- Distending: stagnation of Qi
- Burning: Heat
- With a feeling of fullness: Dampness
Time of Pain
- In the morning: Deficiency
- In the afternoon: stagnation of Qi
- At night: stasis of Blood
Amelioration/Aggravation of Pain
- Better after eating: Deficiency
- Worse after eating: Excess
- Better with pressure: Deficiency
- Worse with pressure: Excess
- Better with application of heat or drinking hot fluids: Cold
- Better with rest: Deficiency
- Better with slight exercise: stagnation of Qi or Blood
- Better after vomiting: Excess condition
- Worse after vomiting: Deficiency condition
The manifestations of epigastric pain with regard to Deficiency/Excess and Heat/Cold can be
summarized in tabular form (Table 14.1Table 14.1).
When diagnosing epigastric pain, questions about thirst, taste, belching, regurgitation, vomiting,
fullness and distension are important.
Thirst
- Intense thirst with desire to drink cold fluids: Full Heat
- Dry mouth with desire to sip fluids: Empty-Heat
- Absence of thirst: Cold
- Thirst without a desire to drink: Damp-Heat
Taste
- Sticky taste: Dampness
- Bitter taste: Heat
- Sweet taste: Damp-Heat
- Sour taste: retention of food
- Absence of taste: Spleen deficiency