Chinese medicine’s understanding of diabetes Chinese medicine calls diabetes “thirst”, as early as 400 B.C., the name “thirst” was recorded in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, and Zhang Zhongjing, a famous physician in the Han Dynasty, wrote about the symptoms of “thirst” in the book “Jin Kui Yao”. The symptoms of “three more” have been recorded in “The Book of Thirst”. As early as in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, traditional medicine in China suggested that the weakness of the five organs, emotional and mental disorders, and poor diet are closely related to the occurrence of thirst. Since then, successive generations of doctors have continued to add to this basis, so that the theory of the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease of thirst has been increasingly enriched, and the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease of thirst is outlined below. (1) Causes ① Yin deficiency of the body and weakness of the five organs: Yin deficiency of the body and weakness of the five organs are intrinsic factors in the pathogenesis of achalasia, and deficiency of the lung, spleen and kidney plays a decisive role in the pathogenesis of achalasia. The deficiency of the lungs, spleen and kidneys plays a decisive role in the development of achalasia. It is now recognized that obesity is an important environmental factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. Due to the long-term intake of high-calorie diet and reduced physical activity, obesity has led to a gradual increase in the incidence of diabetes. This is fully consistent with the understanding of traditional medicine. (3) Emotional and mental disorders: long-term mental stimulation leads to qi stagnation, which in turn turns into fire and consumes lung and stomach yin and fluid and develops into thirst. Psychoneurotic factors have a role in the occurrence and development of diabetes. Modern medicine believes that along with mental tension, emotional excitement, psychological stress, etc., can cause an increase in the secretion of growth hormone, adrenaline and other hormones that antagonize insulin, and increase blood sugar. (4) Excessive labor and desire: Yin deficiency in the body, combined with indiscipline in the room and excessive labor and desire, depletion of Yin essence, resulting in Yin deficiency and fire, steam up the lungs and stomach and develop into thirst. (2) Pathogenesis In summary, it can be seen that the main pathogenesis of thirst is as follows: ① In the early stage of the disease, yin and fluid are depleted and dryness and heat are prevalent. Most of the Chinese medical literature of the past generations discusses the pathogenesis of thirst with the theory of Yin deficiency and dry heat. In the early stage of the disease, the basic pathogenesis is the loss of yin and fluid and the prevalence of dryness and heat, with yin deficiency as the basis and dryness and heat as the standard. The more dryness and heat are present, the more deficient the yin and fluids are, and the more deficient the yin and fluids are, the more dryness and heat are present, and the two affect each other as cause and effect. Although the lesion site of thirst disease is related to the five organs, it is mainly in the lung, spleen (stomach) and kidney. ②The disease process is prolonged, qi and yin are injured, and the veins are stagnant. If the early stage of the disease is not properly treated, the course of the disease will be prolonged, Yin loss and Qi depletion, dryness and heat will cause Qi and Yin deficiency, while the dysfunction of the internal organs, fluid metabolism disorders, Qi and blood flow obstruction, phlegm and stagnant blood within the body, the whole body vascular stasis, the corresponding internal organs lose the moistening of Qi and blood and many changes occur. At the later stage of the disease, yin and yang are lost and both yin and yang are deficient. If the disease is prolonged for a long time, the loss of yin and yang will eventually lead to the deficiency of both yin and yang. While controlling blood glucose with western medicine, the treatment with Chinese medicine can improve the symptoms, which cannot be replaced by western medicine.