Kidney stores essence and controls growth and development. Essence refers to the most important material basis of human body. The essence hidden in the kidney includes "innate essence" and "acquired essence". "Congenital essence" is inherited by parents and is the original material that constitutes embryonic development. Therefore, it is said that "kidney is the foundation of innate essence" depends on the continuous enrichment and growth of acquired essence. The "acquired essence" comes from the intake of diet, the nutrition produced by the function of spleen and stomach transport, and the residual essence produced by the physiological activities of zang-fu organs after metabolic balance, which is stored in the kidney for emergency use. When the five internal organs need it, the kidney will re-supply the hidden essence to the five internal organs. Therefore, the rise and fall of kidney essence has an impact on the functions of various organs. Don't treat the kidney as a kidney. When Chinese medicine talks about an organ, it refers more to the function of the organ than to the entity. The so-called better expression of functions is meridians, and an organ should express these functions through meridians.
The essence of kidney is kidney qi, and the filling of kidney qi is closely related to the life process of human body, such as birth, growth, strength, old age and death. For example, when people are seven or eight years old, their kidneys gradually fill up, so they have long hair changes; In adolescence, the kidney is full of qi, men can produce sperm, women begin to ovulate, have menstruation, gradually mature sexual function and have reproductive ability; In old age, kidney qi gradually declines, and sexual function and reproductive ability gradually decline and disappear.
2. Kidney governs water
Kidney governs water, which means that the kidney has the function of presiding over water-liquid metabolism and maintaining water-liquid balance in the body. The metabolism of water and liquid in human body includes two aspects: one is to transport body fluid, which has the function of nourishing and moistening the organs and tissues of the whole body; The second is to excrete turbid liquid after metabolism of various viscera. The realization of water-liquid metabolism mainly depends on the "gasification" function of kidney. The kidney can be opened and closed. Open, water can be discharged; When closed, the water needed by the body can remain in the body. If the kidney is properly gasified and opened and closed, urine excretion will be normal. If you close more and open less, you will have less urine and less edema; If you turn it on more and turn it off less, you will urinate more and frequently. Kidney is innate, and some people pay attention to maintenance in their lives, with little loss and light recession. Some people lose a lot when they are young, but they are more serious than their peers when they are old. Therefore, health care should be started from an early age. 3. "Kidney governs qi"
The doctor will put the dying person on a ventilator, but it still won't work. They are still panting. There is a serious shortage of qi in their bodies, which cannot be given to them by the outside world. Why can't the outside world give it? Because Chinese medicine talks about "qi", qi can't go down, and it is also related to the kidney. "The kidney governs the absorption of qi", and the kidney has a strong collection ability, so that qi can enter the body, including breathing qi; If the kidney's collection ability is not strong, qi may only reach the throat or chest cavity. Some people feel chest tightness when they are quiet, but because of kidney deficiency, they can't breathe and can only stay in their chests. The function of kidney governing qi is already very weak.
4. The kidney opens to the ear and the second yin.
The hearing function of the ear depends on the nourishment of kidney essence. Sufficient kidney essence and sensitive hearing; Insufficient kidney essence will cause tinnitus and hearing loss. The second yin is the general name of the front yin and the back yin. The anterior vulva includes urethra and genitalia. Although the storage and excretion of urine is the function of bladder, it can only be accomplished by the gasification of kidney. Therefore, frequent urination, enuresis or oliguria and anuria are mostly related to renal insufficiency. The posterior vulva refers to the anus. Although the excretion of feces is mainly in the large intestine, Chinese medicine believes that it is also related to the kidney. Deficiency of kidney yin will lead to intestinal fluid failure and constipation. 5. The kidney is the body bone, and its flowers are in the hair.
Kidney stores essence, essence can produce marrow, and marrow is stored in bone cavity to nourish bones, so it is called "kidney governs bone" and "kidney produces marrow". Kidney essence is sufficient, bone marrow is full, and bones are fully nourished by bone marrow, so they are strong and powerful. Kidney essence deficiency, bone marrow deficiency, bones can not be nourished, bones will be weak, and even stunted. This is the reason why children's fontanels close late and their bones are fragile. Teeth, like bones, are nourished by kidney essence, so there is a saying that "teeth are outside the bones". If children's teeth grow slowly, adults' teeth loosen or fall off early, Chinese medicine believes that they are all caused by insufficient kidney essence. Although the nutrition of hair comes from blood, its vitality comes from the kidneys. The process of hair growth and shedding reflects the rise and fall of essence in the kidney. People with kidney-qi have thick and shiny hair, while people with kidney-qi deficiency tend to lose hair, dry and turn white. The growth and shedding, moistening and withering of hair are closely related to the rise and fall of qi in kidney and qi and blood in human body.