During my consultations, patients frequently ask me the following questions:
“Practitioner, despite my careful attention to daily habits, why do I still fall ill so easily?”
“Practitioner, why do we contract the same illness, yet our symptoms vary?”
“Practitioner, why did my husband fall ill but recover more quickly than I did?”
These inquiries highlight varied understandings of health and disease. From the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), each individual possesses a unique constitution, and numerous physiological and constitutional differences underpin these variations.
Definition and impact of body constitution
A person’s constitution is a stable state encompassing physical (jing), physiological function (qi), and psychological character (sheng), formed over a lifetime and influenced by both genetic and environmental factors from growth to aging. While innate genetics partly determine body constitution, postnatal factors also play a crucial role. These characteristics dictate an individual’s susceptibility to specific pathogens and influence the manner and progression of disease post-infection.
TCM categorizes human constitutions into different types based on the balance of yin and yang, qi, blood, and body fluids, discovering that certain diseases are closely associated with specific constitutions. Recognizing a person’s constitution is vital for the early detection and treatment of diseases. By identifying specific constitutions, personalized treatment and prevention strategies can be developed, leading to more effective and targeted interventions.
Changes and adjustments in body constitution
Although our body constitution starts forming from birth, it is not fixed. It can be adjusted with age, lifestyle modifications, and changing environments. For example, someone with a damp-heat constitution in youth may transition to a different constitution by altering dietary habits or living conditions. Hence, constitution can be improved through postnatal efforts and adjustments.
Understanding the differences between children’s and adults’ body constitutions
Returning to the main point, considering the distinct physiological and pathological characteristics of children compared to adults, can children’s constitutions be classified similarly to adults’? Indeed, children’s constitutions differ significantly from those of adults! Although there is no unified standard for classifying children’s constitutions, children are in a critical growth and development phase, making their constitutions distinctly different from adults’. Due to the unique nature of children’s constitutions, they are more prone to certain diseases. Therefore, understanding children’s constitutions is essential for better disease prevention and treatment.
Unique Physiological and Pathological Traits in Children
Children’s physiological and pathological traits are not just simplified versions of adults’ characteristics; they possess their own unique aspects:
（1）Following birth, children exhibit abundant vitality. With adequate care, their physical and cognitive growth can outpace that of adults.
（2）Children’s organs are fragile, and both their structural and physiological functions are yet to reach full maturity compared to adults.
（3）Children have a less robust immune system than adults. Moreover, they struggle with regulating their responses to temperature changes and controlling their diet, making them more prone to respiratory and digestive diseases.
（4）Children are not only more susceptible to illnesses, but their conditions also tend to advance more rapidly and become more complex compared to adults. However, with prompt treatment and care, they can recover from illnesses faster than adults.
Above is the content for part (1), want to know more about differences of body constitutions between children and adults ?
Stay tune for our next article by Prac. Chung Suet Yin.
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