### Cardinal Symptoms - overview

Kidney Yin Deficiency Night sweat, dark-scanty urine, dry mouth at night, aversion to heat, tidal heat, warm feet, five center heat, red cheeks, vertigo, forgetfulness, sexual over-excitability, restlessness, nocturnal emissions, lumbar pain better with cold, seminal emissions, tinnitus, deafness, red or cracked tongue.
Kidney Yang Deficiency Copious, clear urine, cold feet, decreased sexual desire, aversion to cold, lack of willpower, lassitude, leg edema, diarrhea in the early morning, lumbar pain better with heat, timidity.
Kidney Essence Deficiency Congenital malformation, late retarded closure of the fontanel, incomplete closure of the fontanel, slow physical or mental development, weak bones, loss of teeth, bad memory, premature senility, infertility, premature graying of the hair, loss of hair.
Kidneys failing to absorb Qi Symptoms of Kidney Yang Deficiency, plus these additional symptoms: Labored inhalation, incontinence with cough, shortness of breath on exertion, face edema.
Bladder Qi Deficiency Dribble after voiding, urinary incontinence, frequent urination, bed-wetting, a feeling in the lower back as if the back would break, clear, copious urine
Damp-Cold in the Bladder Frequent voiding of clear urine, copious pale, cloudy urine, feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, edema in the lower extremities accompanied by a feeling of heaviness, difficult urination, white, greasy tongue coating at the root, aversion to cold
Damp-Heat in the Bladder Urinary urgency, painful urination, inhibited urination, decreased amount of urine, cloudy urine, hematuria, sandy urine, acute prostatitis, acute cystitis.
Spleen Qi Deficiency Lack of appetite, sensation of fullness after meals, fatigue after meals, soft, odorless stool, diarrhea, edema, over-thinking, teethmarks on the tongue
Spleen Yang Deficiency Symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency. Additional symptoms: undigested food particles in the stool, feeling cold, feeling chilly, cold extremities
Sinking of Spleen Qi Symptoms of the Spleen Qi Deficiency and Spleen Yang Deficiency. Additional symptoms: Organ prolapse (uterus, bladder, rectum, stomach), pushing downward feeling, hemorrhoids, varicose veins
Spleen not controlling Blood Purpura, blood in the stool, blood in the urine, melena, menorrhagia, uterine bleeding (all symptoms only in combination with symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency or Spleen Yang Deficiency).
Damp-Cold in the Spleen Symptoms of Spleen Qi Deficiency and Spleen Yang Deficiency. Additional symptoms: loss of taste, feeling of heaviness in the head, feeling of heaviness in the extremities, weariness, edema, crust around eyes, vaginal discharge, cloudy urine
Damp-Heat in the Spleen Feeling of heaviness, soft, strong smelling stool or constipation, abdominal pain, thirst without desire to drink, thick yellow tongue coating, feeling of belt around body, duodenal ulcer, ventricular ulcer, feeling of heaviness in the head, helmet-like headaches
Stomach Qi Deficiency Fatigue, lack of appetite, decreased thirst, loss of taste, soft stool, uncomfortable feeling in the epigastrium (better with touch), empty pulse in the Stomach position
Stomach Yin Deficiency Hunger without appetite, thirst without desire to drink, dry mouth, constipation, pain in the epigastrium, vertical tongue cracks, no tongue coating
Rebellious Stomach Qi Nausea, vomiting, belching, hiccough, heartburn
Stomach Cold Stomach pain relieved by warmth, preference for warm drinks and food, absence of thirst, vomiting of clear liquids
Stomach Fire Thirst, desire for cold drinks, bad breath, burning pain in the epigastrium, excessive appetite, bleeding gums
Retention of Food in the Stomach Vomiting after eating, pain in the epigastrium that worsens with eating, loss of appetite, sensation of oppression and fullness
Phlegm-Heat in the Stomach Burning pain in the epigastrium, feeling of oppression in the epigastrium, yellow tongue coating, mouth ulcers
Liver Qi Stagnation Feeling of distention and pain in the hypochondrium, excessive eating due to frustration or stress, irritability, moodiness, emotional tension, PMS, depression (with frustration), premenstrual irritability, wiry pulse, plum-pit feeling in the throat (The Liver attacks the Stomach: Nausea, vomiting, sour regurgitation, belching)
Liver Blood Deficiency Vertigo with gradual onset, scanty menstrual bleeding with pale-reddish blood, dryness of the eyes, blurred vision, night blindness, tremors, feeling of numbness or tingling
Liver Yin Deficiency Additional symptoms of Liver Blood Deficiency: Five center heat, night sweats, and tinnitus with gradual onset
Stagnation of Liver Blood Feeling of oppression in the abdomen, dysmenorrhea, dark, clotted menstrual blood, stabbing, local fixed pain in the hypochondrium, distended sublinguals.
Hyperactive Liver Yang Symptoms of Hyperactive Liver Yang appear in conjunction with symptoms of Liver Blood Deficiency or Liver Yin Deficiency. The presence of deficiency signs is the main characteristic to differentiate between Liver Fire and Hyperactive Liver Yang, since they share the same cardinal symptoms. Irritability, severe vertigo, tinnitus with a high-frequency tone, throbbing headache, migraine, conjunctivitis, redness of the eyes, red tongue edges
Liver Fire Symptoms of Liver Qi Stagnation appear in conjunction with symptoms of Liver Fire. The presence of Liver Qi Stagnation is the main characteristic to differentiate between Liver Fire and Hyperactive Liver Yang, since they share the same cardinal symptoms. Irritability, severe vertigo, tinnitus with a high-frequency tone, throbbing headache, migraine, conjunctivitis, redness of the eyes, red tongue edges.
Liver Wind Hyperactive Liver Yang, Liver Blood Deficiency or Heat may all, in extreme cases, stir Liver Wind. The symptoms vary according to the cause. Trembling, spasms, aversion to Wind, sudden vertigo, deviation of the tongue.
Gallbladder Qi Deficiency Lack of courage and decision, despondency, lack of initiative, blurred vision, timidity
Damp-Heat in the Gallbladder and Liver Pain and fullness in the hypochondrium, pain in the testicles, jealousy, high-handed manner, jaundice, trouble digesting fatty foods, vaginitis, inflammation of the fallopian tubes, inflammation of the bile duct, inflammation of the gallbladder, bitter taste in the mouth, protrusion of the eyeballs, scrotal eczema with wetting lesions
Lung Qi Deficiency Susceptibility to common cold, spontaneous sweating, low voice, forceless cough, shortness of breath on exertion, watery sputum, aversion to cold
Lungs Yin Deficiency Dry cough, dry skin, dry throat, itching in the throat, night sweating, five center heat, hoarse voice
Dryness in the Lungs Dry cough, dry throat, itching in the throat
Wind-Cold in the Lungs Acute cough with watery or white sputum, aversion to wind and cold, sneezing, feeling chilly, shivering
Wind-Heat in the Lungs Acute cough with yellow sputum, aversion to wind and heat, infection with fever, sore throat
Stagnation of Lung Qi Repressed sorrow, feeling of constriction in the thorax, existential fears, shortness of breath
Phlegm-Heat in the Lungs Cough with yellow viscous sputum, feeling of constriction in the thorax, aversion to heat, face edema with heat sensation, yellow tongue coating, sinusitis with yellow secretion
Phlegm-Cold in the Lungs Cough with white viscous sputum, feeling of constriction in the thorax, aversion to cold, face edema with cold sensation, white tongue coating, sinusitis with white secretion
Cold in the Large Intestine Acute diarrhea with shivering, aversion to cold, dull abdominal pain, rumbling intestines, odorless stool
Heat in the Large Intestine Constipation, strong smelling stools, burning sensation in the anus, fever
Dryness in the Large Intestine Constipation with dry stool, thin body
Damp-Heat in the Large Intestine Strong smelling stool, mucous and blood in the stool, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, mycoses, burning sensation in the anus
Damp-Cold in the Large Intestine Soft, odorless stool, mycoses, aversion to cold, dull abdominal pain, feeling of heaviness.
Heart Qi Deficiency Palpitations with fatigue, shortness of breath on exertion, listlessness, lacking the joy of life, spontaneous sweating
Heart Yang Deficiency Symptoms of Heart Qi Deficiency. Additional symptoms: Feeling of constriction in the heart area, cold hands
Heart Blood Deficiency Palpitations, difficulties falling asleep, decreased short-term memory, slight restlessness, and pale lips
Heart Yin Deficiency Symptoms of Heart Blood Deficiency. Additional symptoms: frequent waking at night, more restlessness, heat sensation, night sweat, and five-center heat
Stagnation of Heart Qi Palpitations with feelings of constriction in the thorax, depression with a feeling of oppression, unable to express emotions
Stagnation of Heart Blood Palpitations with strong feeling of oppression in the thorax, stabbing pain in the area of the heart, cyanotic nails, cyanotic lips
Heart Fire Palpitations with heat sensation, hectic unrest and restlessness, ulcers in the mouth, tongue ulcers, stomatitis, fast speaking, endless talking, and aversion to heat
Phlegm-Cold in the Heart Palpitation, stupor, unresponsiveness, absent language function, talking to oneself, autism, confusion, mental depression, staring at walls
Phlegm-Heat in the Heart Palpitations, mental restlessness, confusion, mental depression, talking to oneself, absent language function, incoherent talk, stupor, unresponsiveness
Cold in the Small Intestine Rumbling intestines, pain in the lower abdomen, improving with Heat, diarrhea with cold sensation
Heat in the Small Intestine Mental restlessness, tongue ulcers, pain in the lower abdomen, improving with cold, difficult urination with burning pain, blood in the urine
Stagnation of Small Intestine Qi Feeling of tension in the lower abdomen, stabbing pain in the middle or lower abdomen, rumbling intestines, gas