Patient's question:
Hello everyone, I would like to ask, what exactly does the term "suan" mean when elders say it—is it malnutrition or a type of parasite?Doctor's answer:
Commonly known as "disharmony of spleen and stomach." It refers to a condition in children caused by various chronic illnesses, resulting in emaciation and dryness of body fluids. Disharmony of spleen and stomach is a colloquial term for a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) disease name. The patients are children, and the symptoms include chronic malnutrition and digestive disorders, pale complexion and thin body, and foul-smelling diarrhea. It is often related to improper breastfeeding, irregular diet, post-illness maladjustment, and parasitic accumulation. Sclerosis refers to children with weak spleen and stomach, long-term impaired absorption function, rather than parasitic infection.