The Treatment of Modern Western - Biblio.nhat-nam.ru

40HYPOTENSIONHypotension refers to lower than normal blood pressure. Inmodern Western medicine, low blood pressure, for instance60/90, is not considered a problem. Rather, because highblood pressure is known to be such a killer, many Westernhealth care providers tell patients with chronically low bloodpressure that this is good. However, in Chinese medicine,low blood pressure is considered a disease and it is routinelytreated. The two subtypes of hypotension which Westernmedicine does recognize and attempt to treat are idiopathicorthostatic hypotension and Shy-Drager syndrome.Idiopathic orthostatic hypotension is a syndrome of symptomsdue to degeneration of postganglionic sympatheticneurons confined to the autonomic nervous system. Shy-Drager syndrome is due to multiple systems degenerationwith more widespread neurologic damage, including autonomicdysfunction with cerebrellar atraxia, parkinsonism,corticospinal and corticobulbar tract dysfunction, and amyotrophy.Western medical treatment of these two conditionsincludes administration of steroids, salt supplementation,and ephedrine in an effort to constrict blood vessels andincrease blood pressure. Unfortunately, metoclopramide, oneof the drugs used by Western physicians, may exacerbateparkinsonian symptoms and long-term use may lead to tardivedyskinesia, dystonia, or akathisia.CHINESE DISEASE CATEGORIZATION: Like hypertension,hypotension may be asymptomatic as far as Chinese medicineis concerned. When it is asymptomatic, it does not correspondto any traditional Chinese disease category. When hypotensionis complicated and, therefore, there are signs and symptoms, itis mainly categorized as xu lao, vacuity taxation, xuan yun,dizziness, and xin ji, heart palpitations.DISEASE CAUSES & MECHANISMS: The most commonclinical symptoms of low blood pressure are orthostatichypotension, fatigue, and cold hands and feet. These aremainly spleen qi vacuity symptoms and, therefore, we cansay that the core disease mechanism of hypotension is nothingother than spleen qi vacuity. However, in clinical practice,spleen qi vacuity may be complicated by a number ofother disease mechanisms. These include yin and/or yangvacuity, dampness, qi stagnation, and blood stasis.TREATMENT BASED ON PATTERNDISCRIMINATION:1. SPLEEN QI VACUITY PATTERNMAIN SYMPTOMS: A pale, lusterless facial complexion,fatigue which is often worse after large meals, weak limbs,diminished qi, a weak voice and disinclination to speak dueto speaking being fatiguing, aversion to cold, dizziness, loosestools, commonly a craving for sweets, a swollen tongue withteeth-marks on its edges, and a fine, forceless, sometimesslow or moderate (i.e., slightly slow) pulseTREATMENT PRINCIPLES: Fortify the spleen and boost the qiRX: Sheng Ya Tang (Upbear the [Blood] Pressure Decoction)INGREDIENTS:Huang Qi (Radix Astragali)Dang Shen (Radix Codonopsitis)Wu Wei Zi (Fructus Schisandrae)Mai Men Dong (Tuber Ophiopogonis)Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri)30g30g20g9g3gANALYSIS OF FORMULA: Sheng Ya Tang is a modification ofSheng Mai San (Engender the Pulse Powder). Ren Shen, MaiMen Dong, and Wu Wei Zi strongly boost the qi and engenderthe pulse, while Huang Qi and Chai Hu boost the qi andupbear the clear.