How important is the "liver" in Chinese medicine? It affects people far more than you imagine

In traditional Chinese medicine theory, "liver" is not just an anatomical organ. It is not only related to mood, but also closely related to sleep, digestion, female menstruation, headaches, eye fatigue, and even overall state. Many physical discomforts may be related to "liver" dysfunction during syndrome differentiation. So, what exactly is the "liver" in Chinese medicine? Why is it so important?

1. What is "liver" in Chinese medicine?

In modern medicine, the liver is mainly responsible for detoxification, metabolism, protein synthesis, glycogen storage, etc. In the traditional Chinese medicine system, "liver" refers more to a type offunctional system, not just anatomical organs; abnormalities in Western medical indicators, viral hepatitis, etc. need to be evaluated within their respective frameworks and cannot be simply one-to-one correspondence.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the core functions of the liver mainly include:

• Main catharsis:Regulate the flow of Qi throughout the body.
• Main blood:Involved in the storage and regulation of blood, related to tendons, eyes, etc.
• Enlighten your eyes:The function of the eyes is related to the regulation of liver blood and liver qi.

It can be roughly understood as: the liver helps maintain the coordination of the body's "qi and blood", making physiological activities smoother.

2. Liver governs catharsis: Why does a bad mood affect the body?

"Shuxie" refers to the liver's dredging and smooth flow of qi. When catharsis is relatively smooth, people often experience relatively stable emotions, relatively smooth sleep and digestion, etc.; ifLiver Qi stagnation, emotional depression or irritability, chest tightness and heavy breathlessness, premenstrual breast distension and pain, stomach bloating and belching, difficulty falling asleep, etc. may occur. Therefore, it is said that "most diseases are caused by liver qi depression" - in modern times, with fast pace and high pressure, liver qi discomfort is very common in clinical syndrome differentiation, butThe four diagnostic methods must be combined with ginseng, it is not advisable to apply labels yourself.

3. The liver controls blood: Why are women’s problems often related to the liver?

Traditional Chinese medicine has a saying that "women are born with the liver", emphasizing the connection between liver blood regulation and female physiology. When the liver blood is relatively sufficient and runs smoothly, menstruation, energy, eyesight, hair and skin, etc. are usually more stable; if the liver blood is insufficient or does not run smoothly, you may see light menstrual flow or dysmenorrhea, premenstrual mood swings, dizziness, visual fatigue, numbness in the limbs, etc. People who stay up late for a long time, are overworked, and have insufficient postpartum care need to pay more attention - the specifics still need to beLicensed Chinese PhysicianDifferentiation.

4. The liver helps the eyes: eye problems are also related to the liver

"The liver opens up the eyes" suggests that the nourishment of the eyes is related to liver blood and liver qi. When the function is dysfunctional, symptoms such as dry eyes, blurred vision, visual fatigue, and tears in the wind may occur. Long-term eye use and staying up late can easily damage liver blood. Eye protection and liver nourishing can often take into account each other, but organic problems such as refraction, dry eye syndrome, and glaucoma still need to be ruled out.

5. The relationship between liver and sleep

Difficulty falling asleep, having many dreams, waking up easily, waking up early, etc. are often related to stagnation of liver qi, excessive liver fire, insufficient liver blood, etc. in syndrome differentiation, and cannot be summarized by "calming the nerves" alone. Clinically, it is often combined with methods such as soothing the liver, nourishing the liver and blood, clearing and purging the liver-fire, etc. to treat the disease according to the syndrome, which must be determined by the doctor.

6. What signals indicate that you may need to pay attention to the status of your "liver"?

The following are just common tips,Not equal to diagnosis：

• Mood swings, easy to be nervous and anxious, often sighing
• Chest and hypochondriac distension and discomfort
• Obvious premenstrual discomfort
• Light sleep and many dreams
• Eyestrain, visual fatigue

If it persists for a long time or worsens, it is recommended to undergo a face-to-face consultation to rule out other organ and organic diseases.

7. How does Chinese medicine regulate the liver?

Common ideas include soothing the liver and relieving stagnation, nourishing the liver and blood, calming the liver and subduing yang, etc., and can be added or subtracted according to the syndrome types such as excessive liver fire, headache, and irritability. Commonly used methods include acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation, massage, and adjustment of emotions and work and rest, etc.Don’t blindly “clear liver fire” or take supplements, mistreatment may cause injury or worsen discomfort.

Conclusion: Nourishing the liver also nourishes mood and rhythm.

The liver in Chinese medicine can be regarded as one of the "regulating" links of the physical and mental rhythms. When functions are coordinated, mood, sleep, and physical relaxation tend to be better; when they are out of balance, both physical and emotional fluctuations may occur. Instead of waiting for the problem to get worse, it is better to slow down and have a regular schedule as far as possible. If you have recently suffered from emotional instability, sleep disturbance, menstrual discomfort or recurring headaches, please come toFlushing, New York GuoyitangConduct physical assessment and syndrome differentiation and conditioning, and discuss a plan that is more suitable for you.