Pattern of Disharmony General Pattern
Empty

Loss of Blood

Shī Xuè · 失血

Educational content Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment

Practitioner's Notes

Key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the bleeding from nose, mouth, vagina, anus and etc.

How This Pattern Develops

The sequence of events inside the body

There are two types of Loss of Blood: Empty or Excess.

The Empty type mainly refers to the Deficient Qi failing to hold Blood in the vessel. Then the Heat in the Blood pushes it out. The color of the blood is pales while the quantity is profuse. The loss of Blood can be prolonged.

Another Empty type is due to Yin Deficiency, which cause Empty Heat in the Blood. Then the agitated Blood get reckless and leaks out of vessels. The Blood is color is bright red but scanty.

The Excess types are caused by Heat in the Blood or Blood Stagnation. The former is more common and the Blood color is fresh red or dark color. The volume is heavy.

As for the second Excess type, when Blood stagnates, it blocks the vessels and accumulate Heat, which then cause bleeding with very dark Blood and often clots. The volume is comparatively scanty as the majority of Blood are stagnated.

The goal of treatment

Cools the Bloods, stop bleeding, supply Body Fluids

TCM addresses this pattern through one complementary path: herbal medicine. Each one works differently — and together they address this pattern from multiple angles.

How Herbal Medicine Helps

Herbal medicine is typically the backbone of TCM treatment. Formulas are precisely blended combinations of plants that work together to correct the specific imbalance underlying this pattern — targeting not just the symptoms, but the root cause.

Classical Formulas

These formulas are classically associated with this pattern — each selected because its properties directly address the core imbalance.

How TCM Classifies This Pattern

TCM has developed multiple overlapping frameworks for categorising patterns of disharmony. Each lens reveals something different about the nature and location of the imbalance.

What Is Being Disrupted

TCM identifies specific vital substances (Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang, Fluids), pathological products, and external forces involved in creating this pattern.

Vital Substances Affected Jīng Qì Xuè Jīn Yè 精气血津液

Blood Deficiency