Zang Organs Heart, Liver, Lungs PDF

Zang Organs (Part I) Heart, Liver, Lungs ACUP 127—Jessica Walker BA, R.Ac  The Heart “The Monarch” ’Emperor’ or ruler of all other organs Main Functions...

Zang Organs (Part I) Heart, Liver, Lungs ACUP 127—Jessica Walker BA, R.Ac  The Heart “The Monarch” ’Emperor’ or ruler of all other organs Main Functions Fire of the Heart: Emperor Fire Fire of the Kidneys: Ministerial Fire (Ming Men) ❖ Governs the Blood ❖ Controls the Blood Vessels Other Functions ❖ Houses the Mind (Shen) ❖ Manifests in the complexion ❖ Opens into the tongue Heart Relationships ❖ smell is scorched ❖ Controls sweat ❖ colour is red ❖ Related to joy ❖ taste is bitter ❖ climate is heat ❖ sound is laughing  The Heart—Governs the Blood ❖ Quality of Heart and Blood determines strength and constitution of a person ❖ Heart crack: constitutional weakness of the Heart; prone to emotional problems (anxiety) ❖ In uences menstruation: Heart controls discharge of menstrual blood; controls downward movement of Qi & Blood during menstruation ❖ *Liver Blood is stored in the Uterus fl The Heart—Controls the Blood Vessels State of the pulse: blood vessels depends on the Heart’s Qi and Blood ❖ healthy Heart-Qi=full and regular pulse ❖ Heart Qi de ciency=feeble and irregular pulse ❖ healthy Heart Blood=full and smooth pulse ❖ Heart Blood de ciency=Choppy pulse ❖ Heart-Blood Stasis=blood vessels feel hard (possible arteriosclerosis) fi fi  The Heart—Houses the Mind (Shen) The Heart is the residence of the Mind; the Heart is in control of the Mind *After the Ming dynasty, some doctors attributed The Heart is the ‘root of life’ and origin of mental life. the ‘residence of the Mind’ to the brain. The Mind and the emotions ❖ Healthy Heart/Blood: normal mental activity, balanced emotional life, clear consciousness, good memory, keen thinking, good quality of sleep ❖ De cient Heart/Blood: mental-emotion problems (anxiety and depression), poor memory, dull thinking, insomnia or ‘Blood is the root of the Mind’ somnolence, unconsciousness (extreme cases). ❖ Excess Heart conditions: mental illness (such as manic- depression); *other organs also affect the emotions. ❖ Heart affects the capacity to form meaningful relationships; ability to relate to other people; unhealthy relationships negatively affect the Heart ❖ Three Treasures (Jing, Qi, Shen): Heart is affected by Jing and Qi as well. Jing and Shen show in the luster of the eyes. fi The Heart—other Functions Joy (lack of or excessive) ❖ Excessive Joy=overexcitement, overstimulation, mania; new relationship; “Rock star lifestyle”: too much partying, craving, stimulants, sex ❖ Excessive Joy makes the Heart larger. Can lead to: palpitations, overexitabilty, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, talking a lot, red tongue tip. ❖ Sudden Joy (can be akin to shock); dilates Heart and vessels Heart controls sweat ❖ Sweat is a Body Fluid; Body Fluids and Blood affect each other ❖ Nervous sweating is related to the Heart ❖ Spontaneous sweating: Heart Qi or Yang Deficiency ❖ Night sweating: Heart Yin deficiency ❖ Excessive sweating can damage Heart Yang and Blood  The Heart—other Functions *Healthy Heart and Blood=complexion that is rosy and lustrous  The ‘Five Energetic Layers’ and the Pulse Pulse depth Energetic layer Skin Super icial & Muscles Sinews Middle & Blood Vessels Deep Bones f  Heart—correspondences Re ects a Heart disharmony, especially Heart-Fire. Smell scorched Not common in practice to notice this smell on patients. Colour red Red complexion may indicate pathology of the Heart, often Heart-Fire Often caused by Heart-Fire from intense emotions (frustration, resentment, jealousy, or guilt) Bitter taste often related to Liver also (Liver-Fire) Taste bitter Heart-Fire: bitter taste only in the morning Liver-Fire: bitter taste all day Bitter life experiences The Heart loathes heat; heat affects the Heart negatively Heat can penetrate the Pericardium (which protects the Heart) causing high fever and delirium Climate heat Hot weather can affect heart patients in Biomedicine Heat injures the Heart because it causes sweating; depletes Heart-Yang talking with bouts of laughter=disharmony of the Heart (either Empty or Full) Sound laughing Jovial people who laugh loudly may suffer from a Heart disharmony (Heart-Fire) also, lack of joy/laughter fl  Heart—Sleep and Dreams ❖ The Heart houses the Mind (Shen). ❖ Heart-Blood healthy: person easily falls asleep and sleeps soundly. Heart—Sayings ❖ Heart-Blood weak: Mind has no residence and ❖ The Heart loathes heat: coma, delirium, will oat at night causing insomnia, super cial aphasia or disturbed sleep, and excessive dreaming. ❖ The Heart controls speech: talking a lot, ❖ Dreams: ancient texts mention dreaming of stuttering, aphasia res and smoke, volcanic eruptions and laughing. ❖ *Dreams are also related to the Hun (Ethereal Soul) of the Liver. fi fl fi  The Liver—Functions The Army General Responsible for planning and ensuring the smooth flow of Qi Main Functions Other Functions ❖ Ensures the smooth ow of Qi ❖ Controls the sinews ❖ Stores the Blood ❖ Manifests in the nails ❖ Opens into the eyes Liver Relationships ❖ Controls the tears ❖ smell is rancid ❖ colour is green ❖ Houses the Hun (Ethereal Soul) ❖ taste is sour ❖ Affected by anger ❖ climate is Wind ❖ sound is shouting fl  The Liver—Ensures Smooth Flow of Qi Most important of all Liver functions and central to all Liver pathology ❖ Liver ensures the smooth ow of Qi throughout the body, in all organs and in all directions ❖ terms used to describe this function: ’disperse’, ‘extend’, ‘loosen’, ‘relax’, Liver-Qi Stagnation ‘circulate’, ‘make smooth and free’ and ‘balance’ (literally ‘stop extremes’) ❖ Smooth ow of Qi affects: ❖ emotional state Healthy low of Liver Qi ❖ digestion ❖ secretion of bile Movement of Liver-Qi Wood Element (upwards & expansive in all directions) f fl fl  The Liver—Ensures Smooth Flow of Qi Liver Qi and Digestion ❖ smooth ow of Liver-Qi assists Spleen and Stomach digestive function Emotional State ❖ Liver-Qi stagnation can cause ‘Wood overacting on ❖ balanced emotional life; Hun coming and Earth’: going smoothly ❖ invades Stomach preventing downward ❖ Liver-Qi Stagnation: emotional frustration, movement of ST-Qi (belching, acid re ux, depression, repressed anger; physical nausea, vomiting) symptoms can be: hypochondriac pain or abdominal distention, chest oppression, ❖ invades Spleen obstructing transformation and lump in throat, premenstrual tension (PMS), transportation of food, prevent Sp-Qi from owing upward (diarrhea) breast tenderness and distention ❖ Reciprocal relationship: emotional stress will negatively affect the Liver; if the Liver is diseased, emotional issues can develop. Secretion of Bile ❖ if Liver Qi ows smoothly, bile is secreted properly and digestion is good ❖ Liver Qi stagnation can lead to bile getting obstructed: bitter taste, belching, jaundice, inability to digest fats fl fl fl fl  The Liver—Stores the Blood Regulates Blood Volume ❖ Liver stores Blood and regulates the volume of Blood in the whole body (rest and activity) ❖ Three aspects: 1. Liver regulates the volume of Blood in the body: ❖ body active, blood ows to muscles and sinews: nourishes and moistens tissues, supports activity and performance ❖ body at rest (lying down), blood ows back to Liver: restores person’s energy 2. Energy levels: if Liver function impaired, affects a person’s energy: ’When the Liver has enough Blood, the feet can walk, the hands can hold and the ngers can grasp.’ 3. In uences our resistance to EPFs (indirectly) ❖ healthy: skin and muscles nourished by Blood and able to resist attacks by EPFs ❖ function impaired: skin and muscles not nourished, prone to attacks ❖ *Lung Qi and Wei Qi also play a role fl fl fi fl  The Liver—Stores the Blood Menstruation ❖ Stagnant Liver-Qi can lead to Liver-Blood Stasis causing: painful periods, PMS and menstrual blood with dark clots ❖ Liver closely connected to Ren and Chong Meridians (Extraordinary vessels). Malfunction in Liver can induce an imbalance in these vessels and affect menstruation. Treats Blood and emotional state  The Liver—Stores the Blood Liver Blood moistens the Sinews and eyes Sinews ❖ Liver Blood is important for tendons, ligaments, cartilage and proper functioning of joints: ❖ Liver Blood de cient: muscle cramps, contraction of tendons, numbness, tingling ❖ Liver-Blood Stasis: stiffness of sinews, rigidity, pain ❖ Liver Wind: tremor or convulsions (“shaking of the tendons”) Eyes ❖ Reciprocal relationship (Blood can affect Liver and health ❖ Liver Blood moistens and brightens the eyes ❖ De cient Liver Blood: dry eyes and blurry vision of Liver can affect Blood): ❖ Blood de cient or hot: will affect Liver functioning ❖ Liver-Blood has Heat: red eyes and painful ❖ Abnormal Liver function can affect the Blood: skin ❖ *other organs can affect the eyes diseases, eczema, psoriasis; storage container ‘not clean’ can spoil food fi fi fi  The Liver—other Functions Controls the Sinews; manifest in the nails Controls the Sinews ❖ Sinews=tendons, ligaments, cartilage ❖ state of sinews affects our capacity for physical activity ❖ Sinews get the “leftovers”: ’The Qi of food enters the Stomach, the re ned essence extracted from food goes to the Liver and the excess Qi from the Liver over ows into the sinews’—Simple Questions ❖ Pathologies (see section on Liver Blood moistens the sinews): i.e Liver-Blood xu/stasis and Liver Wind ❖ Manifests in the nails: by-product of sinews ("the ❖ Neurological connection in Western Medicine: high fevers extra”); under in uence of Liver Blood ❖ Liver Blood de ciency: nails dry, brittle, cracked causing convulsions (Wind symptom) ❖ Liver Blood Stasis: nails dark or purple ❖ Muscles vs. Sinews: ❖ Spleen pathology: weakness of limb muscles related to Spleen ❖ Liver pathology: cramps, contractions, dif culty in exion/extension fl fi fi fl fl fi  The Liver—other Functions Opens into the eyes; controls the tears ❖ Opens into the eyes: sense organ of the Liver (see section on ‘Liver Blood moistens the eyes’) ❖ other organs affect the eyes, especially Kidney Essence and the Heart (re ect state of Mind) ❖ Controls the tears: tears are the uid of the Liver (re ex tears that lubricate, not tears from emotions) ❖ Liver-Blood or Liver-Yin de ciency: dryness of the eyes ❖ Liver-Yang rising: watery eyes, frequent tearing fl fl fi fl  The Liver—other Functions Affected by Anger Affected by anger: ❖ includes frustration, resentment, repressed anger and rage ❖ causes Liver-Qi stagnation if repressed ❖ anger that is vented causes Liver-Yang rising or Liver- Fire ❖ Reciprocal relationship: anger affects health of the Liver and poor health of Liver can cause angry feelings  The Liver—other Functions Houses the Hun Liver Houses the Ethereal Soul (Hun): ❖ Yang in nature; survives the body after death to ow back to non-material energies ❖ in uences capacity to plan our life, nd sense of direction ❖ Healthy Liver Blood: Hun is rooted, gives us wisdom and vision for our lives ❖ Liver-Blood de cient: Hun not rooted, lack of sense of direction in life ❖ Liver-Blood or Liver-Yin very de cient: Hun can leave body at night or just before going to sleep; sensation as if oating in the moments before sleep (Hun not rooted in Yin and Blood) ❖ ‘Coming and going of the Mind’: Hun is source of life dreams, vision, aims, projects, creativity; Hun provides the Mind with inspiration and ideas. Mind restrains Hun. fl fl fi fi fi fl  Liver—Correspondences rancid meat; strong body odour from the armpits Smell rancid common in clinical practice Associated with Liver pathology (Heat: Liver Fire or Damp-Heat in the Liver) greenish complexion, left cheek in particular re ects state of the Liver Colour green greenish vaginal discharge (Damp Heat of the Liver channel) sour taste in mouth: Liver pathology, especially Heat excessive consumption of sour herbs and foods may injure the Liver, Spleen and muscles Taste sour sour taste bene ts the Lungs (Metal controls Wood) *Bitter taste: very common symptom of Liver pathology (Liver-Fire, Damp-Heat in the LIV/GB) Liver disharmony can cause a person to detest the Wind Climate wind Liver symptoms triggered by Wind: ear pain, migraines, stiff neck Sound shouting Liver condition: speaking loudly, shouting, venting anger (especially Excess Liver condition) fi fl The Liver—Sayings  The Lungs ‘Prime Minister in charge of regulation’ Aid the Heart (Emperor) Other Functions Main Functions ❖ Regulate the Water passages ❖ Govern Qi & respiration ❖ Controls skin and hair ❖ Control channels and blood ❖ Open into the nose Vessels ❖ Control nasal mucus ❖ Control diffusing and ❖ House the Po (Corporeal Soul) descending of Qi Lungs Relationships ❖ smell is rotten ❖ Regulate all physiological ❖ colour is white activities ❖ taste is pungent ❖ climate is dryness ❖ sound is weeping The Lungs—Main Functions Govern Qi and Respiration ❖ Lung are the most ‘external’ of the Yin Organs ❖ connection between the body and the outside world ❖ easily attacked by EPFs; referred to as the “delicate organ” The Lungs—Main Functions Control channels and blood vessels ❖Lungs play a role in maintaining the blood vessels: Lungs govern Qi and Qi is essential to aid the Heart to circulate the Blood. ❖ ‘Mai’ (vessel) can mean both blood vessels and Acupuncture channels. Lungs control both blood vessels and Acupuncture channels. ❖Pulse is felt on the Lung meridian  The Lungs—Main Functions Control Diffusing and Descending of Qi Upper Burner (‘The Mist’) ❖ Excess condition: pores tight/blocked=no sweat ❖ De ciency condition: pores ‘over-relaxed’, ‘too loose’, remain open=spontaneous sweating ❖ Lung diffusing function impaired, uids accumulate under skin: can get edema (usually of the face) fi fl  The Lungs—Main Functions Control Diffusing and Descending of Qi Lungs are the upmost organ in the body; the ‘lid’ or ‘magni cent lid’. Lung Qi must descend. Lung Descending movement impaired: Affects Lungs: cough, breathlessness, feeling of oppression in the chest can affect Large Intestine and Bladder: no power for defecation, urinary problems (esp. in elderly) fi The Lungs—Main Functions Regulate all Physiological Activities ❖ ‘The Lungs are like a Prime Minister in charge of regulation.’ ❖ Qi is the basis for all physiological activities. Lungs govern Qi. ❖ Heart as Emperor, Lungs as Prime Minister; close relationship between Qi and Blood The Lungs—other functions The Lungs—other functions The Lungs—other functions  Lungs—correspondences purulent sputum in a chest infection of the lungs Smell rotten occasionally smelled without chest infection with Lung-Heat or Phlegm-Heat in the Lungs white is Metal Element colour Colour white pale-white cheeks=Lung-Qi de ciency includes spicy tastes small amount of spicy/pungent taste bene ts the Lungs examples: chilli, curry, cayenne pepper; nutmeg, cinnamon, peppermint and other volatile oils; onions, garlic, Taste pungent ginger; these stimulate the diffusing of Lung-Qi excessive consumption weakens Lung Yin or can lead to Lung Heat and can injure Wood injures the Lung (esp. Lung Yin) Climate dryness Lungs need to be moist; depend on vapour generated by heating action of Kidney-Yang weeping and crying are the sound of the Lungs Lungs are affected by sadness and grief Sound weeping weepy voice, like going to burst into tears: can be a Lung de ciency fi fi fi  The Lung—Sayings ❖ The Lungs control the 100 vessels: ❖ rules both blood vessels and Meridians ❖ close relationship b/w Lungs & Heart, Qi & Blood; Qi is the commander of Blood ❖ pulse is taken on radial artery (also Lung channel) ❖ The Lungs loath cold: ❖ Lungs rule skin and Wei Qi, easily invaded by EPFs (esp. Wind-Cold) ❖ The Lungs govern the voice: strength, tone and clarity of voice; ❖ Lungs healthy: voice like a bell with clear ringing sound ❖ Lungs weak: low voice ❖ Lungs obstructed by phlegm: muf ed tone of voice ❖ Lungs are the delicate organ: ❖ rst of the internal organs to be invaded by EPFs: ❖ Lungs rule the Cou-li and Wei Qi (on exterior of the body, rst energetic layer) ❖ if EPF penetrates deeper, effects Lungs (lung infection) ❖ Lungs especially delicate in children; prone to colds fi fl  References Photos: https://giovanni-maciocia.com/tongue-gallery/ https://www.staveleyhead.co.uk/blog/what-causes-tra c-jams/ Ching, N. (2017). 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