Rising of the liver yang

Clinical manifestations : Headache with distending sensation in the head, dizziness and vertigo, tinnitus. Hushed face and red eyes, irritability, insomnia with dream - disturbed sleep, palpitations, poor memory, soreness and weakness of the low back and knees, a red tongue and a string - taut, thready and rapid pulse.

Etiology and pathology : This syndrome may be due to mental depression, anger and anxiety. They produce obstruction of the liver qi which later turns into fire. The fire consumes the yin blood in the interior and does not allow yin to restrain yang. The syndrome may also result from constitutional deficiency of the yin of the liver and kidney, in which case, the liver yang fails to be restrained. Excessive ascending ' of the yang and qi of the liver is the cause of headache with distending sensation in the head, dizziness and vertigo and tinnitus. Hyperactivity of the liver yang may produce redness of the face and eyes, and irritability. When there is deficiency of yin leading to excess of yang, the mind fails to be nourished and the harmonious state of yin and yang is broken. As a result, such symptoms as palpitations, poor memory, insomnia with dream - disturbed sleep ensues. Deficiency of the yin of the liver and kidney deprives the tendons and bones of nourishment and thus brings on soreness and weakness of the low back and knees. A red tongue and a string - taut, rapid pulse are both signs of deficiency , of yin leading to hyperactivity of fire.