Upper Heat, Lower Cold: Unveiling the Imbalance of Yin and Yang in Your Body Through Traditional Chinese Medicine

Upper Heat, Lower Cold: Unveiling the Imbalance of Yin and Yang in Your Body Through Traditional Chinese MedicineTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that the human body is composed of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and the opposing forces of Yin and Yang. These elements interact through a cycle of generation and restraint, while the balanced harmony of Yin and Yang is essential for health

Upper Heat, Lower Cold: Unveiling the Imbalance of Yin and Yang in Your Body Through Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that the human body is composed of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and the opposing forces of Yin and Yang. These elements interact through a cycle of generation and restraint, while the balanced harmony of Yin and Yang is essential for health. When this balance is disrupted, various ailments arise, such as deficiency, pain, stagnation, and blockage. "Upper heat, lower cold" is a common manifestation of this imbalance, reflecting a disharmony between the body's internal heat and cold, resulting in upper body heat, lower body coldness, and blockage in between.

I. What is Upper Heat, Lower Cold?

According to TCM, the human body is divided into three Jiao (burners), namely the Upper Jiao (heart and lungs, fire), Middle Jiao (liver, gallbladder, spleen, and kidneys, connecting the upper and lower Jiao), and Lower Jiao (kidneys, small intestine, and bladder, water). These Jiao interact and circulate to maintain the balance of Yin and Yang in the body. When the Middle Jiao function is impaired, leading to obstruction of the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and kidneys, it blocks communication between the upper and lower Jiao, causing the Heart Fire to rise and the Kidney Water to descend, eventually resulting in the symptoms of upper heat and lower cold.

The main causes of Middle Jiao blockage include:

1. Spleen and Stomach Deficiency: The Spleen governs the transportation and ascending of clear substances, while the Stomach governs the reception and descending of turbid substances. Together, they maintain the normal circulation of energy in the body. When these functions are impaired, they disrupt communication between the upper and lower Jiao, leading to Middle Jiao blockage.

2. Lifestyle Habits: Habits such as seeking coolness in summer, not keeping warm in winter, staying up late, and excessive overthinking can disrupt the balance of Yin and Yang in the body, leading to the accumulation of cold in the body, kidney water deficiency, and ultimately upper heat and lower cold.

3. Congenital Deficiency: Individuals with congenital weakness, particularly those with Kidney Yang deficiency, are more susceptible to upper heat and lower cold. Due to Kidney Yang deficiency, the production and supply of Kidney Water are insufficient, and the blockage of the Middle Jiao exacerbates the lack of communication between the upper and lower Jiao, leading to imbalances between heat and cold.

II. Typical Symptoms of Upper Heat, Lower Cold:

Upper heat and lower cold typically manifest in three aspects:

1. Upper Body Heat, Lower Body Cold: The upper body experiences a "false heat" sensation, feeling hot like being roasted, but the cold in the body has not fully dissipated. The lower body, however, feels cold, like ice, reflecting "true cold."

2. Prominent Upper Heat Symptoms, Obvious Lower Cold Symptoms: The upper body is prone to symptoms of heat such as dry eyes, acne, mouth sores, swollen gums, nosebleeds, etc. The lower body exhibits symptoms of cold such as cold hands and feet, loose stools, frequent urination, cold uterus and dysmenorrhea.

3. Insomnia, Irritability, Diarrhea, and Low Back Pain: Upper heat and lower cold can also cause insomnia, irritability, throat inflammation, halitosis, tinnitus, frequent diarrhea, lumbar soreness, coldness and pain in the legs and feet.

III. Treatment Methods for Upper Heat, Lower Cold:

TCM believes that the treatment of upper heat and lower cold should be tailored to the specific situation and can be categorized into three approaches:

1. Clearing Heat and Relieving Fire: This approach primarily targets individuals with innate Kidney Yang deficiency who tend to be cold-sensitive. Due to excessive supplementation, they experience a surge of false fire, resulting in throat swelling, difficulty speaking, etc. In this case, the upper heat is temporary while the lower cold is chronic. Treatment should prioritize clearing heat and relieving fire to eliminate the false fire, followed by gradual warming and tonifying to alleviate the symptoms. Commonly used medications include those that clear heat and relieve fire.

2. Strengthening the Spleen and Stomach: This approach is for individuals with neither upper heat nor lower cold, but with middle Jiao blockage, prone to getting angry, acne, mouth sores, and sore throat, although their feet are often cold. This condition is primarily due to Spleen and Stomach dysfunction, leading to lack of communication between the upper and lower Jiao, causing upper heat and inability to descend to the lower Jiao. Treatment should focus on strengthening the Spleen and Stomach to unblock the Middle Jiao and restore normal circulation. Commonly used medications include those that strengthen the Spleen and Stomach, requiring simultaneous regulation of the Spleen and Stomach, prioritize the Spleen before the Stomach.

3. Drawing Fire Back to Origin: This is the most common and challenging to diagnose and treat, arising from acquired Kidney Yang deficiency. This deficiency leads to weak internal fire, unable to warm the Kidney Water, causing it to seek warmth upwards, resulting in upper heat and lower cold. Treatment aims to draw fire back to origin, tonify Kidney Water, and restore Kidney Yang to balance Yin and Yang. Commonly used medications include "Drawing Fire Soup", composed of Rehmannia glutinosa, Ophiopogon japonicus, Schisandra chinensis, Morinda officinalis, and Poria cocos, which tonifies Kidney Yin, nourishes the lungs to clear heat, draws false fire downwards, guiding the upper body's false fire to Kidney Yin, resolving coldness, and strengthening the internal fire of the Kidney.

It's important to note that no medication should be used without consulting a physician. Always seek professional diagnosis and follow their instructions.

While upper heat and lower cold are common, their impact on the body cannot be ignored. Understanding the symptoms and treatment approaches can help us detect abnormalities in our bodies promptly, take appropriate measures to address them, maintain the balance of Yin and Yang, and strive for a healthy state.