Many people have the habit of needing to use the bathroom right after eating, often referring to themselves as having a "straight gut." Is this situation truly normal? From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this may indicate an underlying health issue. Today, I will share three common scenarios with you.

The first is a deficiency of Spleen Yang. If, in addition to diarrhea, you frequently experience cold pain in the abdomen, poor appetite, and discomfort after eating cold food, take a look at your tongue. If the tongue is pale in color, has cracks, and shows teeth marks on both sides, it is likely that the Spleen Yang in your body is deficient. In this case, you may consider Fuzi Lizhong Wan to warm the middle jiao, dispel cold, strengthen the spleen, and relieve pain.

The second is internal accumulation of damp-turbidity. If there is heavy dampness in the body, it will affect the digestion and excretion of food. Firstly, dampness is heavy and turbid with a downward tendency, which easily leads to diarrhea and sticky stools that cling to the toilet. Secondly, damp pathogens are yin in nature and easily damage the spleen yang. If spleen yang is deficient, it leads to diarrhea accompanied by symptoms such as physical heaviness, a sensation of the head being wrapped, and a pale tongue with a thick, greasy coating. In this case, one may refer to Shenling Baizhu Powder to invigorate the spleen, replenish qi, remove dampness, and stop diarrhea.

The third is insufficiency of kidney yang. If kidney yang is insufficient, there is a lack of ascending energy and weak vaporization, which easily leads to diarrhea. This typically occurs between five and seven in the morning, known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as "daybreak diarrhea" (Wugeng Xie). People in this category often experience symptoms such as sensitivity to cold, cold limbs, lack of energy, frequent and excessive urination, and edema in the lower limbs. Upon examining the tongue, it will appear enlarged (puffy) with a thick, greasy, and watery coating. In this situation, one may refer to Sishen Soup to warm the kidneys, dispel cold, astringe the intestines, and stop diarrhea.

Compare these three situations to see what is causing your frequent diarrhea.