The Causes of Disease in Chinese Medicine

1. External Causes: The 6 environmental excesses and Pestilential qi (epidemic qi), Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness, Summerheat

2. Internal Causes: The 7 affects (mental and emotional activities) Joy, Thought, Sorrow, Anxiety, Fear, Fright, Anger

3. Neither Internal nor External Causes

4. Faulty diet

5. Lack of regulation between activity & stillness

  a. Mental Emotional excess <--> Lack of Mental Emotional stimulus and expression

  b. Physical excess <--> Sedentary work / lifestyle

6. Drug addiction

7. Parasites (the Chinese Medical view of "parasites")

  a. The traditional view of parasites

  b. The Chinese also includes Yeast / Fungi as parasites

8. Lack of or excessive sexual activity and thoughts

9. Iatrogenesis

10. The 6 depressions (Blood, Dampness, Fire, Food, Phlegm, Qi)

11. Former heaven disease causes (Before Birth)

12. The 4 Constitutions and their relation to disease susceptibility

  Tai Yang, Shao Yang, Tai Yin, Shao Yin

13. Accidents or Trauma during our life (including childbirth)

14. Age & Sex