Pain in the Upper Abdomen

Upper abdominal pain can result from various causes and manifest through different symptoms. Chinese medicine offers a wide range of herbal and dietary remedies to address these issues. This article explores various causes of upper abdominal pain and their corresponding Chinese medicine treatments, providing guidance on selecting the appropriate treatment for each case.

Wind-cold

Symptoms of wind-cold include absence of perspiration in hot weather, clear discharge from the nose, cough, diarrhea, dislike of cold, dizziness, facial paralysis, fever, headache, hoarseness, loss of voice, nausea, nosebleed, pain in the body shifting around, pain in the upper abdomen with chest congestion, pain in the joints, stuffed nose, and vomiting.

Treatment for wind-cold involves reducing the heat in the gallbladder. Herbal remedies include Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang and the use of peppermint, spearmint, sweet basil, cayenne pepper, fennel, fresh ginger, mustard seed, star anise, and prickly ash leaf.

Superficial dampness-heat

Symptoms of superficial dampness-heat include abdominal pain, burning sensations and itch in the genitals, congested chest, diarrhea with forceful discharge of stools, discharge of yellowish-red, turbid stools with a bad smell, edema, excessive perspiration, itch and pain in the vulva, jaundice, low fever, pain in the upper abdomen that worsens with massage, pain in the joints, perspiration on hands and feet or the head, reddish and scant urine, retention of urine, severe pain in the upper abdomen, short streams of reddish urine, swollen tongue, and thirst.

Treatment for superficial dampness-heat involves clearing dampness-heat in the liver and gallbladder. Herbal remedies include Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang or Long-Dan-Xie-Gan-Tang, and the use of carp, celery, horse bean, jellyfish skin, Job's-tears, prickly ash, hyacinth bean, oregano, sweet basil, adzuki bean, bamboo shoot, soybean sprouts, rosin, banana, bitter endive, black fungus, salt, spinach, strawberry, cucumber, leaf beet, mung bean, peppermint, and purslane.

Liver-fire upsurging

Symptoms of liver-fire upsurging include acute dizziness, itch, bleeding from the stomach, deafness, dim vision, dry sensations in the mouth, getting angry easily, headache on both sides of the head and in the corners of the eyes, severe headache, hiccups, nosebleed, pain in the lower abdomen with desire for massage, pain in the chest and ribs, pain in the upper abdomen triggered by anger or emotional upset, pink eyes with swelling, red eyes, ringing in ears, severe pain in the upper abdomen, sleeplessness or excessive sleep, and vomiting of blood.

Treatment for liver-fire upsurging involves energy congestion. Herbal remedies include Xiao-Yao-San or Chai-Hu-Shu-Gan-San, and the use of beef, cherry, bird's nest, butterfish, chicken, coconut meat, date, tofu, mustard seed, sweet rice, goose meat, mutton, jackfruit, squash, sweet potato, red and black date, rice, rock sugar, caraway seed, spearmint, common button mushroom, oregano, red bean, ambergris, dill seed, garlic, sweet basil, saffron, sweet potato, red and black date, Chinese chive, brown sugar, mandarin orange, and garlic.

Blood coagulations

Symptoms of blood coagulations include abdominal pain, bleeding from gums, chest pain, coughing out blood, headache, jaundice, lumbago, pain in the upper abdomen as if being pricked by a sharp needle, pain in the upper abdomen in a fixed region without moving around, pain in the loins, pain in the ribs, palpitations with an insecure feeling, partial suppression of lochia, spasm, stomachache, stroke, swelling and congestion after eating, and vomiting of blood.

Treatment for blood coagulations involves transforming blood coagulations and regulating energy. Herbal remedies include Ge-Xia-Zhu-Yu-Tang, and the use of ambergris, brown sugar, chestnut, eggplant, peach, black soybean, sturgeon, sweet basil, crab, distillers' grains, papaya, and saffron.

Dampness

Symptoms of dampness include diarrhea, diminished urination, discharge of hard stool followed by sticky, turbid stool, dizziness, headache as if the head were being wrapped up, heavy sensation in the body with intestinal rumbling and watery stools, heavy sensations and stagnation of lower limbs, heavy sensations in the head as if the head were wrapped up, heavy sensations in the body, illness starting mostly from lower regions of the body, itch, love of hot drink, love of sleep and heavy sensations in the body, pain always in the same joints with heavy sensations in the body, pain in the loins as if sitting in water with heaviness in the body, quick bowel movements, stomach and abdomen swollen and full, toes extremely itchy, and white, small granular pimples in the skin.

Treatment for dampness involves strengthening the spleen, drying dampness, and regulating the liver. Herbal remedies include Bu-Huan-Jin-Zheng-Qi-San or Shen-Ling-Bai-Zhu-San, and the use of carp, celery, horse bean, jellyfish skin, Job's tears, prickly ash, hyacinth bean, oregano, sweet basil, adzuki bean, bamboo shoot, soybean sprouts, and rosin.

Yin deficiency

Symptoms of yin deficiency include bleeding from gums, constipation, dizziness, dry and scant stool, dry sensations in the mouth, dry throat, fatigue, headache in the afternoon, jaundice, light fever in the afternoon, night sweats, nosebleed, pain in the throat (also red and swollen), palms of hands and soles of feet are both hot, palpitations with an insecure feeling, severe pain in the body that attacks suddenly, short streams of reddish urine, sleeplessness, swallowing difficulty, toothache, and underweight.

Treatment for yin deficiency involves watering the yin, nourishing the blood, and softening up the liver. Herbal remedies include Yi-Guan-Jian or Liu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan, and the use of bird's nest, cheese, kidney bean, abalone, asparagus, chicken egg, cuttlefish, duck, duck egg, white fungus, oyster, pork, and royal jelly.

Conclusion

Chinese medicine offers a wide range of remedies to address upper abdominal pain resulting from various causes. By understanding the symptoms and causes of your upper abdominal pain, you can select the appropriate herbal and dietary treatments to alleviate your discomfort and restore balance to your body. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional or a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner before starting any new treatment regimen.