The disorders of qi are various and clinically divided into four categories, i.e. qi asthenia, qi sinking, qi stagnation and qi reversion. Qi asthenia and qi sinking syndromes are asthenic in nature, while qi stagnation and qi reversion syndromes are asthenic in nature.

Qi asthenia syndrome:  
Qi asthenia syndrome refers to insufficiency of primordial qi and asthenia symptoms of hypofunction of the viscera and tissues. This syndrome is usually caused by excessive consumption of primordial qi due to chronic disease, severe disease or overstrain, or by deficiency of primordial qi due to congenital defects and postnatal improper diet, or by decline of primordial qi due to weakness and hypofunction of the viscera and tissues resulting from senility.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Lack of qi, no desire to speak, low voice, shortness of breath, dispiritedness, lassitude, dizziness, spontaneous sweating, aggravation of all the symptoms after movement, pale and tender tongue, as well as weak pulse.
 
Analysis of symptoms:
Lack of qi, no desire to speak, low voice, shortness of breath, dispiritedness and lassitude are due to insufficiency of primordial qi and hypofunction of the viscera; dizziness is due to failure of asthenic qi to nourish the head; spontaneous sweating is due to failure of weakened weiqi to protect the superficies of the body; all the symptoms are aggravated after movement because "overstrain consumes qi"; pale and tender tongue and weak pulse are signs of qi asthenia and insufficiency of qi and blood.

Key points for syndrome differentiation:
The essential symptoms for diagnosis are lack of qi, lassitude, dispiritedness, spontaneous sweating and weak pulse.

Qi sinking syndrome  
Qi sinking syndrome refers to symptoms of asthenia marked by prolapse of the viscera due to inability of qi to lift and sinking of lucid yang. Qi sinking syndrome is usually due to splenic asthenia. That is why this syndrome is also called syndrome of sinking of gastrosplenic qi or qi sinking due to splenic asthenia. This syndrome is usually the further development of qi asthenia or caused by overstrain.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Prolapsing distension of epigastrium and abdomen, or prolapse of rectum due to chronic diarrhea, prolapse of uterus, dizziness, lassitude, pale tongue with whitish thin fur and weak pulse, etc.

Analysis of symptoms:
Prolapsing distension of epigastrium and abdomen, or prolapse of rectum and uterus are due to inability of asthenic qi to lift and maintain the viscera in the normal position; dizziness, chronic diarrhea and lassitude are due to inability of asthenic qi to lift and lucid yang to rise; pale tongue, whitish thin fur and weak pulse are signs of the decline of the functions of the body due to qi asthenia.

Key points for syndrome differentiation:
Prolapse of the viscera, dizziness, lack of qi and lassitude.