Help! the meaning of a phrase

[Van Tuyen]

Hello everybody!

Can you help me to explain a Chinese phrase?

虚火上升

What does it means? You can explain in English or Chinese.

Thanks alot.

[skylee]

This may be helpful -> The Basic Principles of Chinese Traditional Medicine

The Application of Yin and Yang to Chinese Medicine

Each organ has an element of yin and yang within it. The histological structures and nutrients are yin, and the functional activities are yang. Some organs are predominantly yang in their functions, such as the gan-liver, while others are predominantly yin, such as the shen-kidney. Even though one organ may be predominantly yin (or yang) in nature, the balance of yin and yang is maintained in the whole healthy body because the sum total of the yin and yang will be in a fluctuating balance.

If a condition of prolonged excess or deficiency of either yin or yang occurs then disease results. In an excess of yin the yang qi would be damaged, and a disease of cold of shi nature would develop. Excess of yang will consume yin and a disease of heat of shi nature would develop. In a deficiency of yin, diseases of heat of xu nature develop, while a deficiency of yang causes diseases of cold of xu nature.

4. Insufficiency of the yin of the fei-lung

Clinical manifestations: A dry, unproductive cough associated with sticky, scant, blood-stained sputum, fever, a malar flush, a feverish sensation in the palms and soles, a dry mouth and night sweats. A red tongue proper and a thready and rapid pulse will be found.

Aetiology and pathology: Such symptoms are usually caused by chronic disease of the fei-lung, which consumes the yin and results in insufficiency of body fluid. The fei-lung is deprived of nourishment, its functions are impaired and this produces a dry mouth. Xu (deficiency) of yin causes endogenous heat which drives out body fluid and injures blood vessels, this results in a fever, a malar flush, a feverish sensation in the palms and soles, night sweats and bloody sputum.

As I know nothing about Chinese medicine, these may be wrong.

[skylee]

In Chinese -> http://www.newhealth.com.cn/doc/zyzs/default.html

虛火

中醫名詞。一般是指陰虛而導致火升的病理現象。陰虛有五臟之陰偏虛與精、血津液等虧損的不同情況。陰虛則陽氣相對的亢盛，易於導致虛火上升，故雖見火升徵象，實為陰虛所引起。臨床表現為咽喉乾痛、顴紅升火、心煩少寐、脈細數等。

[blue_fyre]

well, I can only read the "fire" and the "up" part of the phrase. But if I am correct in assuming what the other two characters mean, I believe it means "to bring fire upon oneself/body". What if that is the case, it should mean more or less" to bring trouble to oneself". I think I am right.

[ggonline]

虚火上升

哈哈，竟然有外国人想真正理解这个词，

太难了，不能从字面上理解。

好了，把"虚火上升"分开讲解。

"虚火"，从字面上讲可以说成是"虚弱的火"，但是此"火"绝不是"fire",而是----"中医指发炎、红肿、烦躁等的病因", 而"虚"呢，其实是指"空虚"的意思。"虚火上升"其实是一种从中医角度描述的疾病的症状，所以说，如果你不了解中医，无法真正理解这个词。

我可以举一个例子，比如说，你患了高血压，那么中医就可能说"你有些虚火上升"

再比如，如果你觉得这两天有些头昏，有些烦躁，那么中医也可以说"你有些虚火上升"

此外，"虚火上升"还有另一种引申的含义，即"经济泡沫",或"表面看起来行，其实不行"的意思。

比如说，现在美国的房地产很热，很火，房价很高，但其实房子并不值那么多钱，你就可以说"房地产有些虚火上升"

[skylee]

哈哈，竟然有外国人想真正理解这个词

If someone asks for help, you could either help him, or not help him. IMHO it is not necessary to laugh at the request for help and use words like 竟然. This is of course just what I think.

[ggonline]

If someone asks for help, you could either help him, or not help him. IMHO it is not necessary to laugh at the request for help and use words like 竟然. This is of course just what I think.

你太敏感了。

"哈哈"可能是各种各样的笑，比如说微笑，会心的笑，嘲笑，狂笑，大笑，讥笑,奸笑，皮笑肉不笑，我觉得我的这个"哈哈"属于"会心的笑"。

还有一个原因就是，我认为"虚火上升"这个词太生僻了。

[David Wei]

Just as skylee and ggonline say, the phrase "虚火上升" relates to Chinese Medicine.

it's factly difficult for one to really understand this phrase even he/she is a native chinese, because not so many people understant chinese medicine.

this phrase usually used to describe the reason of "咽喉乾痛、顴紅升火、心煩少寐、脈細數等".

[shiaosan]

It doesn't necessary related to sickness, though. When you are in a hurry, or nervous about things, you can also "xu huo shang sheng". Like this:

mandarin as a second language

[vindo]

Quote:

The Application of Yin and Yang to Chinese Medicine

Each organ has an element of yin and yang within it. The histological structures and nutrients are yin, and the functional activities are yang. Some organs are predominantly yang in their functions, such as the gan-liver, while others are predominantly yin, such as the shen-kidney. Even though one organ may be predominantly yin (or yang) in nature, the balance of yin and yang is maintained in the whole healthy body because the sum total of the yin and yang will be in a fluctuating balance.

If a condition of prolonged excess or deficiency of either yin or yang occurs then disease results. In an excess of yin the yang qi would be damaged, and a disease of cold of shi nature would develop. Excess of yang will consume yin and a disease of heat of shi nature would develop. In a deficiency of yin, diseases of heat of xu nature develop, while a deficiency of yang causes diseases of cold of xu nature.

Quote:

4. Insufficiency of the yin of the fei-lung

Clinical manifestations: A dry, unproductive cough associated with sticky, scant, blood-stained sputum, fever, a malar flush, a feverish sensation in the palms and soles, a dry mouth and night sweats. A red tongue proper and a thready and rapid pulse will be found.

Aetiology and pathology: Such symptoms are usually caused by chronic disease of the fei-lung, which consumes the yin and results in insufficiency of body fluid. The fei-lung is deprived of nourishment, its functions are impaired and this produces a dry mouth. Xu (deficiency) of yin causes endogenous heat which drives out body fluid and injures blood vessels, this results in a fever, a malar flush, a feverish sensation in the palms and soles, night sweats and bloody sputum.

it's very right.(my father is a herbalist doctor), but it's too hard for a non-native chinese too understand this word. do not spend too much time on such phrase. it's skimble-skamble

[randyj]

关于“虚火上升”感谢ggonline给我们的说明。