“If the Blood is deficient, the Mind will lack its foundation and so become unhappy or uneasy. . . . The person is more likely to experience a sense of restlessness with vague anxiety, a slight irritability, and a feeling of dissatisfaction. When we are asleep at night, the Blood naturally embraces the Mind, but if Blood is deficient the Mind ‘floats’ and the person cannot sleep.” —G. Maciocia
- restless fatigue
- emotional sensitivity
- insomnia and/or anxious sleep
- dry mouth without thirst
- blurred or weak vision
- thinning of hair
- dry or hard stool
- dry skin, eyes, hair, nails
- anemia
- muscle cramps
- lack of semen
- scanty or infrequent menstruation
- insufficient lactation
- pale, sallow complexion
- poor skin healing
- palpitations
The symptoms above point towards a diagnosis of Blood Deficiency. The meaning of Blood in Chinese Medicine is very different from that of Western Medicine. From a TCM’s perspective, Blood is a form of very dense and material Qi, while Qi is more subtle, more dynamic than Blood. In brief, Qi and Blood are among the foundational elements of one’s yin/yang life force: opposite and complementary in functions and roles. They give and sustain life, keep our body, mind, and emotions healthy and balanced. When Qi and Blood are in harmony, optimal health results! Heart-Blood deficiency and Liver-Blood deficiency are two of the most frequent “Blood Deficiency” diagnoses:
- Insomnia, especially with an inability to fall asleep, is a common symptom of both Heart-Blood Deficiency & Liver-Blood Deficiency.
- Sadness, palpitations, grief, poor memory, and a propensity to be startled point towards Heart-Blood deficiency.
- Mild dizziness, numbness of the limbs, blurred vision, floaters in the eyes, dull pale complexion, muscle cramps, and brittle nails point towards a diagnosis of Liver-Blood deficiency.