People with strong constitution should not take tonics, so as not to cause excessive yin or yang, and disrupt the balance of yin and yang in the body.
Thin body, pale complexion, dizziness, tinnitus, dry mouth and throat, restlessness, hot flashes and night sweats, tender and red tongue with little or no coating, thin pulse, etc. are symptoms of yin deficiency. People with these symptoms should not take warm-tonic herbs and medicines such as ginseng, deer antler, longan, and walnut.
Pale complexion, fatigue, weakness, lack of energy, shortness of breath, cold limbs, spontaneous sweating, dull taste in the mouth, clear and long urine, loose stool, pale and swollen tongue, moist and weak pulse, etc. are symptoms of yang deficiency. People with these symptoms should not take cold-tonic herbs and medicines such as watermelon, turtle meat, soft-shelled turtle meat, Rehmannia root, and Ophiopogon root.
Fever, abdominal distension and pain, chest tightness and restlessness, even delirium, rapid breathing, phlegm and saliva accumulation, constipation, difficult urination, thick and greasy tongue coating, strong pulse, etc. are symptoms of excess syndrome. People with these symptoms should not take tonics and tonifying medicines, so as not to retain pathogenic factors and prolong the course of the disease.
Chills and fever, no sweating or poor sweating, headache, body aches, thin tongue coating, floating pulse, etc. are symptoms of superficial syndrome. People with these symptoms should not take tonics and tonifying medicines, so as not to induce deeper pathogenic factors and prolong the course of the disease.
Fever without chills, red face and eyes, dry lips, thirst for cold drinks, short and red urine, dry and hard stool, red and yellow tongue coating, rapid pulse, etc. are symptoms of heat syndrome. People with these symptoms should not take warm-tonic herbs and medicines such as mutton, dog meat, longan, and walnut, so as not to aggravate the heat and consume yin.
Chills and aversion to warmth, pale complexion, bland taste in the mouth, no thirst, cold hands and feet, clear and long urine, loose and watery stool, pale tongue with white coating, slow pulse, etc. are symptoms of cold syndrome. People with these symptoms should not take cold-tonic herbs and medicines such as clam meat, turtle meat, soft-shelled turtle meat, American ginseng, and honey, so as not to aggravate the cold and damage yang.
Dry lips, dry throat, thirst with little or no saliva, dry or withered skin, short and scanty urine, constipation, dry and red tongue, thin and rapid pulse, etc. are symptoms of dry-heat syndrome. People with these symptoms should not take dry-heat-tonic herbs and medicines such as mutton, dog meat, shrimp, so as not to further damage the body fluids.
Heavy head and dizziness, chest tightness, abdominal distension, heavy and achy limbs, even edema, cloudy urine, loose stool, excessive vaginal discharge in women, thick and greasy tongue coating, slippery pulse, etc. are symptoms of damp syndrome. People with these symptoms should not take greasy-tonic herbs and medicines such as jujube, honey, and soft-shelled turtle, so as not to promote dampness and phlegm.
