Week 7 - Cause of Disease

Question 1

External Causes of Disease

Answer 1

The six qì

六氣assail the body from outside.

Question 2

Internal Causes of Disease

Answer 2

The seven

emotions 七情can cause illness from the inside.

Question 3

Neither-Internal-Nor-External (Neutral)

Causes of Disease

Answer 3

Lifestyle,

trauma, etc

Question 4

What are the 6 external causes of disease?

Answer 4

• The 六氣six qì are wind, cold, dryness,
dampness, summerheat, and fire.
• These are weather or climates, also related to the seasons

• It is also easy to receive external attack with air conditioning, fans, central heating,
  dressing inappropriately, working in hot
  factory or in a refrigerated area, etc.

Question 5

Which seasons are associated with which disease or qi?

Answer 5

• wind = spring, wood;
• summerheat or fire = summer, fire;
• dampness = late summer, earth;
• dryness = autumn, metal;
• coldness = winter, water.

Question 6

what defines exterior based illness?

Answer 6

conflicting symptoms - fever and chills

Question 7

whats up with wind and how it causes illness? [wind - feng]

Answer 7

• yang evil that damages yin and blood!
• spring liver wood
• when pores are open
• while sleeping and defenses are down
• penetrates and carries illness
• up + out - effects upper half of body and surface like skin

Question 8

what does exterior wind usualy cause?

Answer 8

abnormal sweating

Question 9

what does internal wind usually cause?

Answer 9

constant movement or inappropriate lack of movement

tremors, dizzyness, spasm or rigidity paralysis

Question 10

what is cold? [cold=han]

Answer 10

yin evil that damages yang.
winter - kidney - water
Aversion to cold
slows down activity - constrics and contracts

Question 11

what is internal cold?

Answer 11

Internal excess cold is from external cold
that goes deeper, or too much cold food. It
consumes yáng and eventually becomes
yáng deficiency with coldness

Question 12

what is dampness [shi]

Answer 12

eating too much cold food, wading in water, sitting on wet ground, damp work place
late summer/spleen
yīn evil, so it impairs yáng
lower body and heavyness, effecting legs and lower burner

Question 13

what does dampness do to qi?

Answer 13

causes stagnation
obstruct qi circulation
heaviness and swelling

Question 14

what does dampness look like in and out of body?

Answer 14

• Exterior dampness: aching of the whole
body, possibly acute digestive upset.
• Dampness in the channels and joints: dull
ache, swelling, lingering pain, fixed
location

Question 15

what is drynes? [zap]

Answer 15

Associated with autumn, metal, lungs;
• Yáng evil so it affects
yīn and blood

Question 16

what causes dryness?

Answer 16

dry weather, dry centrally-
heated buildings, too much 
sweating or urination, etc., 
improper use of drying 
herbs

Question 17

what does it do?

Answer 17

Dryness consumes fluids (including blood and yīn):
dry nose, throat, lips, and mouth; chapped skin, constipation, dry cough

To treat, you must moisten

Question 18

What is fire [huo]?

Answer 18

Summer & heart, sometimes called heat.
yáng evil, so it
injures yīn and blood

Fire is burning hot: fever, 
thirst, burning  pain, the 
patient  wants cold foods 
and drinks, aversion to heat, 
redness,  rapid pulse. Rapid 
changes

Question 19

how does fire move?

Answer 19

up and out - consumes yin fluids, sweating thirst dry lips dry nose

Question 20

what are causes of toxins?

Answer 20

excess heat

Toxins are fierce and strong: virulent and serious. Toxins from disease are usually extremely hot and associated with fire. Symptoms may be extreme. They easily harm the organs and become life threatening. Diseases with toxins are often hard to treat.

Question 21

what is internal fire caused by?

Answer 21

excess or from yīn deficiency

Question 22

What is summerheat and how does it manifest

Answer 22

extreme 
heat, high  fever, 
aversion  to heat, 
restlessness,  thirst, 
profuse  sweating,  but 
absence of sweating 
later, surging rapid pulse, 
red tongue

Summerheat has upward movement:
Summerheat’s nature is upbearing and
scattering.

• It affects the head: dizziness, blurred vision, headache. consumes fluids and damages qi

Question 23

what does summerheat combine with?

Answer 23

dampness. nausea loose stools etc

Question 24

rules of treatment for root and branch

Answer 24

When acute, treat the branch. When chronic, treat the root.
• 急jí: fast, rapid, tense, violent, urgent, emergency,
impatient. So it is often translated as acute.
• 緩huǎn: slow, unhurried, relaxed. So it is often translated
as chronic