How to inquire sweating in TCM?

Sweat comes from body fluid in TCM, Sweating is transformed from body fluid by yangqi and excretes from the sweat pores. Normally, sweating can regulate Yingqi and Weiqi, moisten the skin. Both external and internal impairment can cause disorder of sweating. Inquire sweating including hidrosis or anhidrosis, time, quantity, region, and accompanied symptoms, etc.

1. External syndrome:

1.1 Anhidrosis in external syndrome: exogenous cold (external sthenia syndrome).

Sweating accompanied by serious aversion to clod, mild fever, headache, neck pain, floating and tense pulse.

1.2  Hidrosis in external syndrome: external asthenia syndrome, or external heat syndrome.

1.2.1 External asthenia syndrome, sweating accompanied by fever, aversion to wind, floating and slow pulse.

1.2.1 External heat syndrome, sweating accompanied by serious fever, light aversion to cold, sore-throat, floating and rapid pulse.

2. Internal syndrome:

2.1 Spontaneous sweating: Qi athenia or Yang asthenia syndrome.

Sweating constantly in the day, more seroious after movement, accompanied by lassitude.

2.2 Night sweating: edogenous heat syndrome due to yin asthenia.

Sweating in sleep, stopping after waking up.

2.3 Profuse sweating:

2.3.1 Sthenic heat syndrome: flushed complexion, sweating accompanied by high fever, thirst with preference for cold drinks, full and large pulse.

2.3.2 Yang exhaustion syndrome: sweating accompanied by pale complexion, cold limbs, indistinct pulse.

2.4 Sweating following shivering: the turning point of the development of pathological conditions.

Sweating following shivering. If fever abates, pulse calms down, body turns cool after sweating, it means pathogenic factors are being expelled; if restleness, rapid pulse after sweating, it means domination of pathogenic factors and decline of healthy qi.

3. Regional sweating:

3.1 Head sweating:

3.1.1 Exuberant heat in the upper energizer: sweating accompanied by red complexion, thirst, reddish on the tip of the tongue, thin and yellowish tongue fur, rapid pulse.

3.1.2 Accumulation of damp heat in the middle energizer: sweating accompanied by heaviness of the head and body, abdominal fullness, prolonged disease, etc. yellowish and greasy tongue fur.

3.2 Hemihidrosis: apoplexy, flaccidity, etc.

Sweating appears half of the body. The location is on the part of the body without sweat.

3.3  Sweating over palms and soles: often caused by disorder of spleen and stomach.

Written by Hu Xiaohua

Medboo TCM training center