Retention of fluid in the stomach due to cold

Clinical manifestations : Epigastric fullness and pain which are worse on exposure to cold and better to warmth ; reflux of clear fluid or vomiting after eating ; a white, slippery tongue coating and a slow pulse.

Etiology and pathology : This syndrome is often due to a constitutional deficiency of the stomach yang complicated by invasion of exogenous pathogenic cold ; or to intake of excessive raw and cold food which causes retention of cold in the stomach. Retention of cold in the stomach blocks the stomach qi and produces epigastric fullness and pain, ' which are worse on exposure to cold but better to warmth, for exposure to cold may - aggravate the retention while exposure to warmth may disperse cold and effect a smooth circulation of qi. Impairment of yang qi in a prolonged disease implies inability of yang qi to distribute body fluid. Thus the retained fluid is formed. If the retained fluid remains in the stomach and also disturbs upward, reflux of clear fluid and vomiting after eating follow. A white, slippery tongue coating and a slow pulse are both signs of deficient yang complicated with retention of cold and fluid in the interior.