Fullness and Distension

　　1, When pathogenic factors invade the interior from the exterior, if the treatment is not appropriate and excessive purgation is used, the spleen and stomach will be damaged. Pathogenic factors take advantage of the vulnerability to invade the interior, congeal in the epigastrium, block the middle-jiao qi, disrupt the coordination of ascending and descending, retain stomach qi, and eventually lead to fullness and distension. As stated in 'Treatise on Cold Damage': 'If the pulse is floating and tense, and purgation is repeated, the tense will enter the interior, causing fullness and distension, pressing on it feels soft, but it is only qi fullness.',

　　2, Overeating, overindulgence in cold and rough foods, preference for fatty and sweet foods, or excessive consumption of strong tea, spirits, and spicy and hot foods can damage the spleen and stomach, leading to indigestion, obstruction in the epigastrium, loss of coordination in ascending and descending, retention of stomach qi, and eventually causing fullness and distension. As stated in 'Similarity Treatment Compilation - Fullness and Distension': 'If the stomach is injured by cold and cool foods and leads to fullness and distension, warm the middle to transform stagnation.

　　3. Obstruction of phlegm and dampness in the spleen and stomach The spleen and stomach lose their healthy function, water and dampness are not transformed, leading to the generation of phlegm turbidity, and the obstruction of phlegm and qi in the epigastrium leads to the failure of ascending and descending, obstruction of stomach qi, and the formation of distension. As stated in 'The Secret Vault of Orchid Room - Abdominal Distension and Swelling': 'Excess dampness in the spleen, abdominal fullness and indigestion.'

　　4. Imbalance of emotions Overthinking leads to qi stagnation, sudden anger leads to qi reversal, sadness and worry lead to qi depression, and fear and惊恐 lead to qi chaos, etc., causing the reverse of qi movement, the failure of ascending and descending, and the formation of distension. Among them, the most common is the distension caused by liver depression and qi stagnation, which invades the spleen and stomach, leading to the obstruction of stomach qi. As described in 'The Complete Works of Jingyue - Distension': 'Sudden injury of anger, liver qi not calm and distension.'

　　5. Weakness of the spleen and stomach from birth The body is inherently weak in the spleen and stomach, with insufficient middle qi, or irregular eating and drinking, unbalanced diet, or long-term illness damaging the spleen and stomach, leading to the failure of intake and transportation, imbalance of ascending and descending, obstruction of stomach qi, and the generation of distension. This is as discussed in 'The Secret Vault of Orchid Room - Abdominal Distension and Swelling': 'Or, due to overeating of cold and cool foods, or people with long-term deficiency of the spleen and stomach, the stomach becomes cold and distended, or internal cold generates distension disease.'

　　The pathogenesis of gastric distension is divided into deficiency and excess. Excess refers to internal obstruction of pathogenic factors, including external pathogenic factors entering the interior, food stasis, phlegm-damp obstruction, and liver depression and qi stagnation; deficiency refers to the failure of the middle burner, attributed to the weakness of the spleen and stomach. The internal obstruction of excess pathogenic factors is often related to the failure of the middle burner and the lack of ascending and descending power; conversely, the lack of power in the middle burner is most susceptible to the invasion of excess pathogenic factors, and both often cause each other. For example, if the spleen and stomach are weak and the healthy function is lost, it can lead to the retention of dampness and the generation of fluid, as well as the retention of food in the interior; while the internal obstruction of excess pathogenic factors will further damage the spleen and stomach, eventually leading to the coexistence of deficiency and excess. In addition, various pathogenic factors and various pathogenic mechanisms can also influence and transform each other, forming a pathological change of intermingling deficiency and excess, and cold and heat, which is a characteristic of the pathogenesis of distension. In summary, the location of gastric distension is in the stomach, and it is closely related to the liver and spleen. The basic pathogenesis is the dysfunction of the spleen and stomach, the loss of ascending and descending, and the obstruction of stomach qi.

　　The course of the disease can be prolonged, and it can gradually develop into diseases such as stomachache and gastric cancer. In patients with chronic gastritis accompanied by malignant anemia, the incidence of canceration is 20 times higher than that of other gastrointestinal diseases, which should be a matter of concern for gastrointestinal disease patients. In patients with atrophic inflammation accompanied by intestinal metaplasia and severe atypical hyperplasia, there are symptoms of anemia, such as dizziness, fatigue, palpitations, and pale complexion. In severe cases, there may be dizziness, palpitations, darkening of the eyes, profuse sweating, and even shock.

　　7. The main clinical manifestation is stuffiness and discomfort in the epigastrium, with the distension being soft to the touch, painless when pressed, and showing no signs of swelling.

　　6. It is often accompanied by symptoms such as chest and diaphragmatic stuffiness, reduced appetite, feeling bloated after eating, and relief after belching.

　　5. Onset and exacerbation are often related to factors such as diet, mood, lifestyle, and temperature changes.

　　4. It often starts chronically, with varying degrees of severity, recurring frequently, and being difficult to heal.

　　Gastric distension generally has a good prognosis, as long as one maintains a comfortable mood, eats in moderation, and persists with treatment, most can be cured. However, gastric distension is often a chronic process, frequently recurring, and difficult to cure for a long time, so persistence in treatment is crucial. If long-term illness is not treated properly, or treatment is inappropriate, the course of the disease often becomes prolonged, and it can gradually develop into diseases such as stomachache and gastric cancer.

　　1, Pay attention to diet:Eat at regular times and in appropriate amounts, chew slowly, and choose foods that are light and have little irritation to the gastric mucosa as the main food, avoiding spicy, cold, hard, and overly acidic foods with strong irritation.

　　2, Quit smoking and drinking:Smoking and drinking can damage the gastric mucosa, causing mucosal erosion and congestion, thereby aggravating the condition and不利于 disease recovery.

　　3, Be cautious about medication:Some drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can stimulate the gastric mucosa, causing recurrent attacks of the disease. They should be used with caution or avoided as much as possible.

　　4, Active treatment:When you have a disease, you should treat it actively. Whether it is acute gastritis or other diseases, you should not ignore them to avoid further expansion of the disease, affecting other mucosal tissues, and causing more serious diseases.

　　In addition to clinical manifestations, relevant examinations are also indispensable for the diagnosis of stomach fullness. Abnormalities in fiberoptic gastroscopy, upper gastrointestinal X-ray examination, and gastric juice analysis are helpful for the diagnosis of this disease.

　　What kind of food is good for stomach fullness:Diet should be based on small and frequent meals, rich in nutrition, light and easy to digest, and should not include alcohol and excessive consumption of cold and spicy foods. Avoid coarse and hard foods and overeating.

　　For pain, you can choose Jinlingzi Powder, Liangfu Pill, Zuojin Pill, Shaoyao and Maimendong Decoction, Guizhi and Maimendong Decoction, and Herba galangae, etc.; for stuffiness, you can choose Moschus, Amomum villosum, Zhishi, Magnolia officinalis, Poria, Syzygium aromaticum, and Amomum villosum; generally, pungent aromatic herbs have a promoting effect on gastrointestinal motility and digestion. For acid regurgitation and heartburn, you can choose calcined Lingshi, cuttlefish bone, Poria, Melo, Zuojin Pill, Shaoyao and Maimendong Decoction, Zhizi and Maimendong Decoction, etc.; for anorexia, you can choose Syzygium aromaticum, Amomum villosum, Amomum xanthioides, ginger, two sprouts, and three angles, and Yixu. Appropriate symptomatic treatment is very helpful for treating the root cause.

　　The basic pathogenesis of gastric痞 is the dysfunction of the spleen and stomach, with the failure of ascending and descending, and the congestion of stomach Qi. Therefore, the principle of treatment is to regulate the spleen and stomach, and to resolve Qi and eliminate痞. For the real condition, apply purgation of heat, digestion, phlegm and Qi regulation; for the虚 condition, focus on tonifying the spleen and stomach. For symptoms with both deficiency and excess, treatment should be both reinforcing and draining, with both tonification and elimination. In the treatment, attention should be paid not to overuse fragrant and drying herbs to avoid consumption of body fluids and injury to body fluids, especially for虚证, caution should be exercised.