epigastric pain
Questions to ask
Pulse position

Stomach-Qi stagnation may give rise to Blood stasis in the Stomach if the condition persists for a long time.

Stomach-Qi stagnation may also generate Heat and lead to Stomach-Fire or Stomach-Heat. In long- standing conditions, the Qi stagnation may also contribute to the formation of Phlegm and lead to Phlegm-Fire in the Stomach

Heart-Fire may affect the Spleen and lead to Spleen- Heat. It may also affect the Stomach and lead to Stomach-Fire.

Symptoms of Stomach Fire

Stomach Fire’s symptoms cannot be ignored! (By the way, you don’t need all of them to qualify!)

  • Burning pain in your stomach area, high in your epigastrium
  • Thirst: strong, for cold drinks, preferably iced
  • Stools: dry, sometimes hard to pass, even causing bleeding
  • Breath: bad breath, some burping and eructations which taste sour or acidic: you use breath fresheners
  • Very hungry: often need to eat, partly to prevent burning pain
  • Nausea: particularly after eating the wrong kinds of food
  • Vomiting sometimes after the wrong kinds of food
  • Mouth: toothache and swollen or bleeding gums; you may chew gum so as to avoid smiling and to hide the smell of your breath. You like mint flavours.
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Hot – not just in your stomach area, but a general feeling of heat. You wear less than most people, even on very cold days. You may be the one wearing just a T-shirt during snow!
  • Mentally you find it hard to concentrate or settle. You switch between TV channels, seldom finding programmes you like
  • Pulse: Fire makes it fast or rapid. On the right wrist in what is called the middle position – where the Stomach pulse is felt – it feels big (the technical term is ‘over-flowing‘)
  • Tongue: with the thirst and heat is a redness in the centre of your tongue. Over the surface is a dry coating: its colour is either yellow, dark-yellow or even black in places.

Emotions that cause Stomach Fire

Although a small number of people get cold when angry or frustrated, usually strong emotions are heating:

  • anger
  • anxiety that makes you nervous and restless
  • frustration
  • jealousy
  • target chasing under time pressure
  • resentment
  • stress
  • worry

Stomach-Fire

Mouth ulcers Thirst Thick, dry, dark-yellow tongue coating Epigastric pain

Full-versus Empty-Fire

Full-Fire

Red face and eyes, a pronounced feeling of heat, a dry mouth, a bitter taste, constipation, scanty dark urine, thirst, mental agitation, dark purple spots under the skin (macules), blood in cough, vomit, urine, stools, epistaxis, Red tongue with dry yellow coating, Full-Rapid pulse

Empty-Fire

Night sweating, a feeling of heat in the chest, palms and soles, red cheekbones, a dry mouth, afternoon feeling of heat, a Red tongue without coating and a Floating-Empty and Rapid pulse

Mouth ulcers Thirst Thick, dry, dark-yellow tongue coating Epigastric pain