Patient's question:
The baby is three years old. Recently, they didn't pay attention while eating and consumed extremely cold and greasy foods, which led to nausea and vomiting again. It is said that nausea and vomiting can be caused by either damp-heat or cold-dampness. How should one distinguish between them?Doctor's answer:
The damp pathogen rampant in the stomach and intestines, leading to abnormal transformation and recurrent diarrhea, is known as damp-heat type infantile diarrhea. The cold pathogen rampant in the stomach and intestines causes cold-dampness to obstruct the spleen, where the spleen fails to transform dampness, resulting in cold-damp type infantile diarrhea. To prevent the recurrence of nausea and vomiting, it is essential to keep the child warm, especially the abdomen, particularly the navel area, to avoid exposure to cold and consuming extremely cold foods.Distinguishing between damp-heat type infantile diarrhea and cold-damp type infantile diarrhea primarily lies in the former's excessive heat, which causes the child to experience thirst and desire to drink, along with red fingers and yellow. The latter, characterized by cold-dampness (a yin pathogen), does not deplete fluids, so the child will not feel thirsty but may experience a bland taste in the mouth, with white. Therefore, identifying the specific type of diarrhea in the child is crucial to determining the appropriate treatment plan.