Menstrual
Disorders
Kinds of menstrual disorders
There are several kinds of disorders in
menstruation. It can be early menstruation, later menstruation,
continuous bleeding, heavy flow with large purple or black
colored blood clots; light blood flow, spasms before or after
menstruation, or menstruation, as well as other factors, has
ceased.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is
familiar with the treatment of these disorders. Accurate
diagnosis is
critical. Many disorders may be caused by completely different
reasons.
1. Early menstruation
This means menstruation comes every two to
three weeks.
Two major reasons can cause this problem:
Fire or Yang Qi deficiency (Yang refers to life energy and the
deficiency, in Chinese, means weakness) in the lower stomach
cavity. There are three cavities in the body. Upper cavity
refers to the chest, where the heart and lung are located;
middle cavity refers the upper stomach, where the spleen and
stomach are located and the lower cavity, where the liver,
kidney, and uterus are located. Any factor which causes an
accumulation of Fire or Yang Qi deficiency in the lower cavity
could cause early
menstruation.
With the Fire, the blood is restless and
wants to move, rather than resting quietly in the uterus.
Whereas with the Yang Qi deficiency, the uterus cannot hold the
blood and bleeding occurs earlier.
If the Fire is the reason, women usually
feel hot, dry mouth. The urine might be dark yellow, tongue is
red and pulse feels strong or fast. They tend to drink cold
beverages. Herb formula for this disorder is Si Wu Tang plus
Huangqin, Huanglian or Ajiao.
Women with the Yang Qi deficiency usually
have cold hands/feet or feel cold throughout the body and like
to drink warm or hot water. The tongue might be wet and with a
purple tint and
their pulse feels thin,
deep, or weak. They feel tired with little physical or
emotional activity and like to rest.
Herbs for the Yang Qi deficiency will be Si
Ni Tang, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang plus Fuzi.
2. Later menstruation
This means menstruation comes after more
than five weeks or even two to three months. This is the most
complex condition in menstrual disorders.
The reasons for the long term of this
disorder could be (1) lower cavity weakness and cold; (2)
leakage of blood in the form of sweat or bleeding from another
part of the body; (3) chronic diarrhea; (4) less supply of
blood, such as poor nutrition. Each problem requires
different treatment.
Weakness and cold in the lower cavity
creates a weak uterus. Therefore, the uterus has less power to
push the blood down and out. Women with this problem are usually
physically and emotionally weak. They feel tired and
sweat easily with little movement. Emotionally, they feel tired
or get headaches with minimal mental activity, such as studying,
reading, planning. They like to be warm and are comforted by
massaging the lower stomach and prefer warm water or beverages.
Herbal formula for this is Si Wu Tang plus Rougui and Fuzi.
Blood leakage in other forms (such as nose,
teeth, gastric tract, urine, skin); reduces the total volume of
blood in menstruation. The herbal formula depends upon the
reasons for the bleeding. If it is due to Fire pressing the
blood out, the herbs are Dihuang, Taoren, Xijiao Tang. If it is
due to Yang deficiency, the blood cannot be restricted in the
blood vessels, the herbs are Gangcao Gangjiang Tang, Qian Yang
Dan, or Jian Zhong Tang.
Poor nutrition and long term diarrhea
reduce the supply of blood to the uterus. The herbs to use could
be Si Wu Tang, Jiang Zhong Tang, etc.
In TCM, sweat is regarded as a part of the
blood. Too much sweat reduces the total volume of
blood in menstruation as well as bleeding from other
parts of the body. For this reason, long term running nose could
also be a factor causing this disorder. If the sweat is due to
Yang deficiency, that fails to close the sweat holes on the
skin, the herbs are Huangqi Fuzi Tang, or Jian Zhong Tang. If it
is due to Fire, that steams the blood to evaporate at sweat, the
herbs needed are Yi Yuan, Shengdi Si Wu Tang etc.
3. Continuous menstruation
This means menstruation continues or close
to the next menstruation period.
This could be due to either to a very weak
body or to the accumulation of Fire in the lower body cavity.
The weakness can be caused by excessive vomiting, continual
diarrhea or sweating, taking large amounts of cold medicine,
excessive sexual activity or deep emotional stress, etc. All
damage the Yang Qi in the body. In this condition, as mentioned
above, the body cannot retain the blood properly. The treatment
for this condition depends on the reasons for the weakness.
If there is accumulation of Fire in the
body, the Fire disturbs the blood and presses it to flow
continuously. For Fire, the herbs needed are Huanglian Ajiao
Tang, Shendi Qin Liang Tang.
4. Heavy bleeding during menstruation
with purple blood clots.
Similarly, there are two major reasons for
black clots in the
menstrual flow: too much Fire or too low Yang Qi. If it is due
to the Fire, herbs used are Liang Xue Tang, or Shengdi Siwu
Tang. However, in clinic, most cases show as Yang Qi deficiency.
As mentioned above, people usually feel chronic fatigue, want to
lie down or feel drowsy (especially at afternoon or after work).
They have cold hands and feet and tend to talk little. For such
people, the herbs needed will be Linzhong Tang plus Xiangfu,
Gancao Ganjiang Tang, or Xiao Jiang Zhong Tang.
5. Light bleeding in menstruation with
less red in the blood.
Although it is believed (current TCM
textbook) that such light menstruation is caused by Blood
Deficiency, we noticed that it is mostly due to the deficiency
of Yang Qi in the body. With sufficient Yang Qi, there will be
enough menstruation blood. Otherwise, with insufficient Yang Qi,
there will be less blood produced in the body and less available
for menstruation. The herb needed is Huangqi Jiangzhong Tang,
Danggui Buxue Tang plus Fuzi, or Gancao Ganjiang Tang plus Buxue
Tang. Clinic experience tells us this works.
6. Spasm before menstruation
The cessation of menstruation here does not
mean pregnancy.
In
TCM, cessation of menstruation is mostly caused by two reasons:
Cold attack or Deficiency.
Menstruation blood needs warm Yang Qi to
flow. Cold, external or internal, could block movement, similar
to stopping
the flow of rivers in winter.
The cold can be similar to the common cold
which is caused by washing or showering at about the same time
menstruation is due. This is dangerous in winter when women
sweat in cold weather. The Cold Xue Qi can easily come into the
body to cause various diseases. The problem can easily be solved
by using the Cold with ordinary herbs for this type of cold.
The cessation of menstruation can also be
due to cold beverages, food (ice cream, etc.), when menstruation
is about to flow or is flowing. Women may or may not feel
symptoms when they come to the clinic, but they may feel
slightly cold, irritable in the lower stomach area, since the
cold is in the deeper area of the uterus. Herb Lizhong Tang plus
Dinxiang or Rougui works for this kind of cold.
It can also be caused by pre-menstrual
emotional disturbances, such as feeling angry when people
quarrel or argue with others. There will be more evidence from
your tongue and pulse. The colour and tint of your face also
support this diagnosis. Herbs used are usually Xiao Chaihu Tang
plus Xiangfu, Chuangqun or Maiya.
If the cessation of menstruation is due to
weakness of Qi and Xue, women usually have chronic disease, with
long term diarrhea, vomiting, sweat, etc. With sufficient blood
and life energy in the body, the menstrual bleeding is easier.
The herbs used for these conditions depends on the reasons
causing such weaknesses.
7. Spasm during menstruation
Again, we have to point out that the major
reasons for stomach spasm are either due to stagnation of blood
in the uterus, which is again due to a Fire or Cold block of the
blood. For the Fire block, the mostly used herbs are Taoren Siwu
Tang or Tong Zhi Tang.
For the Cold block, the herbs needed are
the ones that we have previously mentioned for the Yang Qi
deficiency.
8.
Spasm after the menstruation
Some women have spasms after menstruation.
Commonly, it is believed to be due to Qi or Xue (blood)
deficiency, so the herbs used are Bazheng Tang plus Xiangfu.
We found that, in most cases, it is due to
the Cold inside the body. The Cold can come into the body as a
common cold. It is a short term problem. Women feel feverish or
body pain; dislike wind and cold air. They like warmth on the
stomach and are comforted by massaging the stomach area. The
herbs used are Guizhi Tang.
Or, this condition may be due to long term Yang Qi
Deficiency. The herbs needed are Fuzi Lizhong Tang plus
Dingxiang or Sharen; Gancao Ganjiang Tang plus Dingxiang or
Rougui, or Buxue Tang plus Rougui.
Note:
1. According to my clinic experience, TCM
is the most efficient medical system to solve this problem.
2. For menstruation disorders the herbs
needed vary, depending upon the kind of disorders. However, the
same pathological reason, such as the Yang Qi Deficiency, can
cause different disorders, such as early menstruation, spasm
round menstruation (either before or after), or the ceasing of
menstruation, so the herbs for the Yang Qi deficiency can solve
various disorders. Differentiation diagnosis is very important.
In clinic, more people show Yang Qi
Deficiency (more than 80% of all cases), rather than the Fire
syndrome. So, warm, or Yang Qi Supplementary therapy is the most
commonly used herb therapy in our clinic.
The treatment usually needs one to two
months of menstrual cycles to observe the effects.
For other women’s disorders, such as
discharges or infertility, please contact us for more
information.
Good luck and enjoy your life!
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