Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine (동의생리병리학회지)

The Physiological Society of Korean Medicine and The Society of Pathology in Korean Medicine (대한동의생리학회·한의병리학회)
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Case of an Old-Age Patient with Ill-defined Severe Anorexia

원인불명의 극심한 식욕부진(食慾不振)을 호소한 고령 환자 치험례

  • Jung, Ki-Yong (Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungwon University In-cheon Oriental Medical Hospital) ;
  • Hsia, Yu-Chun (Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungwon University In-cheon Oriental Medical Hospital) ;
  • Baik, Jong-Woo (Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungwon University In-cheon Oriental Medical Hospital) ;
  • Choi, You-Kyung (Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungwon University In-cheon Oriental Medical Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Dong-Woo (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyungwon University) ;
  • Park, Jong-Hyung (Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungwon University In-cheon Oriental Medical Hospital) ;
  • Jun, Chan-Yong (Department of Internal Medicine, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyungwon University)
  • 정기용 (경원대학교 인천한방병원 내과) ;
  • 하유군 (경원대학교 인천한방병원 내과) ;
  • 백종우 (경원대학교 인천한방병원 내과) ;
  • 최유경 (경원대학교 인천한방병원 내과) ;
  • 김동우 (경원대학교 한의과대학 내과학교실) ;
  • 박종형 (경원대학교 인천한방병원 내과) ;
  • 전찬용 (경원대학교 한의과대학 내과학교실)
  • Published : 2008.02.25
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Abstract

Anorexia is a common symptom in the elderly patients. Causes of anorexia in the elderly are very diverse and multifactorial. Causes include physiological changes associated with aging, mental disorders such as depression, anorexia tardive, dementia, medical diseases such as cancer(lung and gastrointestinal cancer), benign gastrointestinal disorders, cardiac disorders, pulmonary disease, thyroid disorders, infection. Medications such as digoxin, theophylline have also been implicated in the problem. No cause is found in about one quarter of patients. Management is directing at treating causes and providing nutritional support. In Oriental medicine, the appetite has close relation to Biwi. The main cause of anorexia is the insufficiency of Biwi. The physiology of Biwi is that Bi sends clarity(food essence) upward and Wi sends digested food downward. Specially if the physiologic function of Wi is disordered by various factors, Wi cannot send digested food downward. As a result, the anorexia can present by the disorder of Wi function. We experienced a case of an 74 years old female patient with ill-defined severe anorexia differentiated as Wijoongheohan. The patient was managed with fluid therapy and Jeonghyangsiche-tang. The anorexia and other symptoms improved continuously during hospitalization.

Keywords

References

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