Fever

發熱 / 发热

Elevated body temperature, whether exterior-contracted or internally generated.

Quick Facts

Health Topic	Immune & Defensive Support
Also Known As	Raised temperature, Feeling feverish, Body heat, Mild fever, Hot sensation
Common Symptoms	An elevated body temperature or a clear sense of internal or surface heat. It may come with chills, thirst, sweating or no sweating, headache, or a flushed face. Timing can be continuous, tidal, or more noticeable at certain times of day.
Related TCM Patterns	Wind-Cold · Damp-Heat · Stomach Heat · Wind-Heat · Summer Heat · Qi Stagnation · Yang Deficiency · Yin Deficiency · Dampness · Lung Heat · Qi Deficiency · Shaoyang Syndrome
Related Classical Formulas	Ma Huang Tang · Sang Ju Yin · Gui Zhi Tang · Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang · Da Cheng Qi Tang · Ge Gen Tang · Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San · Xiao Cheng Qi Tang · Yin Qiao San · Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang · Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang · Da Qing Long Tang · Jing Jie Lian Qiao Tang · Liu Yi San · Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang · Dang Gui Liu Huang Tang · Da Huang Mu Dan Tang · Bai Du San · Shen Su Yin · Jing Fang Bai Du San · Huang Lian Jie Du Tang · Xiang Ru Yin · Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang · Bai Tou Weng Tang · Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang · Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin · Liang Ge San · Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin · Xin Yi Qing Fei Tang · Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao San · Zhu Ye Shi Gao Tang · Xiao Chai Hu Tang · Chai Hu Gui Zhi Gan Jiang Tang · Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang · Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan · Yue Bi Tang · Bai Hu Tang · San Ren Tang · Xie Bai San · Gui Ma Ge Ban Tang

Fever in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, fever is organised by pattern rather than by degree of temperature alone. Wind-Cold, Wind-Heat, Stomach Heat and dampness are among the patterns that may present with feverish feelings. Differentiation looks at whether chills predominate over heat, whether there is thirst and a sore throat, whether sweating is present, and whether the tongue coating is thin white, yellow or greasy. Classical formulas are matched to these exterior or interior heat patterns, not to fever as a single number.

TCM Patterns Associated With Fever

The same presentation may be understood through more than one pattern. Pattern differentiation weighs the accompanying signs, not the symptom on its own.

Pattern	Common Features	Related Formulas
Wind-Cold風寒證Exterior Patterns	Chills that outweigh the fever, no sweating, a stuffy or runny nose with clear discharge, an itchy or scratchy throat rather than a sore one, body aches, and a cough with thin white phlegm. Symptoms often start abruptly after exposure to cold or wind. Tongue with a thin white coating; pulse floating and tight.	Ma Huang Tang Gui Zhi Tang Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang Ge Gen Tang Da Qing Long Tang Bai Du San Jing Fang Bai Du San Jiu Wei Qiang Huo Tang Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao San Yue Bi Jia Zhu Tang Yue Bi Tang Gui Ma Ge Ban Tang
Damp-Heat濕熱證Damp Patterns	A heavy body with a sense of heat, sticky or bitter taste in the mouth, scanty dark urine, and discomfort that worsens in hot humid weather. There may be greasy skin, sticky stools, or yellowish discharge. Thirst is present but drinking may not feel satisfying. Tongue red with a yellow greasy coating; pulse slippery and rapid.	Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang Da Huang Mu Dan Tang Huang Lian Jie Du Tang Bai Tou Weng Tang Wu Wei Xiao Du Yin Gan Lu Xiao Du Dan San Ren Tang
Stomach Heat胃熱證Heat Patterns	Burning or discomfort in the epigastrium, thirst with preference for cold drinks, bad breath, and a tendency toward constipation or dry stools. The gums may feel swollen or sore, and appetite can be strong yet unsettled. Tongue red with a yellow coating, possibly dry in the centre; pulse slippery and rapid.	Da Cheng Qi Tang Xiao Cheng Qi Tang Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang Liang Ge San Bai Hu Tang
Wind-Heat風熱證Exterior Patterns	Fever that is more noticeable than chills, mild sweating, sore throat, thirst, and a cough that may be dry or with yellow phlegm. The onset is often abrupt after exposure to wind or heat. Nasal discharge can turn yellow, and the face may look flushed. Tongue tip red with a thin yellow coating; pulse floating and rapid.	Sang Ju Yin Yin Qiao San Jing Jie Lian Qiao Tang Pu Ji Xiao Du Yin
Summer Heat暑熱證Exterior Patterns	Fever or a strong sense of heat after exposure to hot weather, heavy sweating, thirst, and fatigue or heaviness of the body. There may be irritability, scanty dark urine, and a preference for cool drinks. Symptoms often start in high summer. Tongue red with a dry yellow coating; pulse rapid and possibly soft or large.	Liu Yi San Xiang Ru Yin Qing Shu Yi Qi Tang
Qi Stagnation氣滯證Stagnation Patterns	Distension, tightness or a constrained feeling in the chest, flanks or abdomen that comes and goes with emotion or stress. Frequent sighing, a sense that emotions are hard to move, and in women premenstrual breast or lower abdominal discomfort are common. Symptoms often ease after movement, expression or belching. Tongue may be normal or slightly dusky; pulse wiry.	Xiao Chai Hu Tang Chai Hu Gui Zhi Gan Jiang Tang
Yang Deficiency陽虛證Deficiency Patterns	Aversion to cold, cold limbs, preference for warm drinks and clothing, and low energy that worsens in cold weather. There may be loose stools, clear copious urine, a pale puffy face, and reduced libido or lumbar weakness. The person feels better with warmth and worse with cold exposure. Tongue pale and possibly swollen with a white coating; pulse deep and weak.	Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang
Yin Deficiency陰虛證Deficiency Patterns	Dry mouth and throat, night sweats or warm palms and soles, a thin body frame, and restlessness that is worse in the afternoon or at night. Sleep may be light, and there is often a preference for cool drinks. Symptoms feel empty rather than forceful. Tongue red with scant coating; pulse thin and rapid.	Dang Gui Liu Huang Tang Zhu Ye Shi Gao Tang
Dampness濕阻證Damp Patterns	A heavy, sluggish body feeling, abdominal fullness, sticky sensation in the mouth, and reduced appetite. Stools may be sticky or incomplete, and the person often feels worse in humid weather. There can be oedema of the limbs or a greasy facial sheen. Tongue with a thick greasy white coating; pulse soft or slippery.	Huo Xiang Zheng Qi San
Lung Heat肺熱證Heat Patterns	Cough with yellow or sticky phlegm, thirst, a feeling of heat in the chest, and possible shortness of breath or flaring of the nostrils in stronger presentations. Fever may be present without marked chills, and the throat can feel sore or dry. Tongue red with a yellow coating; pulse rapid, possibly slippery.	Xin Yi Qing Fei Tang Xie Bai San
Qi Deficiency氣虛證Deficiency Patterns	Easy fatigue, shortness of breath on mild effort, a soft or low voice, and spontaneous sweating with light activity. The complexion is often pale, and recovery after exertion is slow. There may be a tendency to catch external pathogens more easily. Tongue pale with a thin white coating; pulse weak or empty.	Shen Su Yin
Shaoyang Syndrome少陽證Exterior Patterns	Alternating chills and fever, fullness and discomfort in the chest and rib-side, a bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat, dizziness, poor appetite and nausea, and an irritable or restless mood. Tongue with a thin white coating; pulse wiry.	—