Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Pulse Diagnosis Detect Pregnancy?
Pulse feeling in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) typically refers to pulse diagnosis. After pregnancy, women may exhibit a slippery pulse during TCM pulse diagnosis, which can initially suggest the possibility of pregnancy. However, a slippery pulse in TCM pulse diagnosis can also be observed in conditions such as excess heat, phlegm-dampness, and others. Therefore, if women want to determine whether they are pregnant, it is recommended to use early pregnancy test strips, blood hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) tests, or other methods for confirmation.
After pregnancy, women may exhibit a slippery pulse during TCM pulse diagnosis, characterized by a smooth and rolling sensation like a ball moving on a plate. Therefore, women of reproductive age with a slippery pulse during pulse diagnosis may be considered pregnant. However, a slippery pulse in TCM pulse diagnosis can also occur in conditions such as excess heat, phlegm-dampness, food stagnation, and others, and it can also be found in young adults. Although pregnancy can be indicated by a slippery pulse during TCM pulse diagnosis, the presence of a slippery pulse does not necessarily mean pregnancy. If women need to determine whether they are pregnant, generally, in the early stages of pregnancy, they can choose to measure hCG levels in urine or blood for confirmation. After confirming pregnancy, it is also necessary to conduct an ultrasound examination to check whether the gestational sac is located in the uterine cavity to rule out the possibility of ectopic pregnancy, and to observe whether fetal heart and胎芽 (embryonic sprout) development are normal.
