Epistaxis or Haemoptysis at Period Time

CHAPTER 25 Epistaxis or Haemoptysis at Period Time



AETIOLOGY 429

PATHOLOGY 429

IDENTIFICATION OF PATTERNS AND TREATMENT 430
Stagnant Liver-Qi turning into Fire 430

Lung- and Kidney-Yin deficiency 431

PROGNOSIS AND PREVENTION 432

Epistaxis or haemoptysis may occur before, during or after the period. From a Western perspective, these symptoms may indicate endometriosis, but they may also occur in the absence of such a disease. From a Chinese perspective, they are usually associated with a situation of Qi rebelling upwards and are therefore strongly related to a Penetrating Vessel pathology: for these reasons, this condition was sometimes called ni jing (image), i.e. ‘rebellious period’, or dao jing (image), i.e. ‘reverse period’.



Aetiology




Emotional stress


Longstanding emotional problems such as anger, frustration, worry, guilt, hatred or resentment cause Liver-Qi to stagnate: after some time, stagnant Liver-Qi easily turns into Liver-Fire. If Qi rebels upwards due to a Penetrating Vessel (Chong Mai) pathology, it carries Fire with it; Fire agitates Blood and Liver-Fire, especially because the Liver stores Blood; rebellious Qi in the Penetrating Vessel becomes particularly evident during periods because of this vessel’s activity at this time, hence this causes bleeding upwards, i.e. epistaxis or haemoptysis. This type of bleeding usually occurs before or during the period.



Overwork, emotional stress


Overwork may weaken both Lung- and Kidney-Yin, Yin deficiency gives rise to Empty-Heat, this rises to damage the Lung’s Blood-Connecting channels and causes either epistaxis or haemoptysis (both of which are related to the Lung channel). This situation is aggravated if the patient suffers also from emotional problems which weaken the Lungs such as sadness, grief and worry.



Pathology


The pathology of epistaxis and/or haemoptysis at period time is mostly related to the Liver channel and the Penetrating Vessel. The Liver stores Blood, this is abundant at the time when the period is due, and it percolates down to the Sea of Blood of the Penetrating Vessel, giving rise to the period. When women are affected by emotional stress such as anger, frustration or resentment, Liver-Qi, and therefore Blood also, stagnates. Since the Liver’s pathology in women is closely related to the Penetrating Vessel, when the Qi of this vessel rebels upwards, Liver-Qi also rebels upwards. When Liver-Fire is formed from stagnant Liver-Qi, Fire follows rebellious Qi upwards; it damages the Blood-Connecting channels and causes bleeding from the nose or lungs.


Thus, the essential pathological conditions in this problem are Fire (or Empty-Heat) and rebellious Qi: the treatment principles to be adopted are therefore to drain Fire (or clear Empty-Heat), subdue rebellious Qi and attract blood downwards. Such principles of treatment apply to both excess or deficiency patterns causing this condition: thus, in Lung- and Kidney-Yin deficiency one must also pacify the Liver and subdue rebellious Qi.


Thus, the main pathological factors in this condition are:


• stagnant Liver-Qi turning into Fire

• Lung- and Kidney-Yin deficiency.


Identification of patterns and treatment


The formulae discussed below are all aimed at stopping bleeding: however, they do so by treating also the underlying pattern causing the bleeding. They can therefore be administered throughout the menstrual cycle and especially during the period itself. However, it may not be necessary for the patient to take the prescription throughout the month as she could time the therapy according to the four phases of the menstrual cycles discussed in Chapter 2. Thus, in this case, the patient could take the prescription only during the fourth and first phases, i.e. in the pre-menstrual phase and during the period itself.



Stagnant Liver-Qi turning into Fire



Clinical manifestations


Epistaxis or haemoptysis before or during the period, heavy period, red face, irritability, pre-menstrual tension, feeling of heat, red eyes, thirst. Tongue: red sides. Pulse: Wiry and Rapid.



Treatment principle


Clear the Liver, drain Fire, subdue rebellious Qi, stop bleeding.



Acupuncture


LIV-2 Xingjian, SP-4 Gongsun (on the right) and P-6 Neiguan (on the left), L.I.-11 Quchi, SP-10 Xuehai, LU-6 Kongzui, L.I.-4 Hegu, LU-5 Chize, LU-10. All with reducing or even method.




Explanation

Related posts:

  1. Vaginal Itching (and Trichomonas and Candida Infections and Genital Eczema)
  2. Abdominal Pain after Childbirth
  3. Acupuncture and Herbal Treatment in Midwifery
  4. Endometriosis

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Jun 6, 2016 | Posted by in GYNECOLOGY | Comments Off on Epistaxis or Haemoptysis at Period Time

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