Given its highly individualized nature, recurrent vomiting can be difficult to treat. A reliable therapy in Chinese medicine is Gao Liang Jiang, which is used to resolve vomiting in patients due to cold in the stomach or spleen.
What Can Cause Recurrent Vomiting?
In Chinese (and western) medicine, there can be many causes of recurrent vomiting. Dietary factors, genetics, nervous system disorders and a person’s emotional state can all be factors, and these factors are different for every person.
Perhaps the most common cause of recurrent vomiting in Chinese medicine is cold in the stomach and spleen. Both organs – and their associated pathways/meridians – perform better with warmth.
Cold in the spleen or stomach may emerge for a variety of reasons, including:
- Exposure to cold temperatures and weather
- Overconsumption of cold foods or drinks
- A viral illness
- A kidney yang deficiency
In Chinese medicine, every organ connects to other parts of the body through a series of pathways, or meridians. These meridians are channels through which the body’s essential life energy (known as qi) flows. In patients with recurrent vomiting, it’s the spleen and stomach meridians that are usually affected, and therefore must be targeted for effective treatment. As excessive cold is often the culprit, treatment is often aimed at warming the stomach and spleen.
Treating Recurrent Vomiting with Gao Liang Jiang
Gao Liang Jiang is a type of ginger that is primarily grown on the southeastern side of China. It contrasts with other forms of ginger, as it mainly targets the “interior” of the body, as opposed to the “exterior.” Specifically, it targets the stomach and spleen meridians, where it has a warming effect. As such, Gao Liang Jiang is effective in many patients with recurrent vomiting, as it resolves the interior cold that can cause the condition.
Before beginning treatment with Gao Liang Jiang, it’s important to differentiate whether interior cold is the problem, and what’s causing it. In some patients, recurrent vomiting may be caused by excess heat, which may be worsened by Gao Liang Jiang. A Chinese medicine practitioner will determine whether it’s heat or cold causing the condition, and the appropriate herbal therapies to treat the condition.