Sign · 脉虚
Empty pulse
A pulse that feels wide but hollow, giving way under pressure.
This page is a reference entry, not an assessment. It says which patterns the sign belongs to in the table this site is built on, at what weight, and where else on the site it appears. Having a sign is not having a pattern — most people have several of these at once, and the self-check is where they are weighed against each other.
What weight it carries
Every sign in the table is filed against one or more patterns at one of three weights. The weight is about diagnostic usefulness, not severity: a defining sign is one the pattern cannot be argued without, which is a different thing from a sign that is dangerous.
| Pattern | 中文 | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Qi deficiency | 气虚证 | Defining |
| Blood deficiency | 血虚证 | Common |
| Kidney yang deficiency | 肾阳虚证 | Supporting |
Defining for one pattern
Without it the pattern is hard to justify. These carry ×3 in the self-check.
Common for one pattern
Usually present, and its absence counts against the pattern. ×2.
Where it appears on the site
No condition page currently lists this sign by name. It is still scored in the self-check, where it is reached through the follow-up questions rather than through a dedicated page.
Other pulse signs
The table groups signs by the part of the body or the kind of observation they come from. These are the other entries in the same group.
- Thin pulse 脉细
- Thin rapid pulse 脉细数
- Wiry pulse 脉弦
- Soggy pulse 脉濡
- Slippery rapid pulse 脉滑数
- Slippery pulse 脉滑
- Deep, slow pulse 脉沉迟
- Wiry and thin pulse 脉弦细
Part of the sign index — 118 entries weighted across twelve patterns. How the weights are used is set out in the methodology.