What are the symptoms of excessive stomach fire?

Jul 14, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Sun Lianqing

Introduction

Under normal circumstances, excessive stomach heat, as a TCM syndrome, mainly presents symptoms including oral odor, swollen and painful gums, abnormal appetite, constipation, and burning pain in the epigastric region. If the above symptoms occur in daily life, they can be improved by adjusting the diet structure, reducing the intake of spicy and greasy foods, and consuming more light and easily digestible foods.

Generally, excessive stomach heat, as a condition in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly manifests as oral odor, swollen and painful gums, abnormal appetite, constipation, epigastric burning pain, and other symptoms. A detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Oral odor: When there is excessive stomach heat, obvious oral odor may occur, manifesting as bad breath. This odor tends to be strong and difficult to completely eliminate even with brushing and mouth rinsing. At the same time, it may be accompanied by bitterness or dryness in the mouth, causing discomfort and a persistent feeling of insufficient saliva, requiring frequent drinking.

2. Swollen and painful gums: The upward inflammation of stomach heat can affect the gums, causing them to become red, swollen, and painful. Gum bleeding may also occur, especially during brushing or chewing, with more noticeable bleeding symptoms. In severe cases, swollen and painful gums may interfere with normal eating.

3. Abnormal appetite: Some patients may experience increased appetite, feeling hungry easily, consuming larger amounts of food but quickly feeling hungry again. Others may experience reduced appetite and a lack of desire to eat due to stomach heat damaging the stomach yin. Both presentations are related to dysfunction of the spleen and stomach caused by excessive stomach heat.

4. Constipation: Excessive stomach heat consumes body fluids, leading to intestinal dryness and resulting in dry, hard stools and difficulty defecating, causing constipation. The stool is often hard, pellet-like, and difficult to pass, sometimes accompanied by anal pain or anal fissures.

5. Epigastric burning pain: Patients often feel a burning or painful sensation in the epigastric region. The pain is usually persistent and may worsen after consuming spicy or hot foods. This discomfort may become more pronounced when the stomach is empty, affecting normal digestion and daily life.

If the above symptoms occur in daily life, adjusting the diet by reducing the intake of spicy and greasy foods and consuming more light and easily digestible foods may help alleviate the condition. Additionally, maintaining regular sleep patterns is important for managing excessive stomach heat.

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What is the difference between excessive liver fire and excessive stomach fire?

Under normal circumstances, the main differences between excessive liver fire and excessive stomach fire lie in clinical manifestations, causes, pathogenesis, accompanying symptoms, and treatment methods. If discomfort symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek timely medical consultation and treatment at a正规 hospital. In daily life, one should maintain a good mood, regular作息, balanced diet, and avoid consuming excessive spicy and stimulating foods.

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Can Sedum sarmentosum treat toothache?

When toothache is caused by excessive stomach fire or invasion of wind-heat, manifesting as red and swollen gums, pain, halitosis, constipation and other symptoms, Sedum sarmentosum (垂盆草), which is cool in nature and possesses functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, may help reduce local inflammation and alleviate pain caused by heat pathogens when used as a mouth rinse in the form of decoction, or when combined with other herbs under the guidance of a TCM practitioner. However, this is only an adjunctive measure and cannot replace professional dental treatment.

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Can Sedum sarmentosum treat bad breath?

Sedum sarmentosum (垂盆草) is cool in nature and has functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, and promoting diuresis. When halitosis is caused by excessive stomach fire and damp-heat in the intestines, accompanied by symptoms such as bitter taste in the mouth, constipation, and yellow greasy tongue coating, appropriate use of Sedum sarmentosum under the guidance of a TCM physician may help alleviate damp-heat in the body, improve the gastrointestinal environment, and thereby provide certain adjunctive benefits in relieving halitosis. It can be taken internally as a decoction or combined with other heat-clearing herbs.

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Can Sedum sarmentosum treat toothache?

When toothache is caused by excessive stomach fire or invasion of wind-heat, leading to symptoms such as red and swollen gums, pain, accompanied by bad breath and constipation, Sedum sarmentosum (垂盆草), which is cool in nature and possesses functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, can be used as an auxiliary measure. Decoctions of this herb can be used for mouth rinsing, or it can be combined with other herbs under the guidance of a TCM practitioner to help reduce local inflammation and alleviate pain caused by heat pathogens. However, this is only an adjunctive measure and cannot replace professional dental treatment.