In Traditional Chinese Medicine, damp is one of the body’s biggest enemies.
It is an obstruction which interferes with the body’s natural flow of Qi, blood and fluids so we may fall victim to all sorts of minor ailments.
But, combined with stress, damp it can become a killer because the double whammy leaves the body open to the serious, life-threatening conditions, including cancer.
What is damp?
Dampness forms in the body when the metabolism is sluggish or inefficient causing body fluids to accumulate rather than circulate freely.
Dampness is sticky and heavy and slows things down. It clogs everything up and slows it down so that the body’s natural energy flow is impaired, stifling the organs and making you feel muzzy headed and lethargic.
- Symptoms of dampness
- Muzzy feeling in the head
- Heaviness in the body
- Throat and head sputum
- Sticky tongue coating
- Poor appetite
- Swollen, painful joints
- Loose stools
- Weight Gain
- Lethargy
- Difficulty concentrating
Unless cleared, dampness will accumulate in the body. However, the circulation continues to flow as usual but begins to generate heat as it tries to push through the resistance of the dampness. This leads to inflammation and can include symptoms such as:
- food allergies
- high blood sugar
- uinary tract infections
- mouth ulcers
- red, swollen eyes
- skin papules and oozing lesions or eczema
- genital itching and eczema
What causes dampness?
It is Yin and tends to be the result of a mixture of dietary/digestive issues and external environmental problems like damp weather, a damp house or workplace or wearing wet clothes.
However, worry, stress and mental overwork are often a crucial part of the mix.
It can also arise after an illness or as a result of overusing medications like anti biotics.
It can be associated with both heat and cold and often manifests as phlegm – a condensed form of dampness – or other bodily discharges.
Why do we experience damp?
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), fluid metabolism is carried out by the lungs, spleen, triple burner and kidneys. These work together to disperse fluids evenly around the body. In order to be efficient, all four of these organ energy systems need to be working efficiently. However, if one or more of them is compromised, then fluids will not be processed and dispersed evenly and dampness will arise.
TCM says that the earth element creates damp and the metal element stores it “…the Lungs also spread Body Fluids to the skin in the form of a fine “mist”. The fine mist of Body Fluids moistens the skin and regulates the opening and closing of the pores and sweating….If the Lung function of dispersing body fluids is impaired, fluid may accumulate under the skin causing oedema” (1)
“After receiving the refined fluids from the Spleen, the Lungs reduce them to a fine mist and “spray” them throughout the area under the skin. This process is part of the dispersing function of the Lungs.”…” The Lungs also direct fluids down to the Kidneys and Bladder. The Kidneys receive the fluids and vaporize part of these before sending them back up to the Lungs to keep them moist”…”Through its dispersing and descending functions, the Lungs are therefore responsible for the excretion of Body Fluids through sweat or urine.” (2)
Why the Spleen is important in preventing dampness
The Spleen, in partnership with the Stomach, governs transformation of our food and drink into our Qi energy and blood…in other words our fuel. In the ancient Chinese text “Simple Questions” chapter 21 says, “Food enters the Stomach…fluids enter the Stomach…the upper part goes to the Spleen, the Spleen transports the refined essence upwards to the Lungs”(3)
“The Spleen separates the usable from unusable part from the fluids ingested; the “clear” part goes upwards to the Lungs…and the “dirty” part goes downward…If this function is impaired, the fluids will not be transformed or transported properly and may accumulate to form Dampness or Phlegm or cause oedema.”(4)
The Spleen “likes” dryness therefore its efficiency will be impaired by the over-consumption of cold or icy drinks – the Spleen works best in a warm environment.
The stomach and the spleen are the organs associated with the earth element whilst for the metal element it is the lungs and the large intestine.
Dampness created by impaired digestion moves to the lungs – resulting in the production of phlegm which causes coughing, Asthma AND Allergies – and large intestine – causing loose, mucus-lined or sticky stools or diarrhoea.
What foods make dampness worse?
If you’re prone to dampness, you should avoid eating “damp forming” foodstuffs which can promote the condition:
- Dairy products
- Fatty meats
- Roasted peanuts, including peanut butter
- Concentrated fruit juices
- Refined wheat products
- Bananas
- Sugar and sweeteners
- Saturated fats
- Processed food
If you have phlegm as part of your dampness, you should limit the consumption of raw, cold and processed sugary or fatty foods as these will impede the digestive function of the spleen.
What foods discourage damp?
The best foods to prevent damp are Aduki and kidney beans and lentils, certain types of vegetables, grains like buckwheat, rye and corn and seafoods like anchovy, eel and mackerel are all particularly helpful. Food should be heated but spicy foods are also good.
Spelt and Quinoa -also encourage the dispersal of damp and can be made into tasty breads and cakes.
Great Spelt and non-yeast bread recipe
Great Quinoa and no sugar cake
Times of year when damp can be more problematic
Late summer can be a difficult time if there has been prolonged high humidity as this causes external dampness in some individuals which can invade the body via the lower extremities and cause all sorts of unpleasant conditions.
(1) “The Foundations of Chinese Medicine” Giovanni Maciocia p84
(2) ” p85
(3) Simple Questions p139
(4) “The Foundations of Chinese Medicine G Maciocia p90
