Is traditional Chinese medicine accurate in diagnosing stomach diseases through pulse diagnosis

Traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis has certain reference value for the diagnosis of gastric diseases, but accuracy needs to be comprehensively judged based on clinical symptoms and other examination methods. Traditional Chinese medicine can explore the rise and fall of qi and blood in the stomach and its functional status through pulse cutting. The "stomach pulse" in the pulse is mainly reflected in the right part of the body, and a thin and weak pulse may indicate weakness in the spleen and stomach. Slippery pulse is often associated with strong stomach fire, and tight pulse is often related to liver qi invading the stomach. Typical stomach diseases such as chronic gastritis may have thin and weak pulses, while patients with gastric ulcers often have smooth and fine pulses. These pulse characteristics can provide a basis for syndrome differentiation. However, pulse diagnosis is easily influenced by the operator's experience, the patient's emotions, and their position. It is difficult to distinguish specific organic lesions such as gastritis and gastric ulcers solely based on pulse diagnosis. Modern clinical practice usually requires a combination of Western medical examinations such as gastroscopy and Helicobacter pylori testing for diagnosis.

Pulse diagnosis has high diagnostic value for functional diseases such as functional dyspepsia. Western medicine examinations for such diseases often show no abnormalities, while traditional Chinese medicine can identify liver depression, spleen deficiency, spleen and stomach damp heat syndrome types through pulse diagnosis combined with tongue coating and inquiry. Organic diseases such as gastric cancer in the early stage may only present with subtle changes in pulse, making it easy to miss diagnosis. Some individuals with special constitutions have individual differences in their pulse patterns, such as athletes having slow pulse patterns, which may mask the true pulse patterns of stomach diseases. The physiological slip of the right guan pulse in pregnant women may interfere with the judgment of gastric heat.

It is recommended that patients with stomach diseases actively provide a detailed history of symptoms when seeking medical attention and cooperate with doctors to complete necessary Western medical examinations. Pay attention to daily eating habits, avoid overeating, and maintain emotional stability. If symptoms such as persistent upper abdominal pain, vomiting blood, and black stools occur, medical attention should be sought immediately, and the condition should not be judged solely based on the pulse. Integrated diagnosis of traditional Chinese and Western medicine can provide a more comprehensive assessment of gastric health status.