Heavy dampness, equivalent to the “dampness syndrome” in traditional Chinese medicine, refers to the syndrome characterized by the invasion of external dampness pathogens, or the abnormal movement and transformation of water and fluids in the body, or a combination of both, resulting in the stagnation of dampness pathogens in the body, leading to heavy head and body fatigue, chest tightness, abdominal distension, limb soreness, fatigue, aversion to cold and heat, skin itching, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting, increased and cloudy secretions, loose stools, cloudy urine, etc.
In the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine, dampness is widely used to cause diseases. It is usually named based on the source, location, and combination of other pathogenic factors of dampness, such as dampness stagnation on the surface of the body, dampness stagnation on the meridians, dampness toxin immersion, cold dampness stagnation on the spleen, dampness heat accumulation in the middle, liver and gallbladder dampness heat, bladder dampness heat, intestinal dampness heat, dampness heat deposition, spleen deficiency dampness, etc. Different syndromes often have different manifestations.
Heavy dampness, equivalent to the “dampness syndrome” in traditional Chinese medicine, refers to the syndrome characterized by the invasion of external dampness pathogens, or the abnormal movement and transformation of water and fluids in the body, or a combination of both, resulting in the stagnation of dampness pathogens in the body, leading to heavy head and body fatigue, chest tightness, abdominal distension, limb soreness, fatigue, aversion to cold and heat, skin itching, decreased appetite, nausea and vomiting, increased and cloudy secretions, loose stools, cloudy urine, etc.
In the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine, dampness is widely used to cause diseases. It is usually named based on the source, location, and combination of other pathogenic factors of dampness, such as dampness stagnation on the surface of the body, dampness stagnation on the meridians, dampness toxin immersion, cold dampness stagnation on the spleen, dampness heat accumulation in the middle, liver and gallbladder dampness heat, bladder dampness heat, intestinal dampness heat, dampness heat deposition, spleen deficiency dampness, etc. Different syndromes often have different manifestations.
Clinical classification
- According to different sources of dampness, it can be divided into external dampness and internal dampness.
(1) External dampness: It is often caused by exposure to rain, water, damp living conditions, and exposure to fog and dew, which can lead to the invasion of dampness in the environment into the human body. Its location is mostly on the surface of the body, characterized by heaviness and soreness in the limbs, itching and exudation of the skin, chills and fever.
(2) Internal dampness: It is often caused by congenital deficiencies, irregular diet, fatigue and injury, which result in the inability of the body’s fluids to be properly distributed and the formation of dampness. Its location is mostly in the organs, mainly manifested as chest tightness, abdominal distension, loss of appetite, sticky mouth, nausea and vomiting, sticky stool or diarrhea.
- According to the different combinations of dampness and other pathogens, it can be divided into cold dampness, damp heat, rheumatism, heat dampness, water dampness, phlegm dampness, dampness toxin and other syndromes.
- According to the different locations of dampness, it can be divided into cold dampness stagnation in the spleen syndrome, dampness stagnation in the muscles and bones syndrome, damp heat accumulation in the spleen syndrome, liver and gallbladder damp heat syndrome, bladder damp heat syndrome, intestinal damp heat syndrome, damp heat descending syndrome, etc.
epidemiology
contagious
This disease is not contagious.
incidence rate
There is no large sample data on the incidence rate of this disease.
Easy to reach people
People who have been engaged in water work for a long time, are exposed to humid environments for a long time, frequently consume greasy and cold foods that are difficult to digest, and have weak physical conditions are prone to developing the disease.
cause of disease
executive summary
The main causes of dampness syndrome include invasion of external dampness and endogenous dampness turbidity.
underlying cause
- External dampness invasion
Due to the natural climate being rainy and humid, the working or living environment being humid, and frequent exposure to rain and water, it is possible for dampness in the environment to invade the human body. Damp pathogens often linger on the surface of the skin, limbs, meridians, and other body parts, causing local qi dysfunction and functional disorders, ultimately leading to the onset of this disease.
- Wet and turbid internal resistance
(1) Irregular diet: Due to insufficient intake or overeating of fatty and greasy foods, as well as indulging in raw and cold foods, it may affect the digestive function of the spleen and stomach, leading to the inability of the body’s body fluids to function, distribute, and metabolize normally, resulting in the syndrome of dampness, turbidity, and internal stagnation.
(2) Inappropriate fatigue: Frequent overwork or excessive comfort can affect the normal function of the spleen and kidneys, leading to abnormal circulation of body fluids and the formation of dampness and turbidity.
(3) Weakness in constitution or prolonged illness: Both may affect the functions of the lungs in regulating the flow of qi, the spleen in regulating the circulation of qi, and the kidneys in regulating water, leading to the stagnation of body fluids and their transformation into dampness and turbidity.
symptom
executive summary
Due to the pathogenic mechanism of dampness evil, which has the characteristics of blocking qi and suppressing clear yang, it can often cause symptoms such as heavy head and body stagnation, limb soreness, chest tightness, cloudy secretions, poor urination, sticky and unpleasant stool, or frequent diarrhea. In addition, diseases caused by dampness often have the characteristics of lingering and difficult to cure or recurrent attacks.
Typical Symptoms
- Head and body heavy, limbs sore
Dampness and heaviness can easily hinder the flow of clear yang energy, preventing the circulation of clear qi and nourishing the body, resulting in heavy head, fatigue, heaviness, dull complexion, or discomfort symptoms such as limb soreness and joint pain.
- Chest tightness and abdominal distension
Damp evil invades the human body and lingers in the organs and meridians, which is most likely to block the qi flow, causing abnormal rise and fall of qi flow, obstruction of meridians, and resulting in discomfort and bloating in the chest, abdomen, and epigastric region.
- Cloudy secretion
Damp and turbid, therefore pathogenic dampness often leads to various turbid symptoms, such as excessive facial dirt, yellowish vaginal discharge in women, pus discharge from ulcers, or accompanied by odor.
- Abnormal bowel movements
Dampness and evil are heavy and can easily block qi, which often causes symptoms such as difficulty urinating, edema, ascites, frequent diarrhea, clear and watery stool, and sticky and unpleasant stool.
- The tongue is plump and covered with greasy fur, and the veins are moist and smooth
The tongue image of patients with dampness syndrome is often characterized by enlarged tongue body, greasy coating, or changes such as tooth marks and slippery tongue; The pulse is mostly smooth pulse, or deep pulse, fine pulse, slow pulse, etc.
Accompanied Symptoms
- External symptoms: If external dampness obstructs the muscle surface qi, it can cause symptoms such as chills, fever, and sticky sweat.
- Gastrointestinal abnormalities: Damp pathogens are most likely to block the spleen and stomach qi, causing symptoms such as loss of appetite, sticky or bitter taste in the mouth, nausea and vomiting.
- Abnormal bile excretion: If dampness obstructs the liver and gallbladder qi system, it may cause bile leakage, leading to symptoms such as yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, and yellowing of urine.
- Skin abnormalities: If dampness invades the skin or dampness invades, it can cause symptoms such as itching, redness, swelling, and exudation.
complication
Damp pathogenic factors can often cause complex symptoms in conjunction with various pathogenic factors such as wind pathogenic factors, cold pathogenic factors, heat pathogenic factors, and blood stasis pathogenic factors.