Syndrome of edema due to kidney asthenia refers to the symptoms of edema due to kidney yang asthenia and its failure in transforming qi. This syndrome is usually caused by dysfunction due to chronic disease and consumption of kidney yang, or by constitutional asthenia and decline of kidney yang which lead to retention of fluid and cutaneous edema.

Clinical manifestations:
Anasarca rebounding after pressure with fingers, oliguria, aching cold in the loins and knees, aversion to cold and cold limbs, abdominal distension and fullness, or palpitation and shortness of breath, or cough, dyspnea and sputum rale, light-colored and bulgy tongue, whitish slippery tongue fur, sinking, slow and weak pulse. Such symptoms are seen in chronic nephritis, IgA nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy and lupus nephritis as well as various acute and chronic failure of kidney.

Analysis of the symptoms: Anasarca rebounding after pressure with fingers and oliguria are caused by insufficiency of kidney yang and its failure in transforming qi which lead to retention of fluid and edema; abdominal distension and fullness are caused by retention of fluid due to yang asthenia and inhibited activity, palpitation and shortness of breath are caused by fluid attacking the heart and stagnating heart yang; dyspnea and sputum rale are caused by retention of fluid attacking the lung and failure of the pulmonary qi to disperse and descend; aching cold in the loins and knees, aversion to cold and cold limbs are caused by asthenia of kidney yang and its failure in warming the body as well as internal exuberance of yin cold; light-colored and bulgy tongue, whitish slippery tongue fur, sinking, slow and weak pulse are the signs of consumption of kidney yang and internal retention of fluid.

Key points for syndrome differentiation. This syndrome is marked by edema (especially over the region below the waist), oliguria, aching and cold sensation in the loins and knees as well as cold limbs and body.