bubble_chart Concept

Polyphagia with easy hunger refers to a symptom where one's food intake is significantly greater than usual, accompanied by a sense of hunger. It is recorded differently in various medical texts throughout history. Neijing refers to it as "consuming grains and easily hungry"; in the "Cold-Damage Disease Treatise," it is called "consuming grains and fond of hunger"; later generations have termed it "eating much and easily hungry," "eating much and often hungry," "able to eat and often hungry," "fond of eating and easily hungry," etc., but the meanings are roughly the same.

In the middle consumptive thirst syndrome of consumptive thirst, polyphagia with easy hunger is the main symptom, accompanied by thirst, emaciation, etc. This is a pattern type of polyphagia with easy hunger, not just the middle consumptive thirst syndrome of consumptive thirst.

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Stomach Heat︰Frequent hunger despite eating, thirst, emaciation, severe constipation, yellow and dry tongue coating with scanty fluid, red tongue texture, and a slippery, forceful pulse. This is often caused by external contraction of dryness-heat pathogens or liver depression transforming into fire and attacking the stomach, leading to excessive stomach heat and heat damaging yin. The key diagnostic features are frequent hunger despite eating, accompanied by dry mouth and thirst, emaciation, and severe constipation—all manifestations of intense stomach fire. "When there is heat in the stomach, it consumes grain, causing restlessness and frequent hunger" (Lingshu·Shi Chuan). Treatment should focus on clearing heat and enriching yin. The recommended formula is White Tiger Decoction Plus Ginseng with additions such as Coptis Rhizome and Unprocessed Rehmannia Root.
2. Yangming Blood Stasis︰Polyphagia with rapid hunger, fever without aversion to cold, dry mouth and throat, taking water in mouth but with no desire to swallow, forgetfulness, hardness and fullness in the lower abdomen, spontaneous urination, black-colored stool that is hard yet easy to pass, dark complexion and lips, red tongue texture or with ecchymosis, deep, knotted, and rapid pulse. This is often due to long-standing static blood combined with new contraction, where pathogenic heat and static blood bind in the stomach and intestines, leading to rapid digestion and polyphagia, accompanied by a series of static blood manifestations such as forgetfulness, mania-like behavior, hardness and fullness in the lower abdomen, spontaneous urination, dark complexion and lips, and ecchymosis on the tongue. As stated in the *Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases·Differentiation of Yangming Pattern (Section 8)*: "In the yangming pattern, if the patient is forgetful, there must be blood accumulation. The reason is that there is long-standing static blood, which causes forgetfulness. Although the stool is hard, it is easily passed, and its color must be black. In such cases, Resistant and Withstanding Decoction for purgation is appropriate." The treatment involves expelling blood accumulation, and the formula of choice is Resistant and Withstanding Decoction or Resistant and Withstanding Pill with modifications.

Both Yangming blood accumulation and intense stomach fire present with thirst and dry stools. In the former, the thirst is characterized by a desire to drink but not wanting to, or only wanting to rinse the mouth without swallowing. In the latter, there is a strong desire to drink. For the former, the stools are dry, black in color, and surprisingly easy to pass, while in the latter, the stools are dry and hard.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Lingshu．Chapter on Five Pathogens: "When yang qi is excessive and yin qi is insufficient, it results in heat in the middle and frequent hunger."
2. Zabing Yuanliu Xizhu．Source and Course of Various Jaundice: "Laborers who are injured from hard work can also develop hookworm disease, commonly known as yellowish puffiness, characterized by a good appetite, frequent hunger, laziness, and lack of strength. It is advisable to use Shen's Double Sand Pill."