An old saying in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states: “It is easy to dispel a thousand cold, but hard to eliminate dampness.”
As summer temperatures rise, humidity increases, and the weather becomes muggy, the dampness pathogen can easily invade the human body.
The harm caused by dampness is comparable to that of cold,
and it is even more difficult to eliminate.
Thus, eliminating dampness is a key focus of summer health maintenance.
So how should we go about ‘eliminating dampness’?
Let’s listen to the expert’s explanation.
Featured Guest
Tian Hui
Attending Physician, Respiratory Department
Wuhan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital
A youth committee member of the Respiratory Branch of the Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a member of the Respiratory Branch of the Wuhan Geriatric Medicine Association, specializing in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma, chronic cough, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary nodules through integrated Chinese and Western medicine. He has co-authored three works, published five papers in core journals, and participated in multiple research projects, one of which won the first prize from the Wuhan Science and Technology Bureau.
What impacts does ‘dampness’ have on health?
In TCM theory, the spleen has the function of transforming and transporting food and fluids, as well as distributing nutrients upward and outward, and assisting in the generation and regulation of qi and blood. However, it is most easily trapped by ‘dampness.’ It was first mentioned in the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), stating that the spleen prefers dryness and dislikes dampness. To illustrate, it is like a machine’s hub located in the middle of the body; if it rusts due to dampness, it cannot function properly.
What symptoms can ‘dampness’ cause in the body?The most common symptoms of damp obstruction include general fatigue, heaviness in the limbs, chest tightness, abdominal fullness, a bland taste in the mouth, poor appetite, diarrhea with loose stools, difficulty urinating, edema, and a thick greasy tongue coating. Due to the close relationship between the internal organs, one issue can affect the entire body, so when the spleen is obstructed by dampness, it can lead to changes in various systems, and clinical manifestations may vary from person to person. How can we self-assess for ‘dampness’ in daily life?
Thick greasy tongue coating
The normal tongue coating should be thin and white. When the tongue coating is dense and greasy, difficult to scrape off, and has a layer of oily mucus, it is considered a greasy coating; if the coating is thick and cannot see the tongue’s surface, it is termed a thick coating. Checking your tongue coating in the morning after rinsing your mouth may reveal abnormalities in your body.
General fatigue
The fatigue caused by damp obstruction has a characteristic of ‘heaviness,’ akin to the feeling of being wrapped in a wet towel, heavy and powerless. TCM also states, “due to dampness, it feels like being wrapped,” indicating a feeling of fullness and heaviness in the head, which is also a manifestation of damp obstruction.
Poor appetite and loose stools
This refers to a feeling of chest tightness, poor appetite, and feeling full after eating only a little. Dampness has a ‘turbid’ characteristic, leading to loose, unformed stools or sticky and unsatisfactory bowel movements. For example, cloudy urine, increased vaginal discharge in women, eczema, etc.
Bitter and greasy mouth
Some individuals feel a greasy and slightly bitter taste in their mouth during summer, making even delicious dishes taste bland; it may be worth noting whether you have ‘dampness.’
Body aches and heaviness
Joint pain, even difficulty in bending and stretching, and difficulty turning over, especially in summer or rainy days. What types of ‘dampness’ exist? How should we eliminate them symptomatically?
1. Damp-Heat
Dampness combined with heat forms damp-heat, which obstructs the movement of fluids and qi in the body. The formation of damp-heat is often related to personal dietary habits; individuals with this condition usually prefer cold, greasy, and rich foods, and lack exercise, often staying in air-conditioned rooms for extended periods in summer.Common symptoms of damp-heat include: prone to acne, oily skin, yellowish complexion; red or purple tongue, yellow greasy coating, red lips, bitter mouth, dry mouth, and sticky mouth; yellow urine; sticky stools, with burning pain after bowel movements; lack of appetite, fullness in the upper abdomen; fatigue, insufficient sleep, headache, and body heaviness; easily agitated emotions, irritability; increased vaginal discharge in women, yellowish color, and strong odor.
2. Cold-Damp
Dampness combined with cold forms cold-damp, both of which are considered yin pathogens, thus cold-damp is more likely to harm yang qi and obstruct qi movement.The formation of cold-damp can be due to external and internal factors. External factors often include environmental influences such as humid weather, damp living conditions, and getting wet; internal factors relate to personal consumption of cold and raw foods, and alcohol, leading to spleen yang dysfunction. Individuals with cold-damp usually exhibit symptoms of yang deficiency, such as fear of cold, aversion to wind, and aversion to cold foods.Common symptoms of cold-damp include: dull complexion, pallor, prone to edema; fear of cold, cold extremities; enlarged tongue, white coating, teeth marks on the tongue; clear and profuse urine; easy fatigue, lack of energy; prone to diarrhea and loose stools; decreased vaginal discharge in women, clear and watery.
Before adjusting your condition,
you should first determine whether your symptoms belong to damp-heat or cold-damp,
and then relieve them accordingly.
We hope everyone can dispel dampness and not be a ‘damp person’!
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