differentiating endogenous or exogenous

When determining whether a condition is endogenous or exogenous, would a doctor of TCM ask about the history of how the person got sick? Like did they get wet in a storm, or sleep in front of an open window, and get a sore throat the next day? The text mostly discusses physical symptoms. Would it be normal for a doctor to ask about lifestyle or habits?

Ed Austin

Dear Ed,

Of course a TCM physician should ask all those questions asked by you.
Don't forget the unity between the human beings and nature is the unique feature of TCM, which is well described in course A.
It's also very important to ask patients life style and living habits as well.
In fact it's very common to do so in China and I often do it.
If someone is working for long-term night shift, we should think of the consumption of Yin, for instance.


Tutor

Dear tutor,
You wrote: "If someone is working for long-term night shift, we should think of the consumption of Yin, for instance".

Some persons like to get up early in the morning and to go to sleep also early. Other persons like to get up late in the morning and to go sleep also late. And both groups of these people feel more comfortable when living by these their rhythms.
Does it mean that the later group of persons will be predisposed to have yin deficiency - because they go to bed only at the middle of the night?

Dear lit_hua_nia,
Yes, personally I think so!!!
Those who always sleep at midnight, like 2:00 or 3:00 in the early morning would have the Yin deficiency. As the consequence, they would have a bad health condition in their senior years, or even their life span would be decreased.

Of course there could be more or less variation from person to person, but as a general rule, it cannot be denied to have this consequence, earlier or later in future.

This is our idea in traditional Chinese medicine, also in Daoist (Taoist) concept.

Tutor