Heavy dampness is something we are all familiar with.
When there is too much fluid in the body, the spleen cannot metabolize it in time.
Over time, this leads to the formation of dampness.
Now, what is phlegm-dampness?
First, let’s discuss the diseases that a phlegm-damp constitution is prone to.
1. Obesity, beer belly, and the three high conditions (hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia) are often associated with a phlegm-damp constitution.
2. PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), anovulation, and amenorrhea.
3. Thyroid nodules, which correspond to what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to as “luo li” (scrofula), are often also a sign of phlegm-damp constitution.
Additionally, uterine fibroids are often associated with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis.
…
There are many such conditions, including insomnia, headaches, and even anxiety and depression.
All are related to phlegm-dampness.
Phlegm-dampness can lead to many diseases, even strange and difficult-to-treat conditions…
As TCM often says: “All diseases are caused by phlegm; phlegm gives rise to a hundred diseases.”
So what symptoms do people with a phlegm-damp constitution exhibit?
First symptom: Oily skin on the face.
What is inside must manifest outside.
When there is an excess of sticky moisture in the body, it will find a way to surface, leading to oily skin, seborrheic dermatitis, and seborrheic alopecia, all of which are related to phlegm-dampness.
Second symptom: Eating little but still gaining weight.
People like this, if you pinch their flesh, it feels soft like cotton…
Fat people often have phlegm-dampness, while thin people often have internal heat.
Third symptom: Occasional palpitations, mental confusion, depression, or excitement.…
Whether it is palpitations or mental confusion, depression… all belong to a state of unsettled spirit.
Why does this happen?
You may have heard the term “phlegm obstructing the heart orifices.”
Phlegm turbidity can affect the function of the cerebral cortex, leading to symptoms of depression or excitement. I have encountered many patients like this, and using phlegm-transforming methods to treat anxiety has been effective; these patients often like to complain, and once the phlegm-dampness is resolved, their symptoms significantly improve.
Fourth symptom: Enlarged tongue with thick, greasy coating.
Why is the tongue swollen and coated thickly? Some even have teeth marks? The principle is similar to throwing a sponge into water; the more moisture there is, the more the sponge (tongue) swells.
Once the phlegm-dampness is eliminated, the tongue will naturally shrink.
Fifth symptom: Drowsiness and tendency to feel sleepy.
Phlegm-dampness obstructs Yang Qi, leading to a feeling of heaviness and drowsiness.
Sixth symptom: Sticky stools that cling to the toilet, with undigested vegetable matter.
Due to excessive moisture, the stools are also wet and sticky, clinging to the toilet.
Seventh symptom: Thirst.
Phlegm-dampness ultimately stems from spleen deficiency; when the spleen produces dampness instead of fluids, one will easily feel thirsty.《How to Identify Eight Major Symptoms of Severe Dampness, with Thirst Being the First?!》
Eighth symptom: A sensation of something stuck in the throat, which cannot be coughed out or swallowed, occurring intermittently, resembling chronic pharyngitis, but this is due to phlegm-dampness.
Ninth symptom: Frequent nausea, or audible gurgling sounds from the stomach, with a sticky, greasy mouth…
Tenth symptom: Chest tightness and shortness of breath, worsened on rainy days.
Phlegm-dampness and turbidity can obstruct heart Yang, leading to chest tightness; if the obstruction is severe, it can cause angina.
Eleventh symptom: Ulcers and eczema on the skin, persisting for years, oozing and not healing, are also signs of phlegm-dampness.
Twelfth symptom: Presence of lumps or nodules in the body: Once phlegm-dampness accumulates, it can obstruct the flow of Qi, leading to lumps and nodules.
Uterine fibroids, breast nodules, thyroid nodules, lung nodules… all are manifestations of phlegm-dampness.
Once a phlegm-damp constitution is established, as the phlegm forms, it will flow with the body’s Qi; wherever the phlegm settles, the disease will manifest.
If phlegm settles in the lungs, it will cause coughing and wheezing, leading to lung nodules.
If it obstructs the heart, it will cause chest tightness and palpitations.
If it settles in the stomach, it will cause nausea and vomiting.
If it obstructs the meridians and muscles, it will lead to numbness and paralysis.
If it settles in the uterus, it will cause uterine fibroids or ovarian cysts.
If it settles in the throat, it will cause a sensation of a foreign body in the throat…
If phlegm obstructs the heart orifices, it will lead to mental unrest, depression, or anxiety.
If phlegm-fire disturbs the heart, it will lead to mania and insomnia…
So where does this phlegm come from?
First, we need to understand where dampness originates.
Ultimately, it is due to the spleen being overworked and unable to transform the food and fluids consumed into nutrients, resulting in the accumulation of dampness in the body, which gradually forms sticky phlegm.
This is like heating pear juice (dampness) until it thickens into sticky pear syrup (phlegm).
Phlegm is waste, excess damp waste that the body cannot metabolize; this is phlegm-dampness.
Many people with a phlegm-damp constitution feel weak, drowsy, and fatigued…
Then they keep trying to supplement with things like bird’s nest, goat milk, honey, cordyceps…
Phlegm-damp constitution is not scary; nodules are not scary; fibroids are not scary; losing connection with bodily sensations is what is truly scary.
Ancient TCM did not have CT scans or diagnostic instruments, yet they could still treat these strange diseases.
They were able to treat effectively.
For example, the ancient famous formula Wen Dan Tang (Warm the Gallbladder Decoction) is known for transforming phlegm and dispelling dampness, calming the spirit, and is specifically used to address all strange diseases.
Why were the ancients able to treat these diseases?
Ancient TCM did not have imaging technology, but the body is the most precise instrument; they could still diagnose based on the symptoms reflected by the patient’s body.
However, modern people have lost touch with their bodies, becoming dull to many bodily responses—mistaking the abnormal for normal.
Whether treating breast nodules, lung nodules, uterine fibroids, or PCOS, TCM always starts from the essence of transforming phlegm, identifying the pathogenesis, and expelling the damp waste from the body.
Preventing the growth of nodules, cysts, fibroids, and tumors is the key.
If the bodily environment is not changed,
today we are busy removing tumors from the uterus,
tomorrow we will be busy removing tumors from the breast.
Is this a blessing or a curse for modern people?
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