The energies related to the phenomenon of sweating are:

• Wei Qi, defensive energy. Movement of retraction, restriction: closes the pores.
• Rong Qi, nutritive energy. Movement of expansion, from inside to outside: opens the pores.

Absence of sweating

If there is no sweating, the Rong Qi is blocked, the energy cannot expand.

• External cause: invasion of cold, blocks the surface. Tai Yang layer
• Internal cause: Kidney-Yang deficiency. Needs to tonify the Kidney and drain the Liver. Lung in excess of descending.

Sweating with minimal effort

Empty-type sweat. It is a cold sweat, in people who feel cold easily, empty pulse and pale tongue. Lung-Qi deficiency, weak Wei Qi, the sweat escapes.

Night sweating

Also weak Wei Qi. Yin deficiency. When sleeping the patient sweats and wakes up. Upon waking the sweating stops. Tired, fatigued, weak and fine pulse, red tongue with little coating. Excess of expansion, of Liver drainage. Gall Bladder cannot descend, there is fire above that cannot descend. Lung cannot restrict.

When the patient wakes up, Wei Qi returns to the surface and the sweating stops.

Loses Body Fluids, energy and Shen.

Needs to tonify Lung BL-13, disperse fire that dominates Metal HT-6, PC-5, tonify 4 and CV-6, to improve the reserve.

Sweating from heat

Full-Heat. Stomach-Heat. Profuse, excessive sweating, diaphoresis. After eating the sweating increases. There is Phlegm, dampness by constitution. Slightly obese. Red tongue with yellow coating. Tight pulse. Stomach with heat impedes descending (of Yang Ming and Lung).

Yellow sweating

Clothing becomes stained yellow. Damp-Heat in the Spleen. There is much dampness that is discharged through urine and sweat. The sweat is sticky. Swollen body, generalised pain, oppression of the chest, poor appetite, nervousness at nightfall, insomnia, much thirst.

Sweating according to zone

Only the head

Normally Full-Heat, Stomach-Heat. There is much Yang in the head. If the face is also red it may be an external manifestation of Heart-Fire, or Kidney deficiency that does not control fire.

Only the left or right half

The part that sweats is normal, the part that does not sweat is pathological. Indicates Wind invasion, Wei Syndrome (paralysis, hemiplegia, stroke). Weak energy, Qi-Blood blockage. Move Qi-Blood by treating Yang Ming. Always treat the healthy side first and then the affected side.

Upper part of the body

In the chest it is usually a Heart problem: excess of Heart-Fire, Heart-Yin deficiency

Lower part of the body

Legs, lumbar region. Kidney-Yin deficiency: with lumbar weakness, dry mouth, five-palm heat, sticky sweat.

Genital area, groin

Sticky sweat, with odour. There is itching and dark urine. Damp-Heat in the Liver channel.

Sweating of hands and feet

Spleen controls the four limbs.

• Frozen hands and feet: Spleen-Yang deficiency. If sweating also occurs it indicates that the Lung is also weak. It is an empty-type sweat.
• Hot and sticky hands: Damp-Heat in the Spleen. The whole body sweats.