Liver Blood Deficiency
They are running on empty reserves: vision blurs by the end of the day, they get dizzy if they stand up quickly, their nails break, and they sleep badly with a head full of dreams.
In plain words
They are running on empty reserves: vision blurs by the end of the day, they get dizzy if they stand up quickly, their nails break, and they sleep badly with a head full of dreams.
It usually comes from repeated losses or from a resupply that never arrives: heavy periods, a birth, a haemorrhage, or years of eating little and sleeping less than what is spent. In this framework the Liver stores the blood and hands it out when the body asks for it; if there is little to store, whatever depends on that supply falls short. That is why the eyes, the tendons, the nails and sleep fail first: they are last in the queue.
Characteristic symptoms
- Blurred vision and dry eyes
- Night blindness or difficulty seeing in low light
- Dizziness and vertigo, especially when standing up
- Numbness or tingling in the limbs
- Pale, brittle and lusterless nails
- Scanty menstruation or amenorrhea
- Insomnia with restless dreams
- Dry skin and hair, hair loss
Key clues to recognize it
- Vision gets worse towards evening or in dim light, and the eyes go dry while reading or looking at screens.
- Brittle, ridged, dull nails together with tingling or cramps in hands and feet.
- Scanty periods, late periods, or periods that have grown shorter over the years.
Tongue and pulse
- Tongue
- Pale, dry tongue; thin or absent coating
- Pulse
- Thin (xì) and weak pulse, especially in the Liver position (left cun)
Treatment principle
Nourish and tonify Liver Blood, moisten the tissues
Common points
Reference formula
Si Wu Tang (Four Substances Decoction)
What not to confuse it with
What aggravates it
- Habitually going to bed late
- Many hours in a row of screens or reading
- Repeated heavy periods with no recovery time in between
- Very restrictive diets or skipping meals every day
Lifestyle advice
Eat blood-nourishing foods: chicken liver, spinach, beets, red dates, lean red meat in moderation. Sleep before 11 pm to support blood renewal. Avoid excessive physical activity and chronic stress. Rest the eyes regularly.
When to see a doctor
Health notice. Educational and study content. It describes concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Needling, medicinal herbs and invasive techniques must be applied by trained professionals. Safety guide.
