Syndrome of stomach heat refers to symptoms of sthenic heat due to superabundance of fire and heat in the stomach and failure of gastric qi to descend. This syndrome is usually caused by excessive intake of pungent, warm and dry food which transforms into heat and fire; or by emotional upsets and stagnation of qi which transform into fire and attacks the stomach; or by pathogenic heat attacking the stomach.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Scorching pain in the stomach, gastric discomfort with acid regurgitation, or vomiting right after eating, or preference for cold drinks, or polyorexia, or halitosis, or swelling, pain and ulceration of gum, dental Needing, constipation, scanty yellowish urine, reddish tongue with yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse. These symptoms are usually seen in acute and chronic gastritis, digestive ulcer, esophagus cancer and stomach cancer as well as periodontitis and diabetes.
 
Analysis of the symptoms:
Scorching and impalpable pain in the stomach is caused by stagnation of heat in the stomach and obstruction of the gastric qi; gastric discomfort with acid regurgitation or vomiting right after eating is caused by upward adverse rise of liver and gastric qi and fire as well as failure of gastric qi to descend; polyorexia is caused by exuberance of gastric fire and excessive digestion; halitosis is caused by upward adverse rise of gastric heat with turbid qi; preference for cold drinks, constipation and scanty yellow urine are due to consumption of body fluid by pathogenic heat; swelling, pain and ulceration of gum and dental bleeding are caused by fumigation of gastric fire along the meridian, stagnation of qi and blood as well as impairment of the collaterals; reddish tongue with yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse are the signs of internal exuberance of fire and heat.

Key points for syndrome differentiation:
This syndrome is marked by scorching pain in the epigastrium, stomach discomfort with acid regurgitation, polyorexia and internal exuberance of fire and heat.