Heart and Spleen Deficiency

Forgetfulness

Heart and spleen deficiency is a type of deficiency in qi and blood. When there is a deficiency in heart blood, it can cause instability and difficulty in anchoring the shen, resulting in poor registration and storage of mental impressions and sense. Deficiency in spleen qi can weaken the yi, leading to difficulty in concentration and maintaining steady attention, resulting in forgetfulness, poor attention span, and difficulty in concentrating. This pattern is commonly seen in younger individuals, particularly reproductive-aged women. Other symptoms may include insomnia, difficulty falling asleep and turning off the mind, dream-disturbed sleep, palpitations, anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, dizziness when standing, blurry vision, spots in front of the eyes, fatigue and weakness, poor appetite, bloating after eating, a pale or sallow complexion, easy bruising, heavy or prolonged menstrual periods, and a pale, swollen, scalloped tongue with a thin white coat.

The treatment principles are to strengthen and nourish the Heart and Spleen, tonify qi and blood, calm the shen, and strengthen the mind with Gui Pi Tang modified by adding Acorus.