Many friends often can't figure out whether they have Yin deficiency or Yang deficiency. In fact, from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, you can often spot clues and make a simple distinction by observing your usual drinking habits. Let's talk about this in detail today.

Let's start with the first type: those who really love to drink water.

If you wake up in the morning with your throat feeling extremely dry, as if it's about to catch fire, and even after drinking a whole bucket of water throughout the day, the thirst still won't go away, and you crave ice-cold water, as if only cold water can suppress that dryness, this situation is mostly due to Yin deficiency in the body.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yin and Yang are mutually opposing and regulating. If Yin fluid is insufficient, it cannot restrain Yang energy, leading to an excess of Yang energy and the generation of deficient heat within the body. This deficient heat continuously dries up the body fluids, causing them to diminish. Without sufficient moisture in the mouth, it naturally feels a constant urge to drink water.

Since the water consumed cannot transform into the Yin fluid the body needs, the deficient heat cannot be subdued, and the feeling of thirst will persist. People in this condition often also experience symptoms such as restlessness, insomnia, tidal fever, night sweats, yellow urine, and dry stools. If this is truly the case, the focus during regulation should be on nourishing Yin and reducing heat.

Now consider another scenario: having little to no desire to drink water

If you usually don't feel like drinking water, and sometimes you feel the urge to use the restroom shortly after drinking just a little more water—almost unable to hold it in—especially at night, when you frequently get up to urinate, disrupting your sleep, this is likely a case of Yang Deficiency.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, Yang Qi acts like the body's built-in "little sun," helping to warm the body and promote the metabolism of fluids. Once Yang Qi becomes insufficient, fluid metabolism can go awry; the water you drink isn't properly utilized by the body and is instead expelled as urine, which often leads to frequent urination.

Individuals with this condition may also consistently feel cold in their hands and feet, be particularly sensitive to wind and cold, and find these symptoms more pronounced when the weather turns cooler. They often experience a lack of energy and low vitality. In such cases, treatment should focus on warming Yang and replenishing Qi.

However, a final reminder: using thirst or water-drinking habits as a reference is just one piece of the puzzle. This article is intended for educational purposes only. If you have other physical discomforts, do not attempt to self-diagnose or self-treat. Always consult a professional doctor for a proper diagnosis and personalized treatment plan. Never self-diagnose or take medications casually!