Many people believe that constipation is caused by excessive heat, so they take heat-clearing medicines or drink laxative teas. This may have some effect on constipation characterized by hard stools, but if the constipation is caused by dampness, such actions will undoubtedly exacerbate the condition.
Constipation caused by dampness has the following characteristics: the stools are soft and sticky, with a strong damp odor. For this type of constipation, I have a small formula: Lai Fu San (Radish Seed Powder).
For Headaches, Drink San Ren Cha (Three Nut Tea)
Many people experience headaches and dizziness. If a headache persists for several days without any identifiable cause, it may be due to excessive liver yang, qi and blood deficiency, or blood stasis obstructing the meridians, or it could be due to phlegm-dampness.
Patients with headaches caused by phlegm-dampness often have a plump physique, irregular eating habits, and a preference for sweet and greasy foods. If their headache symptoms are mild, they can drink San Ren Cha (Three Nut Tea).
San Ren Cha Recipe:
Ingredients: 9g of roasted apricot kernels, 30g of raw coix seeds (Yi Yi Ren), 10g of winter melon seeds (Dong Gua Ren), 2 slices of ginger.
Preparation: Wash all ingredients, then boil them together in water.
Dosage: Drink as tea frequently.
Effects: Clears heat, dispels dampness, and promotes urination, suitable for heavy-headedness, especially worsening on cloudy days.
Winter melon seeds should not be eaten directly; they must be crushed before boiling.
For Skin Issues like Dampness, Eczema, and Athlete’s Foot
Many skin problems are fundamentally caused by damp-heat, the most common being eczema and tinea pedis (athlete’s foot).
Clinically, many eczema patients have a penchant for smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming spicy foods, and they tend to be irritable. Eczema patients must quit smoking and drinking, eat a light diet, and maintain a pleasant mood; otherwise, the internal damp-heat environment persists, and even if treated, a recurrence is likely upon exposure to external damp-heat pathogens.
Additionally, eczema patients can grow a pot of aloe vera at home; during acute eczema flare-ups, they can use aloe vera leaves to wipe the affected area, which can relieve itching. However, this method should not be used if there is oozing.
1Aloe Vera Itch Relief Recipe
Ingredients: Fresh aloe vera leaves.
Preparation: Cut off a 3 cm piece of aloe vera, peel the skin, and evenly apply the aloe vera juice to the eczema area.
Frequency: 5-6 times a day.
Unused aloe vera can be stored in the refrigerator.
Some people have dampness in their skin, and athlete’s foot, as the name suggests, is closely related to dampness, which may be due to damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, or prolonged exposure to damp environments, or excessive sweating leading to prolonged moisture exposure.
If athlete’s foot is not severe, it can be treated without herbal decoctions; after washing the feet every night, sprinkle some talcum powder, and persistence can lead to recovery.
For severe cases, some damp-dispelling Chinese herbs can be used in decoction for foot baths, which can assist in treating athlete’s foot. She Chuang Zi (Cnidium Seed) is a bitter and warm herb that can dry dampness and dispel wind, showing good effects on athlete’s foot caused by internal dampness.
2She Chuang Zi Decoction for Athlete’s Foot
Ingredients: 20g each of She Chuang Zi (Cnidium Seed), Cang Er Zi (Xanthium Fruit), Bai Bu (Stemona), Ku Fan (Alum), and Di Fu Zi (Plantago Seed).
Preparation: Wrap these herbs, add 1000ml of water, and boil for 15 minutes.
Dosage: Pour the herbal liquid into a basin, and when warm, soak the affected foot in the liquid for 30 minutes.
Take 1 dose daily, soaking twice a day, for a 7-day course.
Effects: Clears heat, dries dampness, dispels wind, and relieves itching. Suitable for athlete’s foot with many blisters or ulcerations.
Be careful not to use water that is too hot, as it may worsen the condition.
For Severe Dampness, Use Fu Ling (Poria) and Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes) to Strengthen the Spleen and Stop Diarrhea
Non-infectious diarrhea is mostly caused by dampness. For diarrhea caused by dampness in the spleen, treatment should focus on strengthening the spleen, tonifying qi, and dispelling dampness. There is an ancient formula specifically for this condition called Shen Ling Bai Zhu San (Ginseng, Poria, and Atractylodes Powder).
Ordinary people with spleen dampness can buy Shen Ling Bai Zhu Wan (Ginseng, Poria, and Atractylodes Pills) at the pharmacy and take it with hot water from boiled jujubes.
Additionally, both Fu Ling (Poria) and Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes) are in the Shen Ling Bai Zhu San formula; one strengthens the spleen, and the other dispels dampness. Boiling them in water or making tea can also help strengthen the spleen and stop diarrhea.
Fu Ling Bai Zhu Tea:
Ingredients: 10g of Fu Ling (Poria) and 10g of roasted Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes).
Preparation: Wash both ingredients, then boil them together in water.
Dosage: Drink as tea.
Effects: Strengthens the spleen, dispels dampness, and stops diarrhea.
Lai Fu San for Constipation Caused by Dampness
Many people think that constipation is caused by excessive heat, so they take heat-clearing medicines or drink laxative teas. This may have some effect on constipation characterized by hard stools, but if the constipation is caused by dampness, such actions will undoubtedly exacerbate the condition.
Constipation caused by dampness has the following characteristics: the stools are soft and sticky, with a strong damp odor. For this type of constipation, I have a small formula: Lai Fu San (Radish Seed Powder). Lai Fu San is made from roasted radish seeds.
Lai Fu San:
Ingredients: 10g of Lai Fu Zi (Radish Seed).
Preparation: Remove impurities from the radish seeds, wash and dry them; then place them in a pan and roast over low heat until they puff up and crackle, the color deepens, and a fragrance is released. Remove and let cool; finally, grind into powder.
Dosage: 1.5g each time, twice a day, taken with water.
Indications: Constipation with hard stools and abdominal fullness and pain.
Excessive Phlegm Coughing: Choose One of Three Formulas
Some people say they have a lot of phlegm recently; could it be related to the lungs? They have taken many medications for pneumonia and even rhinitis without effect, leading them to believe that traditional medicine is ineffective. However, how could traditional medicine, which has survived for five thousand years, be ineffective? Phlegm is related to the lungs, but phlegm issues are not solely lung-related.
There is a saying in traditional medicine: the lungs and large intestine are interrelated. Besides the function of exhalation, the lungs also have the role of descending qi. Therefore, if lung qi is not disseminated, it will affect bowel movements, so while resolving phlegm, one must also regulate qi and aid digestion.
1For Poor Digestion and Phlegm, Use San Zi Yang Qin Tang (Three Seed Nourishing Soup)
As people age, their bodily functions decline, making it easy for many to experience poor digestion, excessive phlegm, or wheezing. San Zi Yang Qin Tang is specifically designed to address these issues in the elderly.
San Zi Yang Qin Tang:
Ingredients: Equal amounts of Bai Jie Zi (White Mustard Seed), Su Zi (Perilla Seed), and Lai Fu Zi (Radish Seed).
Preparation: Wash them, lightly roast, then wrap in gauze and boil for soup to drink frequently.
Dosage: Can be boiled for soup or roasted and powdered to be taken with hot water.
Effects: Warms the lungs, transforms phlegm, descends qi, and aids digestion.
These three herbs can be used in equal amounts or adjusted according to symptoms to emphasize one herb’s dosage.
Su Zi refers to the seeds of purple perilla, which have the effect of descending qi and transforming phlegm.
Bai Jie Zi has the effect of warming the lungs, dispelling phlegm, and regulating qi; those with excessive phlegm can use more Bai Jie Zi. Lai Fu Zi helps regulate qi and relieve stagnation; those with poor digestion can use more Lai Fu Zi.
2Er Zi Er Ren Tang (Two Seeds and Two Nuts Soup) for Regulating Qi and Transforming Phlegm
Coughing with phlegm can be classified into two types: hot and cold. Hot phlegm is yellow, thick, and often occurs in acute conditions like bronchitis and pneumonia; cold phlegm is white, watery, and foamy, often seen in chronic conditions and in individuals with yang deficiency who are sensitive to cold.
Hot phlegm needs to be cleared, while cold phlegm needs to be warmed. Here, I introduce a balanced phlegm-dispelling formula: Er Zi Er Ren Tang.
Er Zi Er Ren Tang:
Ingredients: 1 part Su Zi (Perilla Seed) and Lai Fu Zi (Radish Seed), and 3 parts Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed) and Dong Gua Ren (Winter Melon Seed).
Preparation: Wash all ingredients and simmer together.
Dosage: Boil daily and drink slowly as tea.
Effects: Regulates qi and transforms phlegm.
For cold phlegm, 6g of dried ginger can be added to the Er Zi Er Ren Tang. Dried ginger is not simply sun-dried fresh ginger; fresh ginger is usually harvested in summer and early autumn, while dried ginger is harvested in late autumn or even winter, having the effect of warming yang and transforming fluids.
If the patient has unformed stools, in addition to dried ginger, 10g of Qian Shi (Euryale Seed) can be added to tonify the spleen and kidneys and resolve dampness.
3Chen Pi Yi Yi Ren Yin (Tangerine Peel and Coix Seed Drink) for Harmonizing the Stomach and Transforming Phlegm
Many elderly friends experience decreased gastrointestinal function, making it difficult to digest food, leading to a sticky mouth and frequent phlegm, with a greasy tongue coating. In such cases, Chen Pi Yi Yi Ren Yin can be used for adjustment.
Chen Pi Yi Yi Ren Yin:
Ingredients: 10g of Chen Pi (Tangerine Peel, preferably from Xinhui, Guangdong) and 30g of Yi Yi Ren (Coix Seed).
Preparation: Place both herbs in a clay pot, add an appropriate amount of water, boil for 20 minutes, strain, and take the liquid.
Dosage: Drink as tea.
Effects: Harmonizes the stomach and transforms phlegm.
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