> Chinese medicine practitioners across the country report a sharp increase in severe blood stagnation cases.
> Untreated blood stagnation can lead to strokes and other cardiovascular events.
> Anyone can determine blood stagnation by looking at the underside of the tongue.
> In non-life threatening cases a Chinese medicine practitioner can easily diagnose and treat blood stagnation with blood-invigorating herbs and/or acupuncture.
> There are ways to prevent and tackle mild blood stagnation on your own.
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As an Integrative Chinese medicine practitioner I am constantly in touch with many colleagues across the country with a combined pool of a few hundred clients a month.
What is being reported recently is an increase in Yin depletion and (Xue) blood stagnation in people after vaccination.
I just had a personal experience of this condition in the family and would like to report this, so you know what to look for.
What is (Xue) blood stagnation and Yin depletion?
Yin depletion refers to decay of the physical substance of your entire body - bones, muscles, organs and especially fluids. In this case it happens as a result of Heat or Toxic Heat syndrome, which is the result of inflammation caused by the spike protein of the vaccine.
As we age Yin depletion happens naturally, resulting ultimately in death, but it is the increase and the pace of it after vaccines, coupled with (Xue) blood stagnation, that is worrisome in these cases.
Xue translated in English as blood only, includes also other fluids of the body like: lymph, bile , intercellular liquid, digestive enzymes etc. As we are largely made of water (up to 70%), roughly half of it is Xue (if you count all extracellular fluid).
To sum it up, around one third of the human body is composed of the moving tissues of different kinds and purposes that Chinese medicine refers to as Xue.
When Xue stagnation occurs, it thickens and loses efficiency, the organs and tissues are not fed and lubricated, toxins accumulate and your whole body wilts and rusts.
This translates into circulation problems, high or low blood pressure, headaches, palpitations, joint and muscle stiffness, restlessness, emotional outbursts and erratic sleep. If left untreated this could lead to blood clotting and a whole range of circulation-related events, with strokes and heart attacks at the extreme, and limbs swelling, weakness, chronic fatigue and depression at the milder end.
Who is at high risk of blood stagnation?
The most vulnerable are people with passive lifestyles, obese, over 50, post-menopausal women and people who have been previously ill and/or with a history of dampness or mucus (tan). To put it simply, those whose (Xue) blood is already depleted, blocked or stagnated.
Men would be more susceptible to blood stagnation and women to depletion.
It is also worth saying that people with blood type A are especially vulnerable to (Xue) blood stagnation, due to their thicker blood (higher red cell count), and blood type 0 would be the least affected.
How to recognize blood stagnation?
With (Xue) blood stagnation you look for blueish, bruise-like marks or blueish veins on the underside of the tongue. This is unusual, as overall tongue diagnosis is conducted from looking at the top of the tongue.
Below are some pictures of tongues and what to look for.
Picture 1. (stock picture) healthy looking tongue underside, perfect pinkish colour, good looking moisture. Insignificant Xue stagnation.
Picture 2. (stock picture): mild/moderate Xue stagnation (blueish veins), overall the tongue appears to be small in size and red, indicating Yin deficiency and Empty Heat. We need to nourish Yin, Xue and disperse stagnation.
Picture 3. (recent case): severe Xue stagnation (blueish marks and patches), headaches, erratic sleep, vaccination 8 months prior, recent antibiotics. Need to seek medical attention, high possibility of stroke or other blood clotting induced event.
Picture 4. (same person) top of the tongue shows redness, cracks and no coating, indicating Yin depletion and subsequent Empty Heat, interview confirms frontal headaches from stomach heat and a pressure-like sensation on the top of the head indicating rising Liver Yang. Tongue confirms massive Liver Qi stagnation, with swelling of the edges.
Concluding:
Extensive blueish marks or veins on the underside of the tongue (picture 3) are in themselves a red flag and cause for concern. If they appear with a combination of overall redness of the top of the tongue (picture 4), and/or any other symptoms like:
headaches
high or low blood pressure
erratic behaviour
dizziness
feeling of pressure in the head
palpitations or irregular heart beat
insomnia or shallow sleep
limbs swelling
it would be wise to seek medical attention straight away. The doctor should perform sufficient tests to rule out the possibility of stroke, or any other cardiovascular event.
This redness of tongues with no coating (picture 4) is also symptomatic after vaccination and is an indication of pathological heat. When coupled with cracks and other symptoms this points to Yin depletion and subsequent unchecked Empty Heat rising. This is very dangerous in itself.
The opposite of blood stagnation with Empty Heat (above) would be a case of blood stagnation with Cold, Dampness and Spleen Qi deficiency. The top of the tongue would be often swollen, pale or with a white coating but the blueish marks on the underside would be just the same. A person with this syndrome could have none of the additional symptoms (above) but instead be sluggish, sleepy, bloated, prone to melancholy and depression, have wide range of digestive complaints and a feeling of cold. Limbs swelling is also more likely in this scenario.
Picture 5.
Severe Spleen Qi deficiency
(swollen tongue with teeth marks)
Xue depletion (pale tongue)
How to treat blood stagnation?
First of all, if you have been vaccinated and experience anything unusual about your well-being contact your doctor and get yourself checked out. Early detection can save lives in this instance, so check your loved ones too.
In non-life threatening cases, a skilled Chinese medicine practitioner would tackle (Xue) blood stagnation with diet/lifestyle corrections and recommendations coupled with nourishing and stagnation dispersing herbs followed by acupuncture or Gua Sha massage. These all should be tailored to one's individual syndromes and conditions, though. Little details like blood type, the work you do or where you live could have influence on the overall strategy, but it is the assessment of the tongue and pulse that carries the most weight.
What can you do to prevent and tackle blood stagnation on your own?
There is plenty you can do yourself to prevent and regulate (Xue) blood stagnation and slow down Yin depletion, and it all starts in the kitchen with food and drink, especially drink since we are talking about restoring the flow of liquid tissue.
It is a good idea to take care of proper hydration and moistening of tissue from the inside. Good old bottled water is not gonna do the trick. It will pass through you taking vital minerals along the way, and weaken your Spleen and Stomach, not to mention micro plastic.
Blood nourishing fruit compote.
The way to replenish fluids in your body is to drink cooked liquids with blood nourishing ingredients like fruits. My favourite, and very often prescribed to my clients is a fruit compote made with:
- dried goji berries
- dried mulberry fruit
- dried dates
- fresh ripe pears
All of the above are considered Blood or Yin nourishing herbs in Chinese medicine.
There are different variations of this recipe: some have cardamom and cinnamon in it, some have black sesame seeds, others have electrolytes like Mg + K. It all depends on your overall syndromes. Drop me a line to ask what would be suitable for you.
I had much success with this compote and in some cases just the compote alone solved most of the client's complaints. Check out this testimonial of one of my clients:
"Maciek helped with most of my complaints. The amazing thing is that he did it by only prescribing delicious fruit and seeds compote. This completely cured my life long cough, improved my skin, wrinkles and helped me greatly with my hair. Now it's strong, shiny and not falling out. My painful knees are also much better". Grazyna, Los Angeles, United States
However, If you are worried about all this fructose in the compote, the way to take your liquids would be in a form of herbal or no-caffeine teas like Rooibos.
Home made soups.
Another form of cooked liquid good for overall blood nourishment are home made soups. These would ideally be chunky soups made from fresh veggies cooked for a long time, with a piece of bone or meat in it (optional). With soups like that it would be a good idea to use warming cooking herbs like marjoram, oregano, lovage, thyme or rosemary.
But if you have too much internal Heat already adding warming herbs to your food may not be such a good idea, which is why there is no replacement for a proper Chinese medicine diet consultation.
Remember warmth disperses stagnation, that is why it is so important to drink warm liquids. Cold, on the other hand, constrains.
Gua Sha massage and exercise.
Another widely practiced way to disperse blood stagnation is a Gua Sha massage. Particularly Gua Sha of the back is recommended in this case. You do it with a special plate often made with animal horn, but in times of desperation I had it done with a knife handle, a spoon and a credit card. Here is a youtube tutorial
Movement is the opposite of stagnation, so regular exercise is another must when it comes to blood stasis treatment and prevention. Ideally this would be one of the ancient arts of Qi-Gong, Tai Chi or Yoga but a 1 hour walk in the park would do the job just as nicely. Just make sure that you focus on nice deep breathing through the nose.
If you would like to know more about treating blood stagnation or would like to have an Integrative Chinese medicine online consultation, contact me here.
by Maciek
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The author is an Integrative Chinese medicine practitioner offering online consultations. In his online practice he works with herbs, supplements, diet, and emotions and has great success in improving the health condition of his clients.
Check out his clients testimonials.
Disclaimer:
I am not a medical professional or a doctor and none of the content of this article constitutes medical advice. You should always ask your doctor if you experience any ill symptoms.