Infertility in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Infertility is defined clinically as not being able to achieve pregnancy after 1 year of having regular, unprotected intercourse, or inability to become pregnant, or to carry a pregnancy to term, following the birth of one or more biological children。the former called "the original Sexual infertility "; the latter is called" secondary infertility.”

In Western medicine, the causes of infertility in women are related mainly with ovulation dysfunction, pelvic inflammatory disease, pelvic tumors, genital malformations and other diseases. However, in traditional Chinese Medicine, the function of Kidney, Liver and Spleen is important in making the conception of a woman. The common causes of infertility are related to:

1. Kidney-Qi deficiency: Congenital defect can be a type of hereditary Kidney-Qi deficiency. Excess of sexual intercourse may damage the Kidney Qi too. The deficiency of Kidney-Qi may cause poor nourishment of the Uterine making it unable to take up sperm to get pregnancy.

2.       2. Kidney Yang deficiency: Over sexual intercourse can also deplete the Kidney-Yang , which unable to disperse the Qi and remove the Water causing the cold-dampness staying in the Uterine, which will make it impossible for pregnancy

3.  Kidney Yin deficiency: Excess of sexual intercourse can also deplete essence and blood causing Kidney-Yin deficiency. In deficiency may cause lack of blood, or cause of generation of inner heat. Lack of blood or heat in the uterine system will make pregnancy impossible.

4.       4. Liver depression: Poor emotion may cause liver-Qi stagnation. The liver loss its function of smoothing causing disharmony of Blood and QI, the Chong and Ren meridian, Hence unable to collect the sperm to get pregnancy.

5.       5. Phlegm: Genetically fat person or people who consume a lot of junk food (oil, sweaty) will generate phlegm in the body, blocking the Qi movement. A poor circulation of Qi in the uterine will, red any loss of the Secretary, body overflows, occlusion of the uterus. The spleen lose its function, an uncontrollable intake of food will also damage the spleen function, which generate phlegm inside of the body. Phlegm is heavy in its nature and will go downward into the low Jiao of the abdomen where the Uterus lives. Phlegm in the uterus will prevent the nidation. 

           6. Blood Stasis:  Wading cold water, exposure in cold environment or intercourse during the Menstruation period, or in the bleeding period after child delivery, may cause the cold pathogen entangles with blood forming blood stasis or clot, which may block the normal circulation of the uterus, causing infertility.

 Syndrome differentiation

Differentiation of the Infertility syndrome is mainly based on changes in menstruation and the severity of virginal discharge.  The systemic symptoms, the change of tongue and pulse are also factors for analysis. It is important to make clear which integral organ is affected and the condition of Qi and blood, cold and heat, the excess and deficiency. Treatment is focused on warming kidney qi, regulating qi and blood. In addition, a good mood, and sleep is also important to facilitate pregnancy.

1.       1. Kidney qi deficiency

The main syndromes: marriage for a long time infertility, irregular menstruation, the amount of more or less, dizziness, tinnitus, backache legs soft, mental fatigue, clear urine color, pale tongue, thin fur, pulse deep and thin.

Syndrome analysis: kidney qi deficiency, Chong Ren virtual failure, cannot be fine into pregnancy, Erzhi infertility; Chong Ren disorders, blood sea loss Division. So the menstrual irregular, the amount of time for a long time; waist for the kidney, kidney bone bone marrow, kidney is waist and leg soft; marrow deficiency, the dizziness tinnitus, mental fatigue; gasification disorders, the urine is clear. Pale tongue, thin fur, pulse Shen fine, for the lack of kidney syndrome.

Treatment rules: Bushenyiqi, fill the essence of marrow.

Prescription example: Yu Lin Zhu ("Jing Yue Quan Shu").

Ginseng, Atractylodes, Poria, peony (wine fried), Chuanxiong, Zhigancao, Angelica, Rehmannia, Dodder (system), antler cream, Eucommia (wine fried), Chuanjiao

making into powder and mixed with refining honey into the pill.

Fang in the dodder, antlers cream, Eucommia kidney strong waist and knee and benefit the essence of the four gentlemen to qi, with four things to nourishing, Sagawa pepper temperature Duye to Fuyang. The whole side of the heart to raise the kidney to the marrow, but also fill the days of temper to blood, and to accompany the blood to reconcile the goods, so that the fullness of the foot, red any support, pregnancy is pregnant.

2.       2. Kdney yang deficiency syndrome

The main syndromes: marriage long infertility, late menstruation, the amount of less light, and even amenorrhea, usually leucorrhea, low back pain, such as folding, cold cold limbs, sexual indifference, urinary frequency or incontinence, dark, pale tongue, Moss white slip, pulse thin and late or weak.

 Syndromes analysis: kidney deficiency, life door fire failure, red any loss of warmth, can not be fine into pregnancy, so infertility; Yang deficiency weak, can not blood line blood, Chong Ren empty, So that the late menstruation, the amount of less light, and even amenorrhea; kidney yang, gasification disorders, water within the stop, hurt any belt, so bring more; kidney deficiency, life door fire, Xu, so low back pain, such as folding, cold cold limbs, sexual desire indifferent; kidney deficiency, gasification disorders, closing is not solid, so the frequency of urine or can not help. Looking dark and dark, pale tongue, moss white slip, pulse Shen thin and late or weak, for the lack of kidney yang of the levy.

Treatment rules: Warming the Kidney to assist  yang, moisturizing essence.

 Prescription example: warm drink ("Fu Qing zhu Gynaecology).

Morinda officinalis, psoralen, dodder, cinnamon, aconite, Eucommia, Atractylodes, yam, Gorgon, ginseng

 Side of the warmth of the kidney to help Yin; ginseng, Atractylodes Spleen Qi and dehumidification; yam, Gorgon kidney Astringent finish. All sides played a warm kidney to help yang, fill the effect of help.

 If the cold child in the palace caused by infertility, the disease see the late menstruation, lower abdomen cold pain, aversion to cold, pale white, pulse tight, the rule of warm and cold, side with Ai warm palace pill ("Shen Respect for the book ").

 Yea, Cyperus rotundus, Angelica, Dipsacus, Evodia, Chuanxiong, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Astragalus, Radix Rehmanniae, Cinnamon

 Side of the Shaoxing, Evodia, Euphorbia warm by the cold and warm palace; incense attached to the line of blood, dispel the stasis in the stasis; ground, Shao, Gui, Qiongxue blood and blood to transfer; astragalus, And raise red. The whole side can be received by the cold, warm house by the meridian of the meridian, the regulation of pregnancy can become a pregnancy. ,

3.       3. kidney yin deficiency syndrome

 The main syndromes: marriage long infertility, menstrual error, the amount of less light, dizziness, tinnitus, backache legs soft, vertigo palpitations, the skin does not run, looking pale yellow, pale tongue, moss less pulse fine.

 Syndromes analysis: kidney yin loss, lack of essence and blood, red any emptiness, can not condense into pregnancy, then the late menstrual period, the amount of less light, long time pregnant; infertility and blood loss, blood deficiency can not Rong Qingqiao, the dizziness , Tinnitus, vertigo, not Rong organs, then palpitations, backache legs soft, outside the unhappy skin, the skin does not run, looking pale yellow. Pale tongue, less moss, pulse Shen fine, for the essence of blood deficiency.

 Treatment rules: Zishen nourishing, make up the red.

 Prescription example: raise fine species of jade soup ("Fu Qing main female").

 Large ripe (wine steam), angelica (wine wash), white peony (wine fried), cornus (steamed)

 Side in the ground, cornus kidney and beneficial essence and blood, angelica, white peony blood tonic. All the side played a total of nourishing kidney blood regulation - by the effect, full of fine blood, Chong Ren Zizi, since the pregnancy.

 If the blood is worse, Zhuojia antlers, Placenta and other flesh and blood products fill the essence of blood, Dabu Qi Jing. If the blood deficiency Shangyin, Yin deficiency heat, Zheng see menstrual advance, the amount of small, color red, backache legs soft, hand, foot and heart heat, and even hot rain sweat, mouth dry throat, zygomatic red red, red tongue and dry , Pulse breakdown. Expelling Yin and heat, side with clear blood Yin Tang. If both hot flashes, Zhuojia anemarrhena, Artemisia annua, turtle shell, Sunburn turtle and so on to Ziyin and Qingxu heat.

4.       The liver Depression

The main syndromes: years of infertility, menstrual tonic, the amount of uncertainty, premenstrual breast pain, Xiong Xie uncomfortable, abdominal pain, depression, or irritability, red tongue, thin fur, pulse string.

Syndromes analysis: emotional discomfort, then the liver lost, blood disorders, red can not be funded, so many years of infertility; liver qi stagnation, so before the breast pain, Xiong Xie uncomfortable, abdominal pain ; Liver depressive disorders, blood loss of the Secretary, then the menstrual period, the amount of uncertainty. Red tongue, thin fur, pulse string, for the liver depression of the levy.

Treatment rules: Shugan Jieyu, blood regulation.

Prescription example: Bailing tune liver soup ("Braun gynecology").

 Angelica, red peony, Achyranthes, through grass, toosendan, Trichosanthes, soap thorn, citrus aurantium, green skin, licorice, Wang no line

 In the angelica, red peony blood and liver; citrus aurantium, green skin, toosendania liver qingyu qi qi; Guaoliang wide chest and thirsty phlegm; through the grass, the king does not stay line of water and blood to pass the liver by the stagnation; Thorns, Achyranthes bidentata through the line by the abdomen of the stasis. All sides were played Shugan Jieyu, Tiaoji help the effect of pregnancy.

If the liver qi frog, liver and spleen deficiency who, and do not think of eating, tired, such as lying, such as sparse liver spleen, nourishing tone, side with open Yuyu Yu Tang ((Fu Qing main female)).

 Angelica, white peony root, Atractylodes, Poria, pollen, paeonol, Cyperus rotundus

 In the Angelica, white peony qi and blood Rougan; incense attached to the gas line lag to cure liver Yu; Danpi cooling blood circulation; Atractylodes, Poria Health spleen and stomach to source; All sides were played Shu liver spleen, nourishing tone effect.

5.       Phlegm type

The main syndromes: marriage for a long time infertility, body fat, delayed by the line, or even amenorrhea, vaginal discharge, color white matter sticky odorless, dizzy palpitations, chest tightness panic, complex white white, greasy moss, slippery.

 Syndromes analysis: obese people, phlegm Sheng Sheng, poor air, the red was blocked, lipid capsule congestion in the cell caused by infertility; Chong Ren block, then the delay, or even closed; phlegm But also palpitations, chest tightness pan evil; wet turbidity bet, so bring the amount of more than white matter sticky odorless. Greasy moss, slippery, for the phlegm intrinsic intrinsic sign.

 Treatment rules: dampness phlegm, qi tone.

 Prescription example: Kai Gong pill (experience side).

 System Pinellia, Atractylodes, Cyperus rotundus (Tongchu fried), Poria, Divine Comedy (fried), dried tangerine peel, Chuanxiong

 A total of fine, steamed cake for the pills. ;

 Fang in the atractylodes, Poria, Divine Comedy spleen dampness elimination product; Pinellia, Chen skin dampness phlegm qi; Cyperus rotundus, Chuanxiong gas line stagnation.

 If the phlegm in the Sheng, chest tightness, shortness of breath, Zhuojia melon, Southern Star, Shichangpu wide chest Qi to phlegm; by excessive, to Chuanxiong, Zhuojia Astragalus, Ren; heart palpitations, Zhuojia Yuanzhi to expectoration Ning heart; late menstruation or amenorrhea, Zhuojia antler, Xianling spleen, Morinda officinalis.

6. Four, blood stasis type

The main syndromes: many years of infertility, menstrual late, less or less, color purple black, with blood clots, by the poor, or even missed more, less abdominal pain refused, before the drama, Side with petechia, pulse string astringent.

Syndrome analysis: blood stasis stop, Chong Ren blocked, cell pulse unreasonable, then caused many years of infertility; blood stasis, so that the late line, the amount of small, dark purple, blood clots and abdominal pain; Go by, or leak more than. Tongue and pulse is also the blood stasis.

 Treatment: blood circulation, warm by the network.

 Prescription example: Shaofu Zhuyu Tang ("medical forest error").

 Fennel, ginger, caffeine, myrrh, angelica, Chuanxiong, cinnamon, red peony, Puhuang, Wulingzhi

 Side of the fennel, dried ginger, cinnamon warm by cold; angelica, Chuanxiong, red peony blood circulation blood stasis; myrrh, Puhuang, Wulingzhi, Corydalis Huoxue Huayu pain.

 If the blood stasis lasting heat, Zheng see lower abdomen burning, refused to press, menstrual volume, color red, the quality of sticky pieces, red tongue, yellow fur, slippery pulse number. Expelling Qingrejiedu, blood circulation, side with Xuefu Zhuyu Tang plus red vine, Patrinia, Coix Seed, honeysuckle and so on. If the blood deficiency, with dizziness, palpitations, less sleep sound, the best nourishing blood, side with the regulation by the kind of jade soup ("Wan Shi Women").

Angelica, Chuanxiong, Rehmannia, Cyperus rotundus, white peony, Poria, dried tangerine peel, Evodia, Dan,