TCM Basics 101: What is Dampness Heat?

As mentioned in another blog post on What is Dampness, dampness heat or damp heat (湿热证) is a permutation of the dampness condition. For dampness, it arises due to having too much water or moisture confined in the body.



For dampness heat or damp heat, it is a status of disharmony when dampness combines with excessive heat or heat toxins.



Illnesses that have this Traditional Chinese Medicine differential syndrome of dampness heat are often seen having characteristics of chronicity, complex pathogenesis and long-lasting healing difficulties. As such, health conditions closely related to inflammation, immune responses, gastrointestinal problems, metabolism often have the differential diagnosis of having dampness heat in them.

 


Causes of Dampness Heat



I have mentioned in the previous blog that dampness can arise due to environment, born body constitution, digestive condition and diet.



Endogenous heat: The heatiness can be formed internally when the dampness is retained in the body for a long period and transforms into heat and combines with the preexisting dampness and phlegm to form dampness heat. This often occurs due to impaired function of digestive system that cannot break down and assimilate the water and food in diet, resulting in the dampness to be stagnated in the body over a long time.



Heat can also come from internal upheavals of emotions which when not properly released from the body can store within the body and result in endogenous heat to increase. Read more about What is Heatiness here.


The combination of dampness and heat therefore results in dampness heat syndrome.

Exogenous heat: Heatiness can also come from external environment such as hot weather and diet that contains too much spices.

Symptoms of Dampness Heat



The symptoms appear as a sensation of severe high fever, but there is no increase in body temperature, feelings of physical fatigue and tiredness, dizziness, chest congestion, white thick tongue coating with redness. Urination is yellow and little, accompanied by poor defecation, sticky stool together with a burning sensation in the anus during defecation.

 

 

Examples of Illnesses with Dampness Heat Syndrome



Diseases and illnesses that are chronic in nature such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension often display dampness heat syndrome.



Other illnesses that also have dampness heat presentations in them are chronic atrophic gastritis, chronic superficial gastritis, chronic hepatitis B, functional dyspepsia, chronic renal failure, immunoglobulin A neuropathy.



How to Clear Dampness Heat



Diet therapy



As we can see from above, a large portion of dampness heat is derived from a poor digestive system. Therefore, it is important to heal and treat the digestive system as a priority to clear dampness heat.

1.       Eat small portions of meals to aid full digestion of the food.

2.       Avoid taking rich, heavy, oily, spicy foods.

3.       Eat cooked foods and avoid raw foods.

4.       Avoid taking sweet foods and fruits.



Acupuncture


There are acupuncture points that have the benefits of clearing dampness and heat. Examples are Tian Shu and Zu San Li.

Acupuncture itself can improve digestion and clear heat at the same time, hence removing dampness heat effectively.

Acupuncture can also remove any inflammation that is present. Read more about how TCM works scientifically here.


Herbs


Take more herbs that are pungent in flavor and able to disperse congested dampness and phlegm. Examples of such herbs are mint and basil. You can add them to foods and meals so that they can aid digestion even more.

Read more about Herbal Medicine prescription here.

Basics of TCM, TCM(Traditional Chin Med), TCM WellnessXiang Jun LimDr (TCM) Xiang Junacupuncture, healing, tcm, meditation, dampness heat, damp heat, digestion