Stagnation of the heart blood

Clinical manifestations : Palpitations, intermittent cardiac pain ( stabbing or stuffy in nature in the pericardial region or behind the sternum ) which often refers to the shoulder and arm, a purplish dark tongue or purplish spots on the tongue and a thready and hesitant pulse or a missed - beat pulse. In severe cases there may occur cyanosis of face, lips and nails, cold limbs and spontaneous sweating.

Etiology and pathology : The syndrome often results from insufficiency of the heart qi and heart yang which causes retardation of blood circulation. The attack may be induced and the disease aggravated by mental irritation, exposure to cold after over strain and stress, or excessive indulgence in greasy food and alcoholic drinking, for all of which may elicit accumulation of phlegm and stagnation of blood. Stagnation of blood in the vessel of the heart creates palpitations and cardiac pain ( stabbing pain if stagnation of blood predominates ; stuffy pain if accumulation of phlegm predominates ) . As the Heart Meridian of Hand - Shaoyin traverses the shoulder region and the medial aspect of the arm, referred pain there occurs. Stagnation of the heart blood may cause retardation of general blood circulation, which is the cause of cyanosis of the face, Ups and nails, a purplish dark tongue or purplish spots on the tongue and a thready and hesitant pulse or a missed - beat pulse. Deficiency of the heart yang and stagnation of the heart blood hinder yang qi from reaching the four limbs and body surface, and thus inducing cold limbs and spontaneous sweating.