Treating Constipation Requires Proper Diagnosis and Treatment
Heat-type Constipation commonly affects those who enjoy alcohol and spicy foods. Main symptoms include hard stools, abdominal distension, pain on pressure, dry mouth and bad breath, short red urine, oral ulcers, fever, flushed face, red tongue with yellow coating. Treatment aims to purge heat and unblock the bowels. Use: 6g raw rhubarb steeped in boiling water, or 3–6g senna leaf steeped in boiling water. Caution for pregnant women and elderly frail individuals. Patent medicines include Niuhuang Shangqing Pill, Huanglian Shangqing Tablets, Sanhuang Tablets, Longdan Xiegan Soft Capsules, Xin Qingning Tablets, Niuhuang Jiedu Pills.
Qi-type Constipation commonly affects those with excessive worry, overthinking, emotional distress, or sedentary lifestyle. Symptoms include difficult defecation, inability to pass stool despite urge, abdominal distension and pain, thin greasy coating, wiry pulse. Treatment: use Areca nut, Agarwood, Sandalwood, and Citrus Aurantium, decocted and taken orally. Patent medicines include Liumo Tang Oral Liquid, Mu Xiang Shunqi Pills.
Cold-type Constipation commonly affects the elderly and chronically ill. Main symptoms include difficult, painful defecation, cold abdominal pain, cold limbs, sore waist and knees. Treatment: use Cistanche, Achyranthes, decocted and taken orally.
Deficiency-type Constipation commonly affects those overworked or post-illness/postpartum. Qi-deficiency constipation: despite having bowel urges, straining leads to weakness, sweating, shortness of breath, pale tender tongue, thin coating, weak pulse, fatigue, and post-defecation exhaustion. Sometimes rectal prolapse occurs. Treatment: tonify Qi and strengthen spleen. Formula: 30g Astragalus, 10g honey, decocted and taken. Patent medicines include Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan.
Yin-blood deficiency constipation: hard stools like chestnuts, due to blood deficiency, presenting with pale complexion, pale lips and nails, fine pulse, plus dizziness, blurred vision, palpitations, dry mouth, less saliva, five-palm heat. Treatment: nourish blood and moisten dryness. Formula: Angelica, Prepared Rehmannia, Chicken Blood Vine, Scrophularia, decocted and taken. Patent medicines include Ma Ren Runchang Wan, Runchang Wan, Siwu Tang Oral Liquid, Shouwu Tablets, Liuwei Dihuang Wan.