Traditional Chinese medicine regards “dampness” as one of the six excesses, an external evil that is invisible and colorless, preferring to disturb the human body in damp and hot seasons. When dampness accumulates excessively, the body becomes prone to issues resembling a damp environment, eventually leading to various problems. Dampness infiltrating the five zang organs manifests differently in each organ, and identifying these signals is the starting point for treatment. The following are specific manifestations of dampness affecting each zang organ:
– If the heart is affected by dampness, it may manifest as fatigue, lethargy, possibly accompanied by palpitations, shortness of breath, irritability, or insomnia, feeling of heaviness in the head upon waking, and poor mental state. – The lungs encountering dampness may result in a cough with abundant sticky phlegm, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness. Coughing out white foamy phlegm in the morning is a sign of dampness in the lungs. – Dampness affecting the spleen leads to a heavy and weak body, reduced appetite, bloating, poorly formed stools, and discomfort even with a light diet. – Liver obstruction by dampness may cause emotional fluctuations, irritability, depression, discomfort in the hypochondria area, irregular menstruation in women, and testicular discomfort in men. – When the kidneys are invaded by dampness, there may be a sensation of sore and weak lower back and knees, urinary blockage, increased nocturnal urination, impacting sexual function and fertility.
Regulating dampness involves adjustments in diet, exercise, and daily routines: reduce intake of cold, cool, greasy, and sweet foods, consume more damp-eliminating and spleen-strengthening foods like coix seed, red bean, winter melon; engage in moderate aerobic exercise to help eliminate dampness; maintain regular daily routines and ensure adequate sleep. Traditional Chinese medicine treatments such as cupping, gua sha, moxibustion combined with appropriate herbal remedies are also effective in relieving dampness.
Dampness comes from various sources related to the environment, diet, and emotions. Improving environmental humidity, balancing diet, maintaining a positive mood are crucial in preventing the accumulation of dampness. Home remedies include drinking dampness-clearing tea like lotus leaf tea, and regularly soaking feet in water infused with mugwort leaves, ginger, etc., to promote circulation and help eliminate dampness.
Maintaining health is a continuous process that requires daily accumulation of small efforts in order to enjoy a vibrant and clear life.
