九气者，谓怒、喜、悲、恐、寒、热、忧、劳、思。因此九事而伤动于气，一曰怒则气
逆，甚则呕血及食而气逆也；二曰喜则其气缓，荣卫通利，故气缓；三曰悲则气消，悲则使
心系急，肺布叶举，使上焦不通，热气在内，故气消也；四曰恐则气下，恐则精却，精却则
上焦闭，闭则气还，气还则下焦胀，故气不行；五曰寒则气收聚，寒使经络凝涩，使气不宣
散故也；六曰热则腠理开，腠理开则荣卫通，汗大泄；七曰忧则气乱，气乱则心无所寄，神
无所归，虑无所定，故气乱；八曰劳则气耗，气耗则喘且汗，外内皆越，故气耗也；九曰思
则气结，气结则心有所止，故气留而不行。
众方说此九气，互有不同，但气上之由有九，故名为九气类也。
平人无寒热，短气不足以息者，体实，实则气盛，盛则气逆不通，故短气。又，肺虚则
气少不足，亦令短气，则其人气微，常如少气，不足以呼吸。
诊其脉，尺寸俱微，血气不足，其人短气。寸口脉沉，胸中短气。脉前小后大，则为胸
满短气。脉洪大者，亦短气也。
五膈气者，谓忧膈、恚膈、气膈、寒膈、热膈也。忧膈之病，胸中气结，烦闷，津液不
通，饮食不下，羸瘦不为气力。恚膈之为病，心下苦实满，噫辄酢心，食不消，心下积结，
牢在胃中，大小便不利。气膈之为病，胸胁逆满，咽塞，胸膈不通，噫闻食臭。寒膈之为病
，心腹胀满，咳逆，腹上苦冷，雷鸣，绕脐痛，食不消，不能食肥。热膈之为病，脏有热气
，五心中热，口中烂，生疮，骨烦，四肢重，唇口干燥，身体头面手足或热，腰背皆疼痛，
胸痹引背，食不消，不能多食，羸瘦少气及癖也。此是方家所说五膈形证也。
经云∶阳脉结，谓之膈。言忧恚寒热，动气伤神；而气之与神，并为阳也。伤动阳气，
致阴阳不和，而腑脏生病，结于胸膈之间，故称为膈气。众方说五膈，互有不同，但伤动之
由有五，故云五膈气。
九气，指的是怒、喜、悲、恐、寒、热、忧、劳、思这九种情志或状态。因为这九件事而损伤扰动人体之气，第一种情况是：怒则导致气机逆乱，严重时会出现呕血以及进食后气机上逆的症状；第二种情况是：喜则使气机舒缓，营卫之气通畅流利，所以表现为气机舒缓；第三种情况是：悲则导致气机消损，悲伤会使心脉拘急，肺叶张举，导致上焦气机不通，热气郁结在内，所以气机消损；第四种情况是：恐则导致气机下陷，恐惧会使精气退却，精气退却则上焦闭塞，上焦闭塞则气机还返，气机还返则下焦胀满，所以气机不能正常运行；第五种情况是：寒则导致气机收敛聚集，寒气使经络凝滞涩阻，导致气机不能宣通发散；第六种情况是：热则使腠理（皮肤毛孔及肌肉间隙）开泄，腠理开泄则营卫之气通畅，汗液大量排出；第七种情况是：忧则导致气机紊乱，气机紊乱则心神无所寄托，神志无所归依，思虑无法安定，所以气机紊乱；第八种情况是：劳则导致气机耗散，气机耗散则出现喘息和出汗，体内的气和体表的津液都向外越泄，所以气机耗散；第九种情况是：思则导致气机郁结，气机郁结则心意有所滞留，所以气机停留而不能运行。
各方对于这九气的解释互有不同，但气机上逆的原因有九种，所以称为“九气类”。
平素没有恶寒发热症状，但感到呼吸短促、气息不足以维持正常呼吸的人，如果是体质壮实所致，是因为体质实盛则气机旺盛，气机旺盛则气逆而不通畅，所以导致短气。另外，如果肺气虚弱，则气量不足，也会导致短气，这类人气息微弱，常常感觉像少气一样，呼吸不够用。
诊察其脉象，寸脉和尺脉都微弱，说明血气不足，这样的人会感到短气。寸口脉沉，提示胸中短气。脉象前部小而后部大，则是胸满短气。脉象洪大的，也会出现短气。
五膈气，指的是忧膈、恚膈、气膈、寒膈、热膈这五种病症。忧膈的病证，表现为胸中气机郁结，烦闷，津液不通畅，饮食难以下咽，身体消瘦且缺乏力气。恚膈的病证，表现为胃脘部苦于痞塞胀满，经常嗳气且伴有酸水泛至心胸，食物不消化，胃脘部积结硬块，牢固地停滞在胃中，大小便不通利。气膈的病证，表现为胸胁部气逆胀满，咽喉阻塞，胸膈气机不通，嗳气时能闻到食物的气味。寒膈的病证，表现为心腹胀满，咳嗽气逆，腹部怕冷，肠鸣音明显，脐周疼痛，食物不消化，不能吃油腻肥甘的食物。热膈的病证，表现为脏腑内有热气，五心（两手心、两足心及心口）发热，口腔糜烂生疮，骨节烦痛，四肢沉重，嘴唇和口舌干燥，身体、头部、面部、手足有时发热，腰背全部疼痛，胸痹牵引背部疼痛，食物不消化，不能多吃，身体消瘦、少气以及形成癖积。这是医家所说的五膈的形态和证候。
《内经》说：阳脉结滞，称为膈。意思是忧、恚、寒、热等情志或外邪扰动气机并损伤神志；而气和神，都属于阳的范畴。损伤扰动阳气，导致阴阳不和，从而使腑脏生病，病邪结聚于胸膈之间，所以称为膈气。各方对五膈的说法互有不同，但致病原因有五种，所以称为五膈气。
The "Nine Qi" refers to anger, joy, sorrow, fear, cold, heat, worry, labor (exertion), and thought. Injury and disturbance of Qi caused by these nine factors are described as follows: First, anger causes Qi to rebel; in severe cases, it leads to vomiting blood and rebellious Qi after eating. Second, joy causes Qi to relax; when Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi) are smooth and unobstructed, Qi becomes relaxed. Third, sorrow causes Qi to dissipate; sorrow makes the heart vessels tense and the lung lobes rise, obstructing the Upper Jiao (Upper Burner) and causing heat to remain inside, thus dissipating Qi. Fourth, fear causes Qi to sink; fear causes essence to retreat, which closes the Upper Jiao; closure causes Qi to return, leading to distension in the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner), so Qi fails to circulate. Fifth, cold causes Qi to gather and contract; cold coagulates and obstructs the meridians, preventing Qi from dispersing. Sixth, heat causes the Cou Li (pores and interstices) to open; when Cou Li open, Ying and Wei flow freely, resulting in profuse sweating. Seventh, worry causes Qi to become chaotic; chaos in Qi leaves the mind without a focus, the spirit without a refuge, and thoughts unsettled, thus disrupting Qi. Eighth, exertion causes Qi to be consumed; consumption of Qi leads to panting and sweating, with both internal Qi and external fluids escaping, thus depleting Qi. Ninth, thought causes Qi to knot; knotting of Qi means the mind lingers on one object, causing Qi to stagnate and fail to move.
Various medical texts offer differing explanations for these Nine Qi, but since there are nine causes for rebellious Qi, they are categorized as the "Class of Nine Qi."
A person who is otherwise free from aversion to cold or fever but suffers from shortness of breath and insufficient respiration may have this condition due to excess constitution. Excess constitution implies abundant Qi; abundant Qi leads to rebellion and obstruction, causing shortness of breath. Conversely, deficiency of Lung Qi results in insufficiency, also causing shortness of breath; such individuals have weak vital energy, often feeling like they have "insufficient Qi" and cannot breathe adequately.
Upon pulse diagnosis, if both the Cun (Inch) and Chi (Cubit) positions are faint, it indicates deficiency of Blood and Qi, leading to shortness of breath. A deep pulse at the Cun Kou (Radial Artery) suggests shortness of breath in the chest. A pulse that is small at the front and large at the rear indicates chest fullness and shortness of breath. A surging and large pulse may also present with shortness of breath.
The "Five Ge" (Obstructions) refer to You Ge (Sorrow Obstruction), Hui Ge (Resentment Obstruction), Qi Ge (Qi Obstruction), Han Ge (Cold Obstruction), and Re Ge (Heat Obstruction).
You Ge is characterized by knotted Qi in the chest, irritability, obstruction of body fluids, difficulty swallowing food, emaciation, and lack of strength.
Hui Ge presents with painful fullness and solidity in the epigastrium, frequent belching with acid regurgitation, indigestion, accumulation and binding in the epigastrium firmly lodged in the Stomach, and difficulty in urination and defecation.
Qi Ge manifests as rebellious fullness in the chest and hypochondrium, throat obstruction, blockage in the chest and diaphragm, and belching accompanied by the smell of food.
Han Ge involves abdominal fullness, coughing and wheezing, cold sensation in the abdomen, borborygmus (rumbling intestines), periumbilical pain, indigestion, and intolerance to rich/fatty foods.
Re Ge is marked by internal heat in the Zang organs, heat in the five centers (palms, soles, and chest), oral ulcers and soreness, bone烦 (bone-steaming/irritability), heaviness in the limbs, dry lips and mouth, occasional heat in the body, head, face, hands, and feet, pain throughout the lower back and waist, chest bi (painful obstruction) radiating to the back, indigestion, inability to eat much, emaciation, scanty Qi, and formation of masses (Pi). These are the morphological signs and symptoms of the Five Ge as described by physicians.
The Classics state: "When Yang pulses are knotted, it is called Ge." This implies that sorrow, resentment, cold, and heat disturb Qi and injure the Spirit; since both Qi and Spirit belong to Yang, damaging Yang Qi leads to Yin-Yang disharmony and disease in the Fu and Zang organs, with pathology knotting between the chest and diaphragm, hence termed "Ge Qi." While various texts differ on the Five Ge, they share five etiological factors, thus referred to as "Five Ge Qi."