Six Evils Pathogenesis

Six Evils Pathogenesis is a theoretical framework in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to classify illnesses based on their causative factors. The six main pathogenic factors are: Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire. Each pathogenic factor has unique characteristics in terms of nature, path, and influence on the body.

1. Wind Evil:

• Characteristics: Yang Evil, damages Yang Qi, mobile (moves), ascends (light, upwards), disperses (expels Qi, opens the pores leading to sweating).

• Main Symptoms: Fever, fear of wind, pain in the neck, clear nasal discharge, no sweating, floating and rapid pulse.

2. Cold Evil:

• Characteristics: Yin Evil, damages Yin Qi, stagnant, fixed, causes illness in winter, tends to affect the Kidneys.

• Main Symptoms: Fever, fear of cold, cough, clear nasal discharge, upper abdominal pain, diarrhea, cold limbs, pale tongue, white coating.

3. Summer Heat Evil:

• Characteristics: Yang Evil, damages Yin aspect, ascends and disperses (headache, sweating), quickly enters the Interior leading to Interior Heat, often combines with Dampness to cause illness.

• Main Symptoms: Fever, headache, sweating, restlessness, thirst, rapid pulse, red tongue, white sticky coating, weak pulse, internal disturbance of Shen (mind) leading to coma.

4. Dampness Evil:

• Characteristics: Yin Evil, damages Yang Qi, heavy (sinking downwards), turbid (cloudy secretions), stagnant, causes illness in late summer and early autumn.

• Main Symptoms: Upper abdominal pain, excessive vaginal discharge, diarrhea, bitter taste, dysmenorrhea, urinary frequency and pain, cloudy secretions, chest tightness, abdominal distension, sticky coating, rapid pulse, prolonged illness, prone to relapse.

5. Dryness Evil:

• Characteristics: Yang Evil, damages Blood and Yin (especially Liver Blood and Kidney Yin), has an upward tendency, bleeding leading to Wind transformation, disrupts Shen (mind), Five Qi Transformation… Five Zhi Transformation…

• Main Symptoms: Dry lips, mouth dryness, dry tongue, scanty urination, constipation, heat, thirst, restlessness, muscle atrophy.

6. Fire Evil:

• Characteristics: Yang Evil, damages Blood and Yin (especially Liver Blood and Kidney Yin), has an upward tendency, bleeding leading to Wind transformation, disrupts Shen (mind), Five Qi Transformation… Five Zhi Transformation…

• Main Symptoms: Fever, fear of cold, neck pain, facial asymmetry, squinting, muscle spasms, paralysis, itching, floating pulse.

Combination of Pathogenic Factors:

• Wind-Cold: Fever, fear of wind, neck pain, clear nasal discharge, no sweating, floating and rapid pulse.

• Wind-Cold (Cold Evil prevailing): Fever, fear of wind, neck pain, yellow nasal discharge, dark urine, excessive sweating, red tongue, yellow coating, floating and rapid pulse.

• Wind-Heat: Fever, fear of wind, stiff neck, heaviness, joint swelling, white and sticky coating, floating and rapid pulse.

• Wind-Dampness: Fever, fear of wind, stiff neck, dry throat, dry skin, dry tongue, itching, floating and rapid pulse.

• Wind-Summer Heat: Swelling and pain in fixed joints.

Impact of Pathogenic Factors on the Body:

• Cold Evil invading the channels and joints: Muscle pain, sinus inflammation.

• Cold Evil invading muscles and orifices: Upper abdominal pain, vomiting.

• Cold Evil invading the Spleen: Abdominal pain, diarrhea.

• Cold Evil invading the Small Intestine: Dysmenorrhea.

• Cold Evil invading the Uterus: Summer Heat invading the channels: fever, fatigue, restlessness, thirst.

• Summer Heat invasion: fever, dizziness, vertigo, coma, cold sweat, cold limbs.

Manifestations of illnesses caused by Pathogenic Factors:

• Summer Heat-Heat: Diarrhea in late summer, dysentery, infectious diarrhea.

• Summer Heat-Dampness: Swelling and pain in joints.

• Dampness Evil invading the channels and joints: Fever, swelling and pain in sinuses, high fever in the afternoon.

• Dampness Evil invading muscles and defensive Qi: Headache as if tied up, chest tightness, abdominal distension, no sweating, thick and sticky coating, weak pulse.

• Dampness Evil invading the Spleen: Stomach pain, vomiting, thick and sticky coating, rapid pulse.

• Dampness Evil invading the Large Intestine: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, thick and sticky coating, rapid pulse.

• Dampness Evil invading the Urinary Bladder: Urinary frequency and pain, cloudy urine, pain and fullness in the lower abdomen, thick and sticky coating, rapid pulse.

• Dampness-Heat Urinary Bladder: Urinary frequency and pain, dark urine, thirst without wanting to drink, yellow coating, rapid pulse.

• Dampness Evil invading the Uterus: Excessive, turbid vaginal discharge, dysmenorrhea, thick and sticky coating, rapid pulse.

• Dampness Evil invading the Liver: Pain and fullness in the rib area, bitter taste, thick and sticky coating, rapid pulse.

• Dryness-Heat: Fever, no sweating, dry cough, dry throat, dry tongue, dry skin, thin white coating, floating pulse.

• Moderate Dryness: Fever, dry throat, dry tongue, dry skin, cough with phlegm (sometimes with blood), red and dry tongue, floating and rapid pulse.

Conclusion:

Six Evils Pathogenesis is a complex yet useful theoretical system in diagnosing and treating illnesses. Understanding the characteristics and impact of each pathogenic factor is key to selecting effective treatment methods.