What is the Meaning of Excess in Chinese Medicine?

In Chinese medicine, “excess” (实, “shi”) refers to a condition where there is an overabundance or stagnation of one or more of the fundamental substances or pathogenic factors within the body. This is in contrast to “deficiency,” where there is a lack or weakness of these substances. Excess conditions can be caused by various factors, including external pathogens, improper diet, emotional stress, or lifestyle factors. Excess can lead to various symptoms depending on the type and location of the excess.

Here are the primary types of excess conditions in Chinese medicine:

1. Qi Stagnation (气滞, “qi zhi”):

• Symptoms: Distending pain, emotional frustration, irritability, a feeling of tightness or fullness, sighing, a wiry pulse.
• Commonly Affected Organs: Liver.
• Example: Liver Qi stagnation can cause symptoms such as hypochondriac pain, PMS, and irritability.

1. Blood Stasis (血瘀, “xue yu”):

• Symptoms: Sharp or stabbing pain, fixed location of pain, dark or purplish complexion or tongue, clots in menstrual blood, a choppy or wiry pulse.
• Commonly Affected Organs: Liver, Heart.
• Example: Blood stasis can cause conditions like dysmenorrhea or angina.

1. Dampness (湿, “shi”):

• Symptoms: Heaviness, swelling, sticky or greasy sensation, turbid urine, loose stools, a slippery pulse, a greasy tongue coating.
• Commonly Affected Organs: Spleen.
• Example: Dampness affecting the Spleen can lead to symptoms like bloating, edema, and lethargy.

1. Phlegm (痰, “tan”):

• Symptoms: Coughing with phlegm, a feeling of obstruction in the chest, dizziness, a slippery pulse, a greasy tongue coating.
• Commonly Affected Organs: Lung, Spleen.
• Example: Phlegm accumulation can result in conditions like chronic bronchitis or asthma.

1. Heat (热, “re”):

• Symptoms: Fever, red face, thirst, irritability, rapid pulse, red tongue with yellow coating.
• Commonly Affected Organs: Liver, Heart, Stomach.
• Example: Excess Heat in the Stomach can cause symptoms like acid reflux or bad breath.

1. Cold (寒, “han”):

• Symptoms: Cold limbs, aversion to cold, pale complexion, pain relieved by warmth, slow pulse, pale tongue with a white coating.
• Commonly Affected Organs: Stomach, Intestines, Uterus.
• Example: Cold invasion in the Stomach can lead to symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Excess conditions are generally treated by dispersing, clearing, or resolving the excess. Treatments can include acupuncture to move Qi and Blood, herbal formulas to clear Heat or Dry Dampness, and dietary recommendations to avoid exacerbating the excess condition. The goal is to restore balance and harmony within the body, ensuring the smooth flow and appropriate amounts of Qi, Blood, and other fundamental substances.