Stuffy, puffy, achy…damp.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes a multitude of different influences on the energetic and physical systems of our bodies, expressed as Wind, Heat, Dryness, Cold, and Dampness. One of the most central concepts of TCM is that there is an intimate connection between the external environment - that which surrounds us - and our own internal environment. The physiology of the cells, tissues, organs and energetic channels, or merdians, is in dynamic, shifting, equilibrium which constantly adjusts to the variances of the external environment. However, if the body is somehow impaired and unable to adapt with the changes in environment, internal equilibrium is lost. Left unbalanced, dis-ease will result.
Like a muggy, late summer day, dampness is a condition that exists within the body which arises from several different affects. It can be due to either a problem arising from the inability of the digestive system to transport fluids, or from the body being overwhelmed by external damp from the environment (weather, living conditions, or damp-producing foods). It can also arise in response to illness, or from the overuse of medications like antibiotics.
A few of the easily recognized forms of dampness are a phlegmy cough, chronic sinus congestion, digestive issues, and varicose veins. There is a saying in TCM, “the earth elements creates damp and the metal element stores it.” The organs of the earth element are the stomach and spleen, while the organs associated with metal are the lungs and large intestine. When dampness moves into the lungs, the usual symptom phlegm (especially after eating more difficult to digest foods such as cold dairy, raw vegetables and fried foods). When dampness is stored in the large intestine, we see digestive disturbances like intestinal rumblings, loose stools, diarrhea, etc. It is considered to be the cause or a main contributing factor for high cholesterol, cancer, metabolic disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, MS, fibromyalgia, eczema and allergies. Internal dampness is directly due to the impaired functioning of the spleen, which is responsible for transforming and transporting fluids. The spleen holds things where it they should be, and is responsible for transforming food into nutrition that the body can use as well as the movement of blood to flow and be held in its proper pathways.
Internal vs External Dampness
Internal dampness is very common, and will easily combine with heat or cold to cause damp-heat or damp-cold. Symptoms include a feeling of heaviness, puffiness, swelling or water retention, distended or soft abdomen, phlegm, nodular masses, loose bowels, etc. People with a dampness condition often feel sluggish and easily gain weight.
External dampness is a condition of prolonged high humidity that usually occurs in late summer and early autumn or during long-lasting rainy weather. People often complain of dizziness, a heavy sensation in the head and body, and joint soreness and pain. In both external and internal dampness, there may be discharges that form on the body (such as sores, weeping eczema, and thrush or yeast infections).
Treatment
The spleen is an incredibly important organ used for healing in TCM because it affects the body’s immunity and capacity to maintain and heal. Acupuncture combined with simple nutritional therapy practices, herbal medicine and use of a sauna can be incredibly effective to bring the body system back into balance.