What Does the Term "Zhenghou" Mean in Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical discipline with a long history in China. There are many proper nouns in TCM that can be confusing, such as "zhenghou" and "zhengzhou". "Zhenghou" refers to all symptoms related to the illness, reflecting the essence and overall picture of pathological changes at a certain stage of the disease development.

"Zhenghou" is a professional term used in TCM, mainly referring to all symptoms related to the illness. It is diagnosed through the four diagnostic methods of TCM, namely observation, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and palpation, and manifests as all external symptoms. "Zheng" refers to the overall state of the patient observed through the four diagnostic methods, representing the current state of the body. "Hou" refers to the observable external manifestations of the disease.

"Zhengzhou" refers to a combination of multiple symptoms, which can be considered as a comprehensive manifestation of all illnesses. This concept is similar to that used in Western medicine. For example, symptoms such as clenched teeth, red face, and rough breathing during a stroke are classified as "bizheng". Symptoms such as weak breath and cold limbs are classified as "tuozheng". Tuzheng and bizheng are syndromes of diseases. "Zheng" means symptoms, referring to the external manifestations. "Hou" refers to long-term external manifestations with regularity.

"Zheng" refers to all symptoms including those that appear before the onset of the disease, while "zheng" only indicates the symptoms that manifest during the illness. Here, "zheng" narrows the scope of "zheng". Both "hou" refer to the manifested symptoms.