How to identify lower extremity edema in Chinese medicine

For lower limb edema, it is necessary to identify whether it is a solid or a deficiency syndrome. The solid evidence is related to water-dampness, dampness-heat, dampness-toxicity, and stagnant water inter-conjugation obstructing water metabolism. The deficiency syndrome is related to the deficiency of the spleen and kidney. The spleen is responsible for transportation (the spleen has the function of digesting food, absorbing food essence and water and transferring it to the whole body), and the kidney is responsible for water. If the spleen and kidney are deficient in yang, it cannot transform qi and promote water circulation, which may cause lower limb edema. For the Dampness-Toxicity Impregnation syndrome, it can be treated with Ephedra-Huang-Lianjiao-Azuki Bean Soup and Five-Flavored Sterilizing Drink; for the Water-Dampness Impregnation syndrome, it can be treated with Five-Pi Drink and Stomach Ling Soup; for the Damp-Heat Congestion (excess of Damp-Heat Evil Qi, which is stagnating inside the body) syndrome, it can be treated with Shuo Chiseling Drink; and for the Blood Stasis and Water Intercalation syndrome, it can be treated with Peach-Hong Four-Substance Soup with Five-Ling San. There are two types of deficiency: spleen yang deficiency (deficiency of yang qi in the spleen) and kidney yang deficiency. For Spleen-Yang deficiency syndrome, one can choose Solid Spleen Drink; for Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome, one can choose Jisheng Kidney Qi Pill combined with Zhenwu Tang. When lower limb edema occurs, it is recommended to consult a doctor in time to identify the cause of the disease and then treat the symptoms to avoid aggravating the adverse effects.