Patient's question:
I'd like to ask, what do you mean by "nié jī"? Is there a standard treatment for children with kwashiorkor in regular hospitals?Doctor's answer:
Malnutrition, also known as "spleen deficiency," refers to a condition in children where the spleen and stomach are weak, leading to impaired digestion and absorption, resulting in emaciation and thinness. Clinically, it is characterized by emaciation, shiny scalp, sparse and dry hair, shrunken cheeks, dry nose, pale lips, sore eyelids, hunched back with jaundiced skin, nail-biting, severe thirst, and cravings for strange foods.In ancient times, it was believed that malnutrition was caused by excessive consumption of rich and sweet foods. Some said, "Malnutrition means dryness, as it arises from the exhaustion of fluids in the spleen and stomach." Others believed it was caused by "worms moving and eroding the body, leading to malnutrition."
The spleen and stomach are the foundation of postnatal health and the source of qi and blood production. In children, the spleen and stomach are delicate and often weak, making them susceptible to damage from milk, food, and damp-heat pathogens. When the spleen and stomach are injured, fluids are consumed, leading to the decline of qi and blood, and the failure of other organs to be nourished. As a result, the symptoms of malnutrition follow.
The main pathogenesis of the disease is due to irregular dietary habits, which accumulate stagnation and damage the spleen, or the infection of various parasites, which, over time, generate heat. The heat consumes fluids, leading to the simultaneous presence of heat, stagnation, and parasites, all contributing to the condition.