Syndrome of food retention in the stomach refers to the symptoms of gastric and abdominal fullness and pain, vomiting, diarrhea, acid regurgitation and halitosis due to retention of food in the stomach. This syndrome is caused by intemperance of food, or congenital weakness of the stomach and spleen as well as dysfunction of the stomach in receiving and digesting food.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Impalpable gastric and abdominal fullness and pain, eructation with fetid odor, anorexia, or vomiting of fetid food, alleviation of abdominal distension and pain after vomiting, or borborygmus with abdominal pain, unsmooth defecation, foul stool like decayed eggs, thin and greasy tongue fur, slippery pulse or sinking and sthenic pulse. Such symptoms are usually seen in acute gastritis, acute enteritis, gastric dilatation, chronic gastritis, malabsorption syndrome and Crohn's disease.
 
Analysis of the symptoms:
Impalpable gastric and abdominal fullness and pain, eructation with fetid, odor, anorexia, or vomiting of fetid food, alleviation of abdominal distension and pain after vomiting are caused by retention of food in the stomach, stagnation of qi and upward adverse rise of gastric qi; borborygmus with abdominal pain, unsmooth defecation, foul stool like decayed eggs are caused by retention of food in the intestines, inhibited flow of qi and transportation; thin and greasy tongue fur, slippery pulse or sinking and sthenic pulse are the signs of internal retention of food.
 
Key points for syndrome differentiation:
This syndrome is marked by epigastric and abdominal fullness and pain, vomiting of fetid food, or unsmooth defecation, foul stool like decayed eggs and history of disease due to improper diet.