🌿 Folk Prescriptions

TCM classifies primary hypertension into various types, with the most common method combining zang-fu organs, eight principles, etiology, pathogenesis, and disease names. A widely accepted view is that the root cause lies in yin-yang imbalance, while the manifestation is internal wind, phlegm, and blood stasis. Clinically, it is divided into four main syndromes: Liver Yang Rising, Yin Deficiency with Yang Excess, Liver-Kidney Yin Deficiency, and Yin-Yang Deficiency, plus three common accompanying syndromes: internal wind, blood stasis, and phlegm obstruction.
Liver Yang Rising Syndrome: Headache and head distension, dizziness, tinnitus, facial flushing, bitter taste in mouth, irritability, red tongue, stringy and forceful pulse. Treatment: calm liver and subdue yang, clear fire and extinguish wind. Formula: Tianma Gouteng Decoction with modifications: Gastrodia, Uncaria, raw cassia seed, gardenia, Scutellaria, Achyranthes, Eucommia, night-blooming cereus, Taxus, Polygala.
If wind predominates, with limb numbness, hand tremors, muscle twitching, add dragon bone, oyster shell, pearl mother to tranquilize liver and extinguish wind.
If fire predominates, with red eyes, yellow coating, add Gentiana, moutan bark to clear liver heat. For constipation, add Danggui Longhui Wan to purge liver and intestines.
Yin Deficiency with Yang Excess Syndrome: In addition to general yang excess symptoms, there are palpitations, restlessness, insomnia, forgetfulness, fine and rapid pulse, yellow coating, bright red tongue. Treatment: primarily nourish kidney and liver. Formula: Zhibai Dihuang Wan with modifications: Rehmannia, yam, Cornus, moutan bark, alisma, poria, Anemarrhena, Phellodendron, raw dragon bone, raw oyster shell, tortoise shell.
If heart yin deficiency predominates, add sour jujube seed, longan flesh, polygala, Ligustrum to nourish the heart and calm the spirit.
Liver-Kidney Yin Deficiency Syndrome: Mainly presents as dizziness, blurred vision, soreness and weakness in waist and legs, five-palm heat, insomnia, tinnitus, dry red tongue with little or no coating, stringy and fine pulse. Treatment: primarily nourish kidney and liver. Formula: Dabuyuan Decoction with modifications: Rehmannia, yam, Cornus, wolfberry, ginseng, Angelica, Polygonum multiflorum, Eucommia.
Yin-Yang Deficiency Syndrome: Mainly presents as cold extremities with fatigue, soreness in waist, headache, tinnitus, palpitations, pale tongue with white coating, stringy and fine pulse. Treatment: primarily nourish yin and assist yang.
If yang deficiency predominates, use Yougui Wan with modifications: Rehmannia, yam, wolfberry, Eucommia, Cornus, cinnamon, aconite, dodder, Angelica, deer antler gelatin.
If yin deficiency predominates, use Zogui Wan with modifications: Rehmannia, yam, Cornus, wolfberry, dodder, deer antler gelatin, tortoise shell gelatin, Achyranthes.
If internal wind is present, add herbs to subdue and descend wind, such as chrysanthemum, Uncaria, dragon bone, oyster shell, pearl mother.
If blood stasis exists, add herbs to activate blood circulation and resolve stasis, such as Salvia, Ligusticum, Angelica, peach kernel, safflower, earthworm.
If phlegm obstruction is present, add herbs to resolve phlegm and regulate qi, such as pinellia, semipinellia, tangerine peel, polygala, bamboo juice, Fritillaria.
In general, treatment should follow syndrome differentiation and adjust prescriptions according to symptoms, avoiding rigid application. In clinical practice, multiple syndromes often coexist, requiring flexible and variable treatment strategies for effective results.