Dietary Therapy for *Yige* (Dysphagia and Regurgitation)
In TCM, ye (噎) refers to food blocking in the esophagus and unable to pass down; ge (膈) to food not being swallowed at all and at once vomited out. Clinical observation shows ye may appear alone, but is often the early sign of ge. So both are grouped as yige. This condition is close to what modern medicine calls esophagitis, esophageal diverticulum, esophageal neurosis, cardiac spasm, esophageal cancer, cardia cancer, etc.
Cause and Pathogenesis
Two causes: one — emotional disorder; long worry, sorrow, depression, or wrath cause qi obstruction, transforming to heat, with the stomach failing to descend. Two — excess alcohol; damp-heat accumulating within, brewing phlegm-turbidity, narrowing the esophagus. Both have heat — so yige mostly belongs to heat patterns. Lingering heat scorches fluid, producing dryness; difficulty in swallowing over time depletes qi-and-blood, yielding deficiency. In treatment, distinguish deficiency from excess: course short, right qi not yet exhausted — rule qi, clear heat, dispel phlegm; long course with fluid damage and dryness, qi-and-blood both empty — moisten dryness, nourish yin, supplement qi.
Pattern-Discerning Dietary Therapy
In nutrition, generally choose liquid food; vegetables and fruit pureed; avoid spicy and cold-raw; absolutely abstain from tobacco and alcohol.
(1) Yige Excess Pattern
Early yige: at eating, swallowing is hard; gradually each meal must ye; chest and stomach oppressed and stopped; or food triggers hiccup; food vomited with phlegm; tongue dark-red, coating slick-greasy, pulse wiry-slippery. Use regulate qi, open stagnation, clear heat, transform phlegm, with quickening blood.
**1. Xiangsha Oufen (Aromatic Lotus-Root Starch).** Sharen 1.5 g, muxiang 1 g — ground fine, mixed with lotus-root starch and sugar, taken as a drink. Suits chiefly qi-stagnation patients; usually as breakfast.
**2. Jiu-Mi Zhuli Shui (Chive-Honey Bamboo-Sap Water).** Chive juice 1 tsp, honey 2 tsp, bamboo sap (zhuli) 2 tsp; mixed in a cup of goat's milk, warm. Suits phlegm-heat with bodily weakness.
**3. Lutao Yin (Reed-Peach Drink).** Fresh reed root 30 g, peach kernel 9 pieces. First decoct reed root, take juice, strain; with reed-root juice grind peach kernel into paste. Take ad libitum, hold in mouth and swallow. Suits heat-stagnation in the blood-aspect.
(2) Yige Deficiency Pattern
Long yige: emaciation, dry skin, pale face, food and drink not swallowed, tongue pale, pulse thin-rough. Use engender fluid, moisten dryness, supplement qi, nourish yin, with opening blockage.
**1. Mifang Yige Gao (Secret Yige Paste).** Human milk, cow's milk, fresh reed-root juice, renshen juice, longan-meat juice, sugar-cane juice, pear juice — equal portions; a little ginger juice; place in bowl, stew in a pot to paste; add a little honey. Take ad libitum, frequently. Suits qi-knot fluid-dry, stools like sheep droppings.
**2. Sanzhi Yin (Three-Juice Drink).** Maidong 10 g, shengdihuang 15 g, one small lotus root. First boil maidong and shengdihuang into thick juice, strain; then boil the lotus root for juice; combine the two juices. Take ad libitum, often. Suits heat-scorching fluid-damage.
**3. Songzi Ren Zhou (Pine-Nut Congee).** Pine nut 30 g, white rice 100 g, sugar to taste. First boil rice into congee; before done, add pine nuts and cook to congee state; add sugar. Take as breakfast. Suits aged with dry fluids and chronic constipation.