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

48MENIERE’S DISEASEMeniere’s disease is characterized by recurrent dizziness andvertigo, tinnitus, and sensory hearing loss. Its etiology isunknown, and it mostly occurs in the middle-aged. Attacks ofvertigo appear suddenly and last from a few to 24 hoursbefore gradually subsiding. These attacks are typically associatedwith nausea and vomiting. In addition, there may oftenbe a feeling of recurrent fullness or pressure in the affected ear.Eighty to 90% of cases are one-sided, and tinnitus may beeither constant or intermittent, possibly worsening before,during, or after attacks. The Western medical treatment ofMeniere’s disease is mostly based on providing symptomaticrelief with anticholinergic agents, antihistamines, or barbituates.Diazepam (i.e., Valium) is also used to relieve the distressof severe vertigo. Several different surgeries may be used inpatients with disabling severe, recurrent vertigo.CHINESE DISEASE CATEGORIZATION: Meniere’sdisease is mainly categorized as xuan yun, dizziness, xuan mao,veiling dizziness, tou xuan, head dizziness, and tou feng xuan,head wind dizziness. Nausea is categorized as e xin, nausea,literally “malign heart,” and ou e, nausea and vomiting.DISEASE CAUSES: External contraction of the six environmentalexcesses, internal damage by the seven affects, unregulatedeating and drinking, taxation fatigue, and loss of bloodDISEASE MECHANISMS: In patients who have a habitualbodily yang exuberance, emotional stress, frustration, oranger and/or over-eating spicy, acrid, hot, fatty foods ordrinking alcohol may result in liver yang becoming effulgent.If extreme, this may engender wind and transform into fire.It is also possible for unfulfilled desires or anger to angerdamage the liver, resulting in liver depression which may alsotransform into fire. Further, due to aging, enduring disease,taxation fatigue, drug use, or excessive sexual activity, yinvacuity may lead to yang hyperactivity with subsequent windand fire. In all these cases, wind and fire may ascend andharass the clear orifices above, thus resulting in dizziness.Enduring disease or taxation fatigue may consume and damagethe qi and blood, excessive thinking or worry and anxietymay damage the spleen, or simple blood loss may allresult in qi and blood dual vacuity. If the qi becomes vacuous,the clear yang will become devitalized. If the bloodbecomes vacuous, the brain will fail to receive sufficientnourishment. In either case, there may be dizziness.Former heaven natural endowment insufficiency, aging,enduring disease, drug use, and excessive sexual activity mayall result in kidney essence insufficiency. Essence engenders themarrow which gathers in the brain. If kidney essence insufficiencyfails to fill the brain with marrow, dizziness may occur.If, due to over-eating fatty, sweet foods or drinking alcohol,dampness is engendered internally, this dampness may transforminto phlegm. It is also possible for excessive worry andanxiety to damage the spleen which may fail to do its duty ofmoving and transforming fluids in the body. If fluids collect,they may transform into evil dampness. If dampnessendures, it may transform into phlegm. No matter how it isengendered, phlegm dampness or phlegm turbidity mayobstruct the center, thus preventing clear yang from beingupborne and turbid yin from being downborne. Rather,phlegm dampness may confound and block the clear orificesand hence cause dizziness. If phlegm turbidity becomesdepressed and engenders heat or transforms into fire, phlegmand fire may ascend to assail the clear orifices. This can causeeven more serious dizziness.TREATMENT BASED ON PATTERNDISCRIMINATION:1. LIVER YANG HARASSING ABOVE PATTERNMAIN SYMPTOMS: Dizziness, tinnitus with a loud noise,possible diminished hearing, head distention and pain, easyanger, taxation fatigue worsening the condition, insomnia,