In daily life, many people always feel tired and weak. Those who enjoy traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) health preservation might ask, "Are you suffering from blood deficiency?" "But I just checked, and I'm not anemic!" Is blood deficiency in TCM the same as anemia? What are the differences between the two?

Blood deficiency ≠ Anemia

Blood deficiency is a type of syndrome differentiation in Traditional Chinese Medicine, while anemia is a disease diagnosis. People with blood deficiency often exhibit symptoms such as shortness of breath, lack of energy, and aversion to movement, but if a complete blood count is checked, it may not meet the diagnostic criteria for anemia. Besides anemia, other diseases can also lead to blood deficiency, such as blood deficiency causing insomnia, hair loss, palpitations, etc. Conversely, among those who meet the diagnostic criteria for anemia, qi and blood deficiency is the underlying condition of the body, and they may also have concurrent conditions such as spleen and kidney yang deficiency, liver depression and spleen deficiency, or kidney yang deficiency.

The signals of blood deficiency are not just fatigue

Besides easily feeling tired and constantly complaining of fatigue, there are many other signs that the body may be in a state of blood deficiency.

First, look at the color. Under normal circumstances, the face is radiant, with a slight glow. If the face loses its luster, no longer appears rosy, or even turns slightly yellow, accompanied by changes such as pale lips and yellowish palms, it could be a sign of blood deficiency.

Second, observe how you feel. People with blood deficiency often experience palpitations and poor sleep (difficulty falling asleep, easily waking up) during the day. When getting up from sitting or squatting, they may feel dizzy or see black spots in front of their eyes.

When you notice these symptoms, you should see a doctor to confirm whether you have anemia. If anemia occurs, it is necessary to further identify the cause and type of anemia for standardized diagnosis and treatment. If you are in a state of blood deficiency, you can adopt some TCM methods to regulate it.

Oral and external treatments can nourish blood

If diagnosed by a doctor, if it is just blood deficiency, it can be adjusted through dietary therapy, massage, exercise, and other methods.

Dietary Therapy: Individuals experiencing symptoms such as emotional abnormalities, dizziness, pale complexion, poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools can use the combination of "jujubes + longan" to strengthen the spleen and enrich blood, or the pairing of "danggui + baishao" to nourish blood and soothe the liver. This helps adjust the state of liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency, promoting smoother qi flow and enhanced blood and qi production capabilities.

When making soup, you can add some Astragalus membranaceus, which helps to strengthen the spleen and boost qi. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is said that "where qi flows, blood flows." Sufficient and smooth qi is beneficial for the generation and circulation of yin blood. Astragalus Angelica Sinensis Chicken Soup is a good choice. People are familiar with the idea that "liver helps to nourish blood," and from a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, liver is indeed a blood-nourishing food. However, it can only be used as a supplementary remedy and should not rely on eating liver to correct anemia.

2. Massage: The Zusanli point (four horizontal fingers below the outer knee) can strengthen the spleen and stomach function, benefiting qi and blood transformation; The Sanyinjiao point (four horizontal fingers above the inner ankle) can simultaneously nourish the spleen, liver, and kidneys, regulating sub-health conditions by improving zang-fu organ function; The Qihai point (about two horizontal fingers below the navel) and Guanyuan point (four horizontal fingers below the navel) help invigorate qi and strengthen the body. Regularly massaging these points can adjust blood deficiency conditions.

3. Exercise: Traditional practices like Baduanjin and Tai Chi can improve blood deficiency through specific movements and breathing adjustments, being more effective than simple walking. Of course, if you lack sufficient time and energy, walking is also beneficial, as long as you stay active, it benefits the circulation and generation of qi and blood.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Blood Nourishment

Traditional Chinese Medicine has many unique therapeutic methods to regulate and treat anemia. Chief Physician Yu Rencun from the Oncology Department of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has created Shengxue Decoction, primarily used for bone marrow suppression, anemia, and leukopenia after chemotherapy. The main formula is "Erlang Jigu Tu," which includes Sheng Huangqi, Sheng Dihuang, Jixueteng, Gouqizi, and Tusizi, to invigorate qi and strengthen the spleen, nourish the liver and kidneys, and then adjust the formula based on the patient's syndrome differentiation, such as strengthening the spleen, warming yang, and tonifying the kidneys.

If your physical condition is not suitable for taking traditional Chinese medicine internally, you can also choose an external blood-boosting patch. Made into a paste from herbs such as raw Astragalus root, raw Rehmannia glutinosa,鸡血藤, and Tribulus terrestris, it is applied to the Shenque point (navel), once a day for 4 to 6 hours, to achieve the effect of assisting in regulating and tonifying qi and blood. In addition to anemia caused by chemotherapy, blood-boosting decoctions and patches also have good efficacy for simple anemia.

Prevent blood deficiency with daily exercises

There are three main factors that can lead to anemia: insufficient intake of hematopoietic raw materials; having leukemia or other hematopoietic system diseases, or undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy; and chronic blood loss, such as heavy menstrual bleeding, or having conditions like hemorrhoids or gastrointestinal tumors.

In daily life, pay close attention to changes in your body. When suspecting blood deficiency, the first step is to see a doctor to confirm whether it is anemia, especially for those with the above three risk factors. If already in a state of anemia, standardized treatment is the priority, followed by supporting health management and regulation.

In terms of lifestyle, it's important to minimize excessive consumption of qi and blood, such as avoiding heavy physical, mental, or intellectual labor, as well as staying up late, using smartphones, or looking at computers for extended periods. Normal work, study, and daily life won't cause serious harm to the body, but if there's a long-term imbalance between work and rest, and the body can't adjust, it will affect the function of internal organs and the state of qi and blood.

Therefore, compared to practicing health preservation after anemia occurs, maintaining balance in the body before illness strikes, preventing the "quantitative change" of blood deficiency from developing into the "qualitative change" of anemia, is more cost-effective.