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Heat and Fire in the Stomach
Cause
- over-consumption of hot and spicy foods
- over-consumption of meat
- regular alcohol consumption
In traditional Chinese medicine the cause for “heat and fire in the Stomach” is over-consumption of “hot foods". (1) "Hot foods" are all spicy foods, all meats (with the exception of pork), and most nuts. “Hot drinks" are coffee, wine, and spirits. Cigarettes have also heating nature. Thus regular smokers, regular alcohol consumers, meat fans, and spicy over-eaters most likely have "Stomach heat" or "Stomach fire".
If the heat in the Stomach is not addressed it will eventually burn the fluids of the Stomach, thus disrupt Stomach substance known as Stomach Yin deficiency in Chinese medicine. Stomach Yin deficiency is rather chronic issue, while Stomach fire is rather acute.
If you want to learn more about the Stomach and it's functions from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine go to "The Stomach in Chinese medicine" in the Physiology chapter.
Symptoms
- thirst
- dry mouth
- constipation
- Stomach yin deficiency symptoms - dry mouth and throat, dry stools, thirst with no desire to drink, lack of appetite, epigastric pain
- Stomach fire symptoms - burning pain in the Stomach, constant unsatisfactory hunger, sour regurgitation, nausea, swollen, painful or bleeding gums, bad breath, thirst with desire for cold drinks
As heat has drying nature stomach heat will dry the fluids of the Stomach causing thirst, dry mouth, and constipation. In the cases of “Stomach yin deficiency”, where the dryness has become chronic, there will be dry mouth and throat, especially in the afternoon (the time, governed by Yin), dry stools, and thirst with no desire to drink. There is no appetite and people often feel full after eating small amounts of food as there is not enough Stomach juice to process the food. There is often epigastric pain and the chronic heat may manifest in some afternoon fever. (1)
In the case of “Stomach fire” the Stomach pain will be rather severe and burning. As the energy of “the fire” immediately digests the food there will be constant and unsatisfactory hunger. Since the nature of the fire is to flare upward the natural downward flow of the Stomach Qi will become disrupted and become rebellious, manifesting in sour regurgitation, nausea, and sometimes vomiting after eating. The Spleen/Stomach partnership opens into the mouth, thus Stomach fire will manifest in swelling and pain in the gums, and bleeding gums. As the heat induces smell there will be bad breath. The thirst is severe with desire for cold liquids. There is also constipation.
Treatment
In both “Stomach yin deficiency” and “Stomach fire” the treatment principle is to cool Stomach heat and nourish the Stomach lining, and the stomach fluids. Heat causing foods and drinks mentioned in the Cause section need to be avoided. Foods with cool and moistening nature should be selected.
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Food therapy is the cheapest, non-toxic, biochemical approach to illness and disease. Food is something we continuously use to sustain our lives. Learning what foods are healing (and what disruptive) for each condition has the potential to convert every meal into therapy.
YS
(1) Maciocia, Giovanni (1989). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Nanjing: Harcourt Publishers Limited
(2) Pitchford, Paul (2002). Healing with Whole Foods. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books
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