General Symptoms and Their Meaning in TCM

 Colors of the Face  Chills and Fever

 Appearance  Perspiration
 Eyes  Appetite, Eating, and Taste
 Nose  Defecation and Urination
 Ears  Pain
 Gums  Sleep
 Lips and Mouth  Menses
 Throat

Colors of the Face Meaning

Red (Excess or Xu Heat)

Whole Face Heat from External Evil or

Hyperactivity of Zang Fu (Excess)

Cheeks, Tidal Fever, Night Sweats Internal Heat (Xu)

Pale (Cold or Loss of Blood)

Pale White Yin Excess or Yang Xu

Colors of the Face Meaning

Bright White with Puffy and Bloated Yang Qi Xu

Appearance

Withered White Blood Xu

Yellow (Damp or Xu)

Body, Face, Eyes, and Skin Jaundice

Bright Orange Yang Jaundice (Damp Heat)

Smoky Dark Yin Jaundice (Cold Damp or Long

Term Stagnation)

Pale Yellow (Not Bright) Blood and Qi Xu

Blue (Cold, Pain, Blood Stagnation, Convulsions)

Pale with Blue Tinge and Severe Pain Excess Yin and Cold
in the Epigastrium and Abdomen
Colors of the Face Meaning

Bluish Purple Face and Lips with Stagnation of Heart Blood

Intermittent Pain Behind the Sternum
or Precordial Region

Bluish Purple Face and Lips with High Infantile Convulsion

Fever and Violent Movement of Limbs
in Children

Dark Gray (Blood Stagnation and Kidney Xu)

Pale and Dark with Lumbar Soreness Kidney Yang Xu

and Cold Feet

Dark without Brightness with Scaly Prolonged Blood Stagnation

Skin

Appearance Meaning

Overweight with Mental Depression Qi Xu and Excess Damp Phlegm

Loss of Weight in Long Term Illness Exhaustion of Essential Qi

Appearance Meaning

Thin with Dry Skin Blood Xu

Extended Neck Excess Lung Syndrome with Excess

Phlegm

Facing Downward Qi Xu with Shortness of Breath,

Dislike of Speaking

Violent Movement of Limbs Wind Diseases, Infantile

Convulsions

Weakness, Motor Impairment, and Wei Syndromes

Muscular Atrophy of Limbs

Pain, Soreness, Heaviness and Bi Syndromes

Numbness in Tendons, Bones and
Muscles, with Swelling and Restricted
Movement of Joints

Numbness or Impaired Movement of Hemiplegia or Wind Stroke

Limbs on One Side of the Body

Eyes Meaning
Eyes Meaning

Redness and Swelling Wind Heat or Liver Fire

Yellow Sclera Jaundice

Ulceration or Canthus Damp Heat

Upward, Straight Forward, or Liver Wind

Sideways Staring

Nose Meaning

Flapping of Ala Nasi Heat in the Lungs or Qi Xu of both

Lung and Kidney

Clear Discharge Wind Cold

Turbid Discharge Wind Heat

Prolonged Turbid Discharge, with Rhinitis or Chronic Sinusitis

Stinking Discharge
Ears Meaning

Burnt Black and Dry and Withered Consumption of Kidney essence

Auricles in Severe Illness

Purulent Discharge Damp Heat of Liver and Gall

Bladder

Gums Meaning

Pale Gums Blood Xu

Redness and Swelling Stomach Fire

Redness and Swelling with Bleeding Injury of Vessels by Stomach Fire

Lips and Mouth Meaning

Pale Lips Blood Xu

Bluish Purple Lips Retention of Cold or Blood

Stagnation
Lips and Mouth Meaning

Red and Dry Lips Excess Heat

Sudden Collapse with Open Mouth Xu

Sudden Collapse with Lockjaw Excess

Throat Meaning

Redness, Swelling, and Soreness Lung and Stomach Heat

Redness and Swelling with Yellow or Toxic Heat in Lung and Stomach
White Ulcer Spots

Bright Red with Mild Soreness Yin Xu with Hyperactive Fire

False Gray and White Membrane over Diphtheria from Heat in the Lung
Throat that is Hard to Remove, and Consuming Yin.
Bleeds Following Removal

Chills and Fever Meaning

Chills and Fever Meaning

Chills Accompanied by Fever (External Pathogen Fighting with

Antipathogenic Qi (Zheng Qi))

Severe Chills, Mild Fever, Absence of Wind Cold

Sweating, Headache, General Aching,
and a Superficial Tight Pulse

Mild Chills, Severe Fever, Thirst, Wind Heat

Sweating, and a Superficial Rapid
Pulse

Alternating Chills and Fever

Alternating Chills and Fever with a Intermediate Syndrome

Bitter Taste in the Mouth, Thirst,
Fullness and Stuffiness in the Chest
and Hypochondrium

Alternating Chills Occurring at Specific Malaria

Times of the Day

Fever without Chills

Chills and Fever Meaning

High Fever with Aversion to Heat, Excess Heat in the Interior

Profuse Sweating, Severe Thirst, and a
Surging Pulse

Fever at a Fixed Hour of the Day Tidal Fever

Tidal Fever in the Afternoon or Evening, Yin Xu

with Night Sweating, and a Red Tongue
with Little Moisture

Fever more Pronounced in the Yangming Fu Syndrome

Afternoon with Constipation, and
Fullness and Pain in the Abdomen

Chills without Fever

Chilled Appearance, Cold Limbs, and a Interior Cold Xu

Deep, Slow, and Weak Pulse
Perspiration Meaning

Absence of Sweating in Exterior Invasion by Pathogenic Cold

Syndromes

Presence of Sweating in Exterior Exterior Xu from Exposure to Wind,

Syndromes or Exterior Heat from Invasion of
Pathogenic Wind Heat

Night Sweating (May also have Tidal Yin Xu with Hyperactivity of Yang
Fever, and a Red Tongue with Little Heat
Coat

Spontaneous Sweating (May also have Qi and Yang Xu

Chills, Listlessness, and Lassitude)

Profuse Sweating with High Fever, Excess Interior Heat

Mental Restlessness, Thirst for Cold
Drinks, and a Surging Pulse

Profuse Sweating with Listlessness, Total Exhaustion of Yang Qi

Feeble Energy, Cold Limbs, and a
Deep Thready Pulse in a Severe Case
Appetite, Eating, and Taste Meaning

Poor Appetite in a Prolonged Illness Spleen and Stomach Weakness

with Emaciation, Loose Stools,
Lassitude, and a Pale Tongue with Thin
White Coat

Poor Appetite with Stuffiness in the Stagnation of Qi of the Spleen and

Chest, Fullness in the Abdomen, and a Stomach Caused by Retention of
Thick Sticky Tongue Coat Food or Dampness

Excessive Appetite and Easily Hungry

in a Skinny Patient Excess Stomach Fire

Hunger with no Desire to Eat, or Eating Impairment of Stomach Yin,

Small Amounts of Food Producing Internal Xu Heat

Lack of Thirst During an Illness Body Fluids are not Consumed

(Usually present in a Cold
Syndrome, or where Heat is not
Noticeable)

Presence of Thirst During an Illness Consumption of Body Fluid or

Retention of Phlegm Damp in the
Interior Preventing Fluid from
Ascending
Appetite, Eating, and Taste Meaning

Bitter Taste in the Mouth Liver and Gallbladder Fire

Sweet Taste in the Mouth Damp Heat in the Spleen and

Stomach

Sour Regurgitation Retention of Heat in the Liver and

Stomach

Tastelessness Spleen Xu

Defecation and Urination Meaning

Constipation from Dryness of the Stool Accumulation of Heat or

Consumption of Body Fluids

Loose Stools Spleen Xu, or Damp Retention in

the Spleen

Watery Stool with Undigested Food Spleen and Kidney Yang Xu

Defecation and Urination Meaning

Bloody Stool with Mucus and Tenesmus Damp Heat in the Intestines and
Stagnation of Qi in the Intestinal
Tract

Yellow Urine Heat Syndrome

Clear and Profuse Urine Absence of Pathogenic Heat, or

Cold Syndrome

Turbid Urine Damp Heat Pouring Downward, or

Downward Leakage of Turbid
Essence.

Red Urine Injury of Vessels by Heat

Clear Urine with Increased Volume Infirmity of Kidney Qi, and Bladder
Dysfunction in Controlling Urine

Scanty, Yellow Urine, with Urgent and Downward Movement of Damp

Painful Urination Heat in to the Bladder
Defecation and Urination Meaning

Dribbling Urination or Retention of Urine Exhausted Kidney Qi (Xu) or

in Severe Cases Stagnant Bladder Qi (Excess) due
to the Downward Infusion of Damp
Heat, Stagnant Blood, or Stones.

Pain Meaning

Severe Distention and Mild Pain Moving Qi Stagnation

from Place to Place, Often Occurring in
the Chest, Epigastric, Hypochondriac,
and Abdomen

Headache with Distending Sensation in Upward Disturbance by Fire and

the Head Heat

Prickling Pain, Sharp and Fixed in Blood Stagnation

Location, Often Occurring in the Chest,
Epigastric, Hypochondriac, and Lower
Abdominal Regions.

Pain with and Heavy Sensation (Weighty Dampness Blocking Qi and

Pain), Often Occurring in the Head, Four Blood
Limbs and Lumbar Regions
Pain Meaning

Colicky Pain Abrupt Obstruction of the Qi by

Substantial Pathogenic Factors

Pulling Pain which is Spasmodic in Liver Wind

Nature and Short in Duration

Burning Pain with a Burning Sensation Invasion of the Collaterals by

and a Preference for Coolness, Often Pathogenic Fire and Heat or from
Occurring in the Hypochondriac regions Excessive Yang Heat due to Yin
on Both Sides, and in the Epigastric Xu
Region

Pain with a Cold Sensation and a Pathogenic Cold Blocking the

Preference for Warmth, Often Occurring Collaterals or Lack of Warmth
in the Head, Lumbar, Epigastric, and and Nourishment in the Zang Fu
Abdominal Regions. and Meridians due to Yang Qi Xu

Dull Pain that is not severe, lingers, and Xu Cold Syndrome

lasts for a long time
Pain Meaning

Headaches 1. Disturbance of the Clear Yang

by Pathogenic Factors (Usually
Excess) 2. Stagnation of Qi and
Blood in Endogenous Diseases
Blocking the Meridians and
Depriving the Brain of
Nourishment 3. Blood and Qi Xu
Failing to Nourish the Head, and
the Sea of Marrow Becomes
Empty.

Chest Pain Pathological Change in the Heart

and Lungs

Hypochondriac Pain Obstruction or Undernourishment

of the Liver and Gallbladder
Meridians

Epigastric Pain (Upper, Middle. Lower) Invasion of the Stomach by

Pathogenic Cold, Retention of
Food in the Stomach, or Invasion
of the Stomach by Liver Qi
Pain Meaning

Abdominal Pain
Excess Causes: Retention of
- Upper is SP Cold, Accumulation of Heat,
- Lower is KI, BL, LI, SI, Uterus
- Sides are LIV Stagnation of Qi, Stagnation of
Blood, Retention of Food or
Parasitic Diseases

Xu Causes: Qi Xu, Blood, Xu,

Deficiency of Cold

Lumbago Obstruction of the Kidney

Meridian or Deficiency of the
Kidney Failing to Nourish the
Lumbar Region

Pain in the Limbs (Joints, Muscles, or Retardation of Qi and Blood

Meridians) Circulation due to Invasion of the
Exogenous Pathogenic Factors

Persistent Pain in a Recent Disease or Excess Condition

Pain that is Aggravated by Pressure

Intermittent Pain that is Alleviated by Xu Condition

Pressure

Sleep Meaning
Sleep Meaning

Insomnia with Palpitations and Dizziness Failure of Blood to Nourish the

Heart due to Heart and Spleen
Xu

Insomnia with a Restless Mind, and Hyperactive Heart Fire

Dream Disturbed Sleep

Difficulty Falling Asleep due to an Derangement of Stomach Qi

Uncomfortable and Empty Sensation in Leading to Mental Restlessness
the Stomach or Gastric Discomfort After
a Full Meal

Lethargy Accompanied by Dizziness Phlegm Damp in the Interior

Half Asleep with General Lassitude Heart and Kidney Yang Xu

Menses Meaning

Menses of Shortened Cycle, Excess Heat in the Blood

Excessive in Amount, Deep Red in
Color, and Thick in Quality
Menses Meaning

Menses that are Light Colored, Failure of Qi to Command Blood

Profuse in Amount, and Thin in
Quality

Prolonged Cycle with Scanty Stagnation of Blood due to Cold

Purplish Dark Discharge or Clots

Thin, Scanty, Light Colored Flow Blood Xu

Irregular Menstrual Cycle Disharmony of the Flush and

Conception Vessels due to
Obstruction of Liver Qi

Premenstrual or Menstrual Stagnation of Blood due to Cold

Distending Pain in the Breasts and
Lower Abdomen which Intensifies on
Pressure During Menses

Dull Pain in the Lower Abdomen Qi and Blood Xu

During or After Menses which is
Alleviated by Pressure