『황제내경』에 나타난 땀의 생리 및 병리 연구 = A Study on the Physiology and Pathology of Sweat in the Huangdi-Neijing

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study addresses the limitation that, although extensive theories on sweat are presented in the Huangdi Neijing, sweating symptoms have not been systematically established in clinical practice in relation to yin–yang, ying–wei–qi–xue, zang–fu functions, and exogenous pathogenic factors. The study therefore aims to reappraise sweat as an integrative indicator reflecting body homeostasis and health status, and to reinforce its theoretical foundation. From the perspective of East Asian medicine, the physiological mechanisms and pathological changes of sweating were systematically examined. Sweat is an important physiological manifestation that reflects changes in yin–yang and the circulation of ying–wei–qi–xue, and normal sweating is essential for maintaining health through thermoregulation and the elimination of metabolic waste. Analysis of the formation and regulation of sweat, focusing on the Huangdi Neijing, shows that sweat is generated from body fluids, nourished by ying‑qi, undergoes the transformative processes of yin–yang, and is excreted to the body surface through the opening and closing of the couli (interstices of the skin). Normal sweating is maintained when yin fluids are sufficient, yang‑qi is abundant, and ying–wei–qi–xue circulate harmoniously. In contrast, abnormal sweating arises from invasion of the six exogenous pathogenic factors and dysfunction of the zang–fu, whereby yang pathogens such as wind, heat, summer‑heat, and dampness promote sweating, while yin pathogens such as cold and dryness inhibit it. Functional disorders of the heart, kidney, lung, spleen, and liver each give rise to characteristic sweating patterns, typically involving damage to the heart–mind, kidney deficiency, lung‑qi debility, spleen‑qi impairment, and stagnation of liver‑qi. Because patterns of sweating reflect not only simple symptoms but also the dynamic interaction among yin–yang balance, zang–fu function, and environmental influences, pattern identification and corresponding treatment based on sweating characteristics are clinically indispensable. Furthermore, there is a need to establish scientific evidence for systematic diagnostic frameworks related to sweat and to develop constitution‑ and disease‑stage–specific individualized therapeutic strategies. This study has significance in that it consolidates the theoretical basis of sweat and proposes directions for its application in clinical practice in East Asian medicine.