The difference between spleen-stomach disharmony and spleen deficiency is mostly characterized by differences in pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and treatment.
Spleen deficiency:
Generally refers to the deficiency of yin and yang, qi and blood of the spleen. It is mostly caused by dietary disorders, cold and temperature discomfort, worry, overwork, or prolonged illness that injures the spleen. Symptoms include emaciation, yellowish face, weakness of limbs, loss of appetite, indigestion of food, abdominal pain, bowel sounds, loose stools (thin and unshaped feces) or diarrhea, swelling, blood in stools, and menstrual leakage (excessive menstruation or more than a few drops of menstruation), and so on.
It also refers to spleen qi deficiency, which refers to deficiency of spleen qi, dysfunction of transportation and transformation, and is characterized by low food intake, abdominal distension, loose stools and symptoms of qi deficiency.
Clinical treatment of spleen deficiency is mostly based on strengthening the spleen, using Chinese herbs such as Poria, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Chinese yam.
Spleen-stomach disharmony: In addition to spleen deficiency, stomach deficiency and stomach qi disharmony are also manifested.
Qi stagnation, spleen and stomach dysphoria, with epigastric (abdominal) distention, or gastrointestinal noisy (stomach similar to hunger, emptiness with burning sensation), eating less, dull (no appetite, less food), or abdominal distension after eating, belching (belching), intestinal tinnitus, fecal irregularities (abnormal stools), and stringy pulse are the common symptoms of the disease.
Clinicians often use spleen pills and ginseng spleen pills to strengthen the spleen and stomach. Avoid indigestible food. It should not be taken by patients with fever and cold. The contraindications of the two drugs are not clear. Cases of digestive discomfort and skin rashes have been reported in the case of Tongsheng Pill.
Patients who are not feeling well should consult a professional Chinese medicine practitioner as soon as possible to clarify the specific mechanism of the disease and identify the evidence for treatment, so as to avoid delaying the condition.