Syndrome of damp heat encumbering the spleen refers to the syndrome caused by dysfunction of the spleen and stomach due to retention of damp heat in the middle energizer. This syndrome usually results from attack of damp heat or endogenous production of heat due to excessive intake of pungent and greasy food as well as alcohol and cheese.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Fullness and oppression in the epigastrium and abdomen, anorexia, vomiting, nausea, thirst with oligodipsia, loose stool, unsmooth defecation, scanty and yellow urine, heaviness of limbs, dull fever, failure to relieve fever after sweating, or yellow coloration of the skin and eyes, or pruritus of the skin, reddish tongue, yellowish and greasy tongue coating as well as soft pulse: Such manifestations are usually seen in acute gastritis, chronic gastritis, acute enteritis, chronic enteritis, indigestive ulceration, viral hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of liver, gastric carcinoma and liver cancer as well as some infectious diseases, such as typhoid fever and paratyphoid fever.
 
Analysis of the symptoms:
Fullness and oppression in the epigastrium and abdomen, anorexia, vomiting, nausea, loose stool and unsmooth defecation are caused by dysfunction of the spleen and stomach as well as abnormal changes in ascending and descending due to retention of damp heat in the middle energizer; heaviness of the limbs is caused by stagnancy of qi activity due to encumbrance of dampness; dull fever, failure to relieve fever after sweating, thirst with oligodipsia and scanty-yellowish urine are caused by internal? retention of dampness;? yellow coloration of the skin and eyes are caused by extravasation of bile due to retention of damp heat in the spleen and stomach that steams the liver and gallbladder; reddish tongue, yellowish greasy tongue fur and soft pulse are the signs of internal retention of damp heat.

Key points for syndrome differentiation:
The diagnostic evidences for this syndrome are fullness and oppression in the epigastrium and abdomen, anorexia, vomiting, nausea, loose stool, unsmooth defecation, dull?fever, failure to relieve fever after sweating or yellow coloration of the skin and eyes.