Perspiration

The patient should, first of all, be asked whether sweating is present or not. Further inquiring deals with the feature of sweating and its accompanying symptoms and signs.

• Absence of sweating in exterior syndromes indicates invasion by pathogenic cold ; presence of sweating in exterior syndromes suggests either exterior syndromes of deficiency type resulting from exposure to pathogenic wind, or exterior heat syndromes due to invasion by pathogenic wind heat. The accompanying symptoms and signs are considered in differentiation.
• Sweating that occurs during sleep and stops upon wakening is known as night sweating. It usually indicates deficiency of yin with hyperactivity of yang heat. The patient may also present tidal fever and a red tongue with little coating.
• Frequent sweating which is worse on slight exertion is known as spontaneous sweating. It is a sign of deficiency of qi and deficiency of yang. The patient may also exhibit chills, restlessness and lassitude.
• Profuse sweating accompanied by high fever, mental restlessness, thirst with preference for cold drinks and a surging pulse indicates interior heat syndromes of excess type resulting from excessive yang heat in the interior expelling the sweat out. Ptofuse sweating accompanied by restlessness, feeble energy, cold limbs and a deep and thready pulse in a severe case is a critical sign indicating total exhaustion of yang qi.