TCM Basic Substances: Body Fluids (Jin Ye)

This is the fifth and last post on the series on basic body substances in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The basic substances are Qi, Blood (Xue), Essence (Jing), Spirit (Shen), and Body Fluids (Jin Ye). I will be sharing some ideas about the Body fluids or Jin Ye, what they are, their functions, symptoms of imbalance and tips on how to maintain their health.

 

The TCM basic substances are those which are essential for health and for life itself as life cannot be sustained if one of them is missing. These substances are not only the building blocks of the physical body but also encompass the human dimensions of the mind, emotions and spirit.

Body fluids are more than just water

Body fluids are pure Yin energy: They are the juice that enables every bodily process to occur and every organ to function. These fluids can be thin and light or thick and nourishing and their composition is much more than just water: Depending on the specific functions of the fluid and its location in the body, it may contain different minerals and nutrients. Body fluids moisten and lubricate every tissue, and provide nourishment to all our cells as well as facilitating the flow of substances throughout the body.

Every single organ, sense organ and tissue of the body needs Body fluids to be able to perform their functions. Without fluids, everything becomes dry and brittle and the body crumbles. Besides this, Jing Ye conform everything in the body that has liquid form such as gastric juices, tears, saliva, semen, vaginal fluids, synovial fluid, cerebrospinal fluid and of course the Blood. Just think of any part of the body, it will inevitably need some form of fluid to be healthy or do its job. In addition, Body fluids enable the excretion of waste and toxic products out of the body.

 

FUNCTIONS OF JIN YE

Body fluids are generally separated into Jin – the thinner fluids, and Ye – the thicker and richer fluids. These are two expressions of Yin energy, the difference between them being that Ye fluids are comparatively more Yin and Jin fluids comparatively more Yang. This means that Ye fluids are thicker and more nourishing, work at deeper levels of the body, and if they are insufficient our health will be affected more severely.

The main functions of Body fluids are:

• To moisten and lubricate- These two functions are slightly different from each other. On the one hand, providing moisture prevents dryness and brittleness, on the other hand lubrication is like a coating that prevents friction, provides protection, and facilitates the smooth passage of substances and food. Thus, the skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments and sensory orifices are mostly moistened while the internal organs, hollow tracts, joints, the spine and brain are mostly lubricated. Moistening is mostly done by Jin – the lighter more Yang fluids, while lubricating is done by Ye- the richer more Yin fluids.
• To nourish- Body fluids provide the deep nourishment that organ tissues need to be healthy and perform their functions. This includes the brain and the sense organs. Severe deficiency of Body fluids can result in poor organ function, cognitive impairment, and decline in our ability to see, hear, smell. This doesn’t mean all of these things will happen at once. The affected areas will depend on different factors such as our constitutional make up, our lifestyle, environment, and the level of the deficiency of Body fluids.
• To transport- Body fluids provide the transporting platform for many substances from nutrients, neurochemicals and hormones to waste products.
• To conform the Blood- Body fluids conform the liquid part of the Blood, which could be likened to Plasma.

 

BODY FLUID PRODUCTION

Body fluids depend on a healthy diet

Body fluids originate in the digestive system. A healthy digestive system will break down everything that we eat and drink and convert it into Qi, Blood, and more Body Fluids. Body Fluids are the substances least spoken about but they are actually the most essential. The reason for this is that without plentiful Body fluids the digestive system cannot perform its functions of transforming food and drink into Qi, Blood and Body fluids and transporting these substances throughout the body. Qi and Blood are the resources that we use up every single day when we perform our daily activities. These substances depend to a large extent on a healthy digestive system which in turn depends on plentiful Body fluids – which are also produced by the digestive system.

While the digestive system can continue working relatively well when we are Blood deficient, and can still somewhat function when we are Qi deficient, without enough Body fluids its ability to process food and drink will be impaired. As a result, there will be a decline in Qi, Blood and Body fluid production. This vicious cycle can rapidly spiral down and create systemic dysfunction. 

In relation to Qi and Blood, Body fluids are the most Yin substance. For this reason, Qi deficiency is much easier to treat than Body Fluid deficiency, and the latter implies a more severe level of depletion.

 

BODY FLUID DISHARMONIES

Not having enough body fluids results in dryness and poor organ function anywhere in the body. Just think of what happens when things dry out: eyes become sore and unable to be used without their natural moisture, a dry mouth is unable to facilitate the passage of food down the upper digestive tract, a dry throat is unable to swallow and doesn’t allow us to speak fluidly, a dry stomach can become painful and acidic, dry intestines cannot move the stools, dry joints become painful and stiff.

Everything starts in the Stomach and Spleen. When the Body fluids of the Stomach reach a level of deficiency, the impact of this deficiency can be transferred to different parts of the digestive system- the mouth, oesophagus, intestines. If the deficiency is not corrected and becomes more severe, it can start to impact other internal organs to eventually reach the Kidneys, the Heart and the Brain. The increasing lack of Qi, Blood and Body fluids resulting from a deficient Stomach will eventually manifest at a systemic level with symptoms such as low immunity, low energy, hormonal imbalances, poor organ function or organ failure, and neurological symptoms. Having worked for decades with people with immune and neurological conditions, I have very often seen how the severe systemic issues were rooted in a severe Body fluid deficiency of the digestive system.

As Body fluids conform the liquid part of the Blood, the two substances have a strong influence on each other. Generally speaking, the Blood has to do with nourishing the substance of the body such as the muscles, the heart muscle, the brain mass itself, etc; while Body fluids have more influence on the actual function of the organs and systems. However, because of the close relationship between the two substances, a severely deficient Blood will quickly create Body fluid deficiency and vice-versa.

The table below, shows symptoms that may appear in different parts of the body as a result of Body fluid deficiency based on how Body fluids are regarded in Jing Fang Classical Chinese Medicine. The treatment for all of these will invariably involve a nourishing diet consisting of easy to digest foods (such as soups and stews), plenty of rest and sleep and an adjustment of the level of daily activity to the level of available energy. Beside this, specific herbs to nourish the Stomach and the specific area of the body that is affected can be used:

 

ORGAN	BODY FLUID DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS
BRAIN	Low cognitive function: Difficulty learning, inability to focus or concentrate. Bleak mood, no motivation. Feeling as if the brain is empty Note: The Blood nourishes the brain mass and has an effect on memory and sleep
SENSORY ORIFICES	Dryness/malfunction: Severe dryness of the eyes, mouth, ears, nose. Loss of smell, taste, hearing, eyesight Note: The Blood nourishes the eyes but not so much the other orifices
LUNG	Dryness and low function: Severe dryness, inability to breathe, shortness of breath, weak voice, dry tight chest, organ failure
HEART	Low function: Irregular heartbeat, weakness, organ failure Note: Blood disharmony will affect the strength of the heartbeat and can cause pain
STOMACH	Low function: Low or no appetite, inability to digest with pain/bloating after eating, poor absorption, organ collapse Dryness: low gastric juice production, tightness in epigastrium, acid reflux/nausea/pain on an empty stomach
INTESTINES	Low function: Forceless stools, multiple stools per day, severe constipation, diarrhoea with indigested food, watery stools, waking at night to pass stools, organ failure  Note: The Blood has some effect on moistening the stools
KIDNEY BLADDER	Low function: Easily getting UTIs from not drinking enough, not able to pass urine due to weakness, need to press abdomen to empty bladder, nocturia several times per night, organ failure
GENITALS	Milder effect on quantity of Blood and Sperm quality.  Blood disharmonies have a strong effect on menstruation, reproduction, and sperm quality and quantity
EXTERIOR	JOINTS: pain worse for movement, dry joints, loss of cartilage LIGAMENTS: shrinking, tightness, hyperextension, weak and easily injured/inflamed  Note: The Blood impacts the muscle mass, muscle strength, and bone density

Excess of Body fluids is often mentioned as a type of disharmony. However, given that the fluids that we refer to as basic substance are only the pure, refined, nutritious type of fluids, I would argue that what is normally seen as excess Body fluids is nothing but Damp. Dampness refers to an accumulation of turbid fluids of varied consistency which are a result of either poor metabolism – i.e. an inability of the digestive system to transform food and drink into usable substances which results in an accumulation of unprocessed matter- or poor diet- the consumption of foods that are considered damp forming such as processed foods, excessive dairy, gluten, refined sugar, etc. Damp is therefore what may result from a digestive system that is deficient in Qi and/or Body fluids. Having an abundance of the healthy Body fluids in our body would translate as more health and vitality rather than constitute a disharmony causing ill health.

 

HOW BODY FLUIDS BECOME DEFICIENT

Body fluids can become deficient when the body doesn't produce enough, we use up more than we have, or when there is excessive leakage. The main sources of deficiency are:

• Not enough Body fluids being created by the digestive system: This can happen for various reasons including:

-        Not consuming enough food and drink for our needs – this can happen because there isn’t enough food available, there is an eating disorder, or our level of activity is very high and our consumption of food and drink is not high enough to cover our needs.

-        Consuming food and drink that are not nutritious, have a high level of toxicity, or are difficult to digest: this includes poor quality food, processed foods, food that is too rich, high in sugar, high on harmful chemicals, excessive dairy and wheat, excessive alcohol consumption.

-        Constitutional weakness in the digestive system. Qi or Yang deficiency of the Spleen/Stomach

• Excessive physical activity:  This means doing more physical activity than our body’s resources can afford to do- i.e. an optimum amount of rest and nutrition cannot restore the internal resources needed for long-term health. An example of this is the activity performed by professional athletes: Studies such as this one from Poland and this one from Harvard University, have shown that their increased expenditure of energy leads to accelerating aging which is a manifestation of Body fluid deficiency.
•  

  

  Over sweating depletes the Body fluids

  Leakage of fluids: When the normal and necessary excretion and secretion of fluids become uncontrolled and large amounts of fluids continuously leave the body, the internal production cannot keep up and the result will be a depletion of internal Body fluids. There are “five leakages” that affect the Body fluids. To these we can add excessive bleeding as this can cause severe Blood depletion which will in turn deplete the Body fluids. The five leakages are:

           Excessive sweating: When we frequently sweat profusely

           Excessive crying: Crying often and profusely

           Excessive urination: Copious urination over 8 x day and 2 x night

           Excessive drooling: Constant drooling, excess salivation

           Excessive runny nose: Constantly losing water through the nose

When there is excessive leakage of any fluids, the treatment priority becomes to stop the leakage. This can be done by the intake of specific herbs as well as acupuncture and moxibustion on specific points depending on the particular leakage. Once the leakage is under control, treatment will focus on restoring the lost Body fluids and addressing the internal imbalances that led to the leakage in the first place.

 

HOW TO PREVENT BODY FLUID DEFICIENCY

 In order to have plentiful Body fluids we need to:

•  Look after our Body fluid production, which means taking care of our digestive system, keeping it strong through the regular intake of appropriate food and drink and as free from toxic burdens as we possibly can. More information on how to do this can be found in my previous post about diet and nutrition according to TCM and the post about the main organ of digestion in TCM.
• Make sure we don’t over spend our Body fluid resources by resting and sleeping enough in relation to our energy expenditure. Generally speaking, we will know that we need more rest when we feel exhausted or weak as a result of our normal activities.
• Take time to recover after illness before increasing physical activity. This has become more obvious since the Covid 19 pandemic as many people have become chronically ill after returning to normal activities and exercise too soon following an infection with this virus. We need to be vigilant of our strength and energy levels before returning to normality.

 Once the Body fluid deficiency becomes severe, changes in the diet and lifestyle will not be enough to restore health. Although changes will be necessary to avoid worsening the situation, only treatment that strengthens organ function and nourishes the Body fluids will be able to reverse the situation. Moxibustion and Chinese herbal medicine are often important parts of this process.

Our Body fluids are the most essential substances for our vitality, health and longevity. In addition, they are the juice behind our creativity, our ability to be in the world with full perception and our capacity to learn and be productive. Looking after them is the best way to ensure we can enjoy life and good health into the last stage of our lives.

TCM Causes of Disease: Damp

In Chinese Medicine theory, it is understood that each part of a whole plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the whole. What constitutes the “whole” depends on the context, it could be the planet, a specific ecosystem, or an individual living organism. When we take the human body as the “whole”, this concept means that all of the organs, tissues, fluids and systems in our body work in conjunction with each other in order to maintain the balance and health of the whole body. At the same time, anything that happens to one part of the body, can eventually affect other parts, and even the whole system.

This also works at a bigger scale. As we are ourselves part of larger system which is nature, we are under the influence of the environment we live in and our bodies are in constant interplay with its changing qualities, while at the same time our environment is affected by how we interact with it. Simply put, the elements, seasons, and climate as well as the pollution and toxicity in our environment influence the workings of our bodily systems.

In Chinese medicine, we identify specific pathogenic factors that result from our interaction with our environment. These are referred to as 6 External causes of disease which consist of natural climatic and environmental factors that can become pathogenic and cause disease when they “invade” the body. I gave a brief account of each of these pathogenic factors in a previous post which you can read here. 

In this post, I am going to focus on the Damp pathogen, which I have found to be one of the the main factors contributing to symptoms during my 20 years of practice in the UK.

 

DAMP

Mould growth is a result of Damp

According to the publication  Indoor Environmental Quality and Health Risk toward Healthier Environment for All, indoor dampness is related to the growth of mould and bacteria and chemical degradation of building materials, and it is a risk factor for respiratory symptoms and infections, asthma, rhinitis, lower lung function, dermatitis, a host of non-respiratory symptoms, sensory effects, irritation of the mucous membranes and inflammation. 

I have seen all of the issues mentioned above, and more, in my clinic as a result of Damp pathogens. To understand how Damp affects our bodies, let’s start by defining the characteristics of Damp as we observe it in nature:

• It tends to penetrate matter and eventually cause its decay
• It produces heaviness, swelling, and puffiness- like the doors that we can’t get to close, the walls with blistering plaster, the soggy ground when it's very humid
• It is pervasive and easily becomes stagnant and mouldy- where there is damp, there is that smell that seems to never go away no matter how much ventilation we give to a place. Oh, and those mouldy patches in our Victorian houses which always seem to come back no matter how much we clean them
• It tends to sink- unless everything is so soaked that it has nowhere else to go or something is blocking its way causing it to move upwards instead, dampness tends to go downwards because of its heaviness.

 

 On the whole, pathogenic Damp shares the exact same characteristics of environmental dampness as outlined above:

• It can penetrate matter: Damp can be found practically everywhere in the body: the skin, the muscles, the joints, the organs, the mucus-lined tracts throughout the body, the sensory organs. It can cause decay: In long term Damp-related skin conditions, we can easily see how the stagnant fluids stop blood circulation to the external layers causing them to become scaly and eroded.
• It produces heaviness, swelling, and puffiness- heavy feelings, bloating, puffiness, and swelling are common signs of Dampness 
• Long term Damp is difficult to get rid of: though not impossible, it can take root in places we can’t imagine, and when it has been present for a long time, it can become stuck, thick and pervasive
• Damp tends to sink- the most common symptoms of Damp manifest in the lower part of the body- bowels, urinary tract, and lower limbs. However, just like in nature, it can rise to the chest and head when there is an excess of it in the lower and the is no room for more Damp, or if there is a blockage that doesn’t allow it to sink, causing it to move upwards. We can see this in people who develop symptoms of Damp in the upper body (cough with phlegm, mucus in the nose, blocked ears) as a result of constipation or after eating excessively and clogging up their digestive systems.

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL DAMP

According to Chinese Medicine, there are two types of pathogenic Damp: External and Internal. This post was meant to discuss External Damp but it’s impossible to talk about it without discussing Internal Dampness as well.

Damp can appear in the body as a result of a relentless exposure to External Damp as well as Internal production of it coming from either the excessive consumption of damp- or mucus-producing foods and/or a propensity for the body to accumulate it due to an impairment in the digestive process. Once in the body, Damp can obstruct the flow of substances including the blood, disrupt organ function, produce inflammation, and - if left over a long period of time- become thicker and even solidify into soft lumps and nodules.

 External Damp

The UK is an area of high humidity which makes us prone to developing symptoms which in TCM are classified as Damp-related. We are painfully familiar with damp walls and ceilings, the smell of damp clothes which never seem to dry properly, and mouldy basements and cellars. Damp environments easily breed fungus and this is why we often see mould and mildew growing over all sorts of materials and plants that have not had the opportunity to dry out for a long time.

Frequent rain is a form of External Damp

When External Damp invades the body, it will affect at least one of the superficial layers of the body: skin, muscles, joints, ligaments or tendons. Damp will cause puffiness, inflammation, heavy feelings, skin conditions with fluid-filled eruptions, stiffness in the joints, achy feelings. It may be that our symptoms are better when we are outside moving around, and worse when we have been static for a long time. The joint stiffness, headache, and foggy head we can experience when we wake up, and which clear up as we move around, are often due to pathogenic Damp. Damp-related symptoms can be exacerbated by rainy days and damp environments, by certain foods, and may become chronic and difficult to shift.

Just to make it more confusing, Internal Damp can affect the superficial layers of the body if it has nowhere else to go, and cause the same symptoms as External Damp. This is often the case in children with eczema who are intolerant to dairy. Their inability to digest dairy can cause an accumulation in their digestive systems that the body eventually starts to send upwards and/or outwards resulting in chest or ear infections and skin conditions. For this reason, it is common for these children to experience childhood asthma and eczema at the same time. This kind of pattern can also be seen in adults and it is common to see people in clinic whose conditions involve both Internal and External Damp creating and exacerbating each other.

Internal Damp

Internally, Damp manifests as an accumulation of fluids of varied thickness and viscosity such as water retention, excess mucus, and phlegm. This can occur in any area of the body: in the digestive or respiratory tracts, the urinary tract, the reproductive system, the head and sense organs, etc. The famous candida overgrowth and all the different types of bacterial overgrowth causing digestive, Small and Large intestinal issues, and urinary issues are all manifestations of Damp in the interior.

The main underlying cause of internal Damp lies in the digestive system. There are two main ways in which this happens:

1. Depletion of the digestive organs, the Spleen and Stomach, resulting in an inability to process correctly all the food and fluid that we ingest. There may be sluggishness in the digestion which creates a back-log of undigested food and/or undischarged waste products. These accumulations can clog up the system, further impairing the digestive function, resulting in further accumulation and in an unhealthy cycle of worsening digestive power and increased accumulation.

The excess accumulation is initially stored inside the digestive tract but, as it increases, it can seep through other areas to affect the urinary and reproductive systems and also start to creep up to the chest and head, and even outwards to affect the joints and skin, thus producing systemic symptoms. As an example of this: I have treated several people who, despite having no appetite and eating very little, continuously put on weight and felt heavy and sluggish with headaches, foggy head, achy muscles and joints. This is what we would call Damp accumulation which is rooted in depletion. As the body becomes more depleted, more Damp accumulates until eventually it affects different parts of the body. The treatment involves warming and strengthening the body and encouraging the body to expel excess Damp using acupuncture and herbs, supported by a diet consisting of nutritious foods that are easily digested.

When our system is healthy, the excess Damp is expelled through the urine and stools. Thus, how we are excreting may show us the presence or absence of Internal Damp.

Damp forming foods can affect our health

2. The second main cause if Internal Damp is an excessive intake of Damp-forming (the same as mucus-forming) foods. It may be that our Spleen and Stomach are strong, but our diet consists of foods that are difficult to process. Our digestive organs may be overwhelmed by this after a while, resulting in an accumulation of Damp. This eventually can cause difficulty to the digestive organs as they cannot process or excrete efficiently, making them lose energy and become depleted. This means that long-term, this type of pattern ends up becoming the first type involving depletion of the digestive organs.

 The diet now prevalent in our society consists mostly of Damp producing foods:

Dairy products (milk and all its derivatives), wheat products, refined sugar, processed foods, chemical additives, alcohol. Think of the common UK diet of cereals (usually processed and full of refined sugar) with milk for breakfast, a sandwich and piece of cake for lunch, and pasta, pizza or something microwaved for dinner. To this we add snacks of milk chocolate bars, cereal bars, or biscuits, the fizzy drinks charged with additives and sugar, the teas and coffees with milk and sugar and the alcohol to relax in the evenings. With a diet like this, the constant consumption of mucus producing foods will eventually clog us up and prevent the digestive system from processing anything at all. We may think this is not doing us any harm but it’s just a question of time before we start to develop at least some of the symptoms outlined below.

 

SYMPTOMS OF DAMPNESS

The heavy, clogging, puffing, nature of Damp accounts for a variety of common symptoms that range from allergic reactions and inflammation to digestive difficulties, menstrual issues, and chronic headaches.

Below, there is a list of some of the possible symptoms that can be caused by Damp. Some of these symptoms may also be caused by other pathogenic factors or disfunction of the organs so this is not meant to be a diagnostic aid but just an informative list:

General:  Heaviness, fatigue, pain that is improved with movement and worsened by being still and by humid weather, numbness, water retention, oedema, stiff puffy joints, rashes particularly those with fluid-filled eruptions.

Digestive: Bloating, sluggish digestion, abdominal discomfort and fullness, nausea, loose stools, rumbling stomach, acid, mucus in stool, excess saliva, poor appetite.

Urinary: Frequent, difficult, urgent, painful, interrupted urination, night time urination.

Respiratory: Chest oppression, wheezing, cough, panting, rattling sounds, phlegm in the chest or throat.

Head: Nasal discharge, eye discharge, post nasal drip, blocked ears, sinus issues, headaches- particularly frontal ones

Mental/Emotional: Brain fog, depression, low motivation, feeling disconnected, excessive worry, anxiety, confusion, lack of concentration.

Skin: Rashes, itching, scaling, fluid-filled eruptions, some types of hair loss.

Damp-related symptoms often get worse when it’s rainy or humid outside or after we have consumed too much bread, dairy, sugar, alcohol.

Damp Heat

Just as it happens in nature, where stagnant water eventually starts to putrefy and becomes thick, slimy and smelly, long-standing Damp accumulation in the body can eventually heat up and turn thicker, turbid, and even putrid. This is called Damp Heat and it can present with the same symptoms as Damp but they will be more severe with the addition of thick, yellow, smelly discharges that become infectious, with pus, inflammation, hot sensations (including fever), and pain. Damp Heat is a development from Damp towards more severe conditions which are more difficult to treat.

In addition to the foods that create Damp and mucus, which will also contribute to Damp Heat if it is present, someone presenting this pathogen will need to avoid or reduce heating practices and foods including spicy food, alcohol, smoking, and sweating excessively.

 

 PREVENTING THE EFFECTS OF DAMPNESS IN THE BODY

In the UK, it is difficult not to be exposed to environmental Dampness. In addition, the fact that there is so much Exterior Dampness can eventually make us prone to develop Internal Dampness. I have seen this when treating people who were originally from drier climates like Spain, Greece, and Somalia. In these countries, the traditional diet contains a lot of Damp-forming foods such as wheat, dairy products, and large amounts of oil. In their original setting, these ingredients caused no issues as they help the body retain moisture, thus counteracting the effects of excessive dryness on the body. In Bristol, however, eating this diet resulted in weight gain, digestive issues, chest issues, and allergies. The type of weight gain I have seen mostly affects the middle and lower parts of the body with evident water retention and often a kind of wobbliness that resembles a water-filled balloon. This is the accumulation of Dampness that is sinking from the middle (the digestive system) into the lower abdomen, hips, legs, and feet.

I myself started to develop mild respiratory allergies to different agents, skin rashes, and wheezing after living in my house in Bristol for 3 years. I wasn’t sure why this was happening since I am always careful with my diet and lifestyle. Eventually, I discovered that mould was growing behind my bedroom furniture and that the V-shaped roof of my house was creating an accumulation of damp in the ceiling. I had to get rid of some of my furniture and constantly clean my walls and ceiling as well as getting a dehumidifier. Short of moving house, some heavy building work finally saved the day and after getting rid of all the materials that where completely water-logged and half rotten, I got to breathe freely again. I also developed a pattern where I would get clogging in my nose and ears just a few hours after eating bread. This was showing me that my digestive system had become very sensitive to Dampness as a result of overexposure to External Dampness, Herbs, acupuncture and reducing to a minimum the consumption of Damp-forming foods helped me restore my balance.

The experience I had in my house made me highly aware of the impact of External Dampness on our health. I recommend to everyone displaying severe Damp symptoms with no known cause, to do the following:

• Check of mould and damp walls in your home
• Any sign of Damp? – get a dehumidifier and then get a builder to check if anything needs to be done to fix it
• Ventilate your home as much as possible
• If there is Damp already, don’t dry your clothes on radiators and, if possible, not in the house. I use a dehumidifier to dry my clothes, although I get told off for over using it!

 

Diet and Lifestyle

Because Dampness is so sticky and it can hide inside the body for a long time sneakily clogging up the system and impairing our organ function, it can be difficult to get rid of it. By the time symptoms show and we seek treatment, we may need long term assistance to expel the accumulated Damp and help the organs recover their normal function. Cutting down or even out completely all Damp-producing foods from the diet is the simplest way to support a system that is getting congested with Dampness. 

The main Damp and mucus producing foods that a person displaying symptoms of Dampness needs to avoid are: 

All wheat products, cow’s milk and all its derivatives, refined sugar and all processed sugars and sweeteners, all processed foods, all refined fats, alcohol, and chemical additives.

 In addition, excessive amounts of raw and cold foods, and drinking fluids straight out of the fridge are considered practices that can conduce to Damp formation in the body. You can find out more on healthy eating according to Chinese Medicine here.

Regular stretching of the whole body can be helpful to improve flexibility and encourage the movement of stuck Dampness away from joints and muscles and to promote digestive function. Moderate exercise is often recommended, taking into account that the right type and right amount of exercise will depend on each person's condition. A way to know if the exercise we are doing suits us is to observe how we feel a a few hours later and the day after exercising. If we feel exhausted or our symptoms increase, this is a sign that we are doing too much or the wrong type of exercise. You can find more on health cultivation and the essentials of health here.

 Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are very effective at treating Dampness and its symptoms. With acupuncture, we can treat the most External manifestations of Dampness such as swelling, stiffness and pain. Internal Dampness that is not too severe, manifesting as respiratory, digestive and urinary issues can also be effectively treated with acupuncture and moxibustion. More severe, chronic, and stubborn Damp symptoms can be addressed with Chinese herbal medicine, often combined with acupuncture and moxibustion. Treatment can help the organs expel the excess Damp and also strengthen body as a whole to prevent excessive Damp from accumulating so easily in the future. 

Phlegm is a more congealed type of Dampness, it is originated in the same way and it is considered to be the cause of many illnesses in Chinese Medicine. Preventing Damp and Phlegm formation in the body can be regarded as essential to prevent chronic illness and improve our chances of a healthy mind and body in our mature years. 

 

 

 

TCM causes of disease

According to the philosophy behind Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), everything is interconnected and, as a result, one part of the whole can not only influence the whole, but the whole is also reflected in each one of its parts. This law applies to everything that exists. The definition of what constitutes the "whole" varies depending on the context. We could at various times consider the Universe, the solar system, our planet, our specific ecosystem, a species, or a single living being as whole entities. Thus, each of us may be thought of as a "whole" made up of every single part of the body, as well as the mind, emotions, and spirit. In terms of our health, this means that anything that produces changes in any part of us - i.e anything that happens in either our external or internal environments-  can have a definite effect on the whole of our beings and either support our health or cause illness. As a result of this way of thinking, TCM views on how our body works and what may cause disease are radically different to what we are used to and people are often surprised when they come for Chinese medicine treatment for a seemingly simple symptom and end up being questioned about unrelated parts of the body, as well as their relationships, sleep patterns, lifestyle, etc.

Our society is now riddled with highly complex chronic conditions such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, neurological, mental, and emotional conditions, just to name a common few. Conditions such as these, are not the result of a single agent but are caused by a variety of factors that include our lifestyle, diet, and genetic make up. Nevertheless, we are still stuck trying to find a single cause and a single solution to everything, including disease. Chinese medicine has a unique understanding of the  interconnection between all the systems of the body, between the body, mind and emotions, and of the relationship between us and our environment which enables practitioners to see more clearly how a chronic disease was developed in a particular individual. Thus, the climate we live in, our emotions, our relationships, specific aspects of our lifestyle and diet, and our exposure to pollutants may become important parts of the puzzle of chronic illness.


TCM causes of disease
Traditional Chinese Medicine classifies the causes of disease in this way:
External Causes, which refer to a variety of climatic and environmental factors
Internal Causes, which are specific emotional and mental factors
Miscellaneous Causes, which mostly refer to lifestyle  and infectious and polluting agents


External causes of disease

In this category, we find six climatic and environmental factors that can turn into pathogenic influences as they "invade" the body.  Each of these factors is predominant

Climatic and environmental factors can cause disease

during a specific season although they may also be present at other times of the year depending on the latitude and altitude we live in or because of unusual climatic changes. They can also be created artificially in our heated and air conditioned homes. The six external pathogens or "evils" are listed below:

• Wind: Predominant in spring, and also produced by fans, airconditioning and drafts, Wind tends to cause a sudden onset of symptoms and affect the upper parts of the body. Wind often combines with other pathogens such as Heat, Cold and Damp, helping them penetrate the body. Sneezing, itching, headaches, twitching, and symptoms that rapidly change location can all be caused by Wind invasion.
• Cold: Predominant in winter, and also easily contracted diving into cold water, Cold makes the body chilly and produce excessive watery discharges. Symptoms that can result include watery eyes, a runny nose, and frequent copious urination. As cold contracts matter, this pathogen can also cause pain and stiffness in different locations of the body.
• Damp: Predominant in late summer - a humid season in some parts of China -, Dampness tends to affect the lower parts of the body more than the upper parts and, amongst other things, can cause a sensation of heaviness, aching joints, swellings, thick and sticky discharges, and sluggishness in the digestive system. In the SW of the UK where I live and work, this pathogen is prevalent throughout the year.
• Heat: Predominant in summer, Heat can cause symptoms such as sensations of heat , fever, dryness in different parts of the body, thirst. inflammation, constipation, sweating, and dry skin.
• Summerheat:  This pathogenic factor is like Heat but much stronger in its effect, and can also occur in summer. Summerheat can also easily combine with Damp pathogens causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, heaviness and sticky discharges as well as severe fever, sweating, and thirst.
• Dryness: Predominant in the autumn - although not where I live!-, Dryness can affect bodily fluids resulting in symptoms such as dry eyes, dry nose, dry mouth, dry cough, dry stools, and thirst. This pathogen can easily be caused by different types of heaters and air conditioning systems.

External pathogenic factors invade the body either singly or in combination. They start on the superficial layers of the body where, depending on the strength of the pathogen and of our defensive energy, they may be expelled back out or move inwards causing further symptoms and damage. Symptoms like chills and fever, skin rashes, body aches, sudden swelling of the joints, and headaches can be caused by external invasions.



Internal causes of disease
 In Chinese medicine, it is understood that the body, mind, emotions, and spirit are but different manifestations of Qi. Rather than being separate from each other, these different aspects of ourselves constitute a fluid continuum of energy that goes from the density of the physical body to the lightest, more ethereal Spirit. TCM explains that when Qi, or any of its manifestations, does not flow smoothly or its flow is impaired, this can result in the development of symptoms. It is in this way that an imbalance in our emotions can transfer into a denser form of our Qi and cause physical symptoms. The internal causes of disease consist of seven specific emotions that can turn into pathogenic factors because of our failure to healthily express or otherwise deal with them,  or because of the emotions being so sudden and excessive that we cannot protect ourselves from their effect.

Emotional imbalances are Internal causes of disease

- Suppressed emotions -  for example, unexpressed anger, frustration, or grief - can cause Qi to stagnate. This can in turn cause a myriad of symptoms which may include pain in any part of the body.
- Chronic emotional states - such as constant worry, stress, anxiety, and sadness that are not addressed or resolved- not only disturb our mind and general wellbeing but can also consume our energy which may result in a gradual decline in the functioning of the whole body.
- Sudden, strong emotions - such as fright, trauma, and euphoric or elated states like those artificially caused by chemical substances - can scatter Qi and may interrupt and disrupt its flow to such an extent that it may be hard for it to be restored again. This can result in ongoing mental, emotional and physical disturbances.

The close relationship between each of the seven emotions and a specific organ of the body means that when a particular emotion is out of balance its related organ will be affected first. As all TCM relationships are reciprocal, this also means that when an organ is out of balance its corresponding emotion will be exacerbated. In addition to this, all types of emotional imbalances affect the Heart which, in TCM theory, is the seat of consciousness and of the spirit, and whose energy is involved in any type of emotion we experience.

These are the seven emotions and their corresponding organs:

• Anger and related emotions such as rage, annoyance, frustration, jealousy, etc; affect the Liver and its functions causing Qi to ascend and go the "wrong way". This can result in a variety of symptoms ranging from headaches and digestive difficulties, to pain and disturbances in the menstrual cycle

• Joy, as well as elation, euphoria, overexcitement, etc; affect the Heart and may cause the Qi to slow down and scatter around as well as produce excessive heat that can result in sleep disturbances, nightmares, agigation, and an inability to concentrate or relax.

• Sadness - which includes gloom, despair, etc- affects the energy of the Lungs and tends to deplete the Qi resulting in lack of energy, weakness and weak immunity

• Grief affects the  Lungs and Heart and has a similar effect on the energy as Sadness, weakening the Qi.

• Pensiveness, which manifests as overthinking, circular thinking, and worry, affects the Spleen, causing Qi to get knotted and stuck,often resulting in digestive difficulties

• Fear affects the Kidneys and causes the Qi to descend. This is the reason why in times of extreme fear there may be incontinence of urination or defecation.

• Fright (shock) also affects the Kidneys, causing Qi to become chaotic. It then may take a long time for Qi to recover its normal course as it happens in some cases of PTSD

Miscelaneous causes of disease
Our constitutional weaknesses, what we eat and how we eat it, the amount and type of exercise that we do, and our exposure to chemicals, pollutants, and to parasitic or infectious agents, can all be factors involved in the development of disease and are classified in TCM as miscelaneous causes of disease.

Having healthy parents greatly contributes to our health

Our constitutional strength is a direct result of the health of our parents at the time they conceived us, and the health of our mothers during pregnancy. When we are born, this constitutional strength is further shaped by the appropriateness of the nourishment we are given as well as the environment we live in. Just as we may end up with a weak or strong immune systems, we may be more or less able to cope with certain activities, foods, or environmental factors. It is common in the West to be oblivious of this. We instead tend to believe in the "once-size-fits-all" approach to lifestyle, exercise, and diet and often unwittingly cause harm to our bodies by doing and eating things that are detrimental to our individual health. Becoming aware of our own constitutional strengths and weaknesses and honouring them by adopting a lifestyle that promotes our wellness is one of the keys to good health and it is something that Chinese medicine is particularly good at because of its deep understanding of how the body works and how it relates to the outside environment. I consider this the most important part of my work as a TCM practitioner as I believe it is not enough to alleviate symptoms but it is also necessary to find ways to prevent their recurrence so that each person has control of their own health.


Although in TCM identifying infectious agents is not important per se, treating infections and intoxication from different types of chemical pollutants is possible through identifying the manifestation of their toxicity in a particular individual and treating them accordingly. Preventing the development of diseases caused by toxicity from infections and chemicals is essential in our modern world where we are subjected to increased pollution and to a chemical overload in our food and many household products, and where our immune systems have been bombarded with antibiotics while we are exposed to increasingly strong infectious agents. Fortunately, it is possible to reduce our exposure to toxins by choosing more natural products and we can also strengthen our immune system through our diet and lifestyle. TCM treatment for this kind of condition consists of aiding the detoxification of the body while strengthening the body's resistance to disease. This is done with a combined strategy that would include diet and lifestyle changes as well as herbal remedies and acupucture.


In contrast with the simplistic view of disease we have in the West, where we think that a complex chronic disease can result from a single cause (sugar- diabetes, cholesterol- heart disease/stroke, chemical imbalance in the brain - depression, and so on); in TCM, disease - particulary when chronic - results from a distorsion or diruption of the equally complex relationships between internal and external factors. As a result, prevention and treatment of disease are processes that involve identifying and addressing the pathogenic factors that have caused the symptoms so that there is relief, as well as harmonising the relationships both between the internal organs and between the individual and the environment so that the symptoms are corrected in the long term.

Autumn lifestyle

Autumn - the beginning of the Yin part of the year

The yearly cycle, like everything else that exists, is an expression of Yin and Yang energies. With the summer over, the cusp of Yang energy is now gone and we enter a calmer, quieter, and more introspective season which is the beginning of the Yin part of the year. Many of us may already be feeling a need for extra rest, and may have even fallen with a change-of-season cold.  These are natural responses to the many changes happening in our environment which are an expression of the sudden inward movement of autumnal energy following the climax of expansion reached during the summer months. 

In the West, we tend to regard the seasons as mere climatic phenomena which can affect the landscape but do not affect us. This is a common misconception rooted in the removal from nature that so many of us experience today: we feel hot in winter and frozen in summer in our air-conditioned spaces, live under artificial lights unaware of day or night, and throughout the year buy all kinds of fruit and vegetables coming from all over the world in the local supermarkets. 

Something that the healthiest people on the planet have in common is not that they purposefully do things because they are considered healthy or eat specific foods because of the omega oil or antioxidant contents, it is that they eat what their particular land produces at each time of the year and observe traditional ways of living and preparing the foods that go in accordance with their environment and needs. In contrast with this, health-minded people in the West tend to go for the consumption of out of season “super foods” and relentless healthy regimes which do not necessarily keep us healthy or enable us to fight disease more efficiently.

Observing the changing needs of our bodies during each season is undoubtedly one of the keys to good health. This involves a fluidity in our habits that allows for seasonal produce to constantly be at the centre of our diets, and for adjusting our levels of activity and rest according to our bodies' requirements.

Autumn in TCM

Generally speaking, autumn is the season of harvesting, gathering, and preparing for the winter months, a time when the lushness of summer ripens up and gives way to falling leaves and fruits.  As we harvest and gather we also find all those fruits that, having gone off, need to be discarded.  This perfectly represents the most important functions of the TCM Lungs and Large intestine, the organs of the metal element whose energy is at its peak during this season.  The Lungs main function consists of gathering air and extracting from it the nourishment – in the form of oxygen – that serves as one of the principal ingredients for the making of Qi which will in turn fill our bodies with strength and vitality. The Lungs and Large intestine are also in charge of the elimination of waste products from respiration –carbon dioxide- and digestion so that they don't stay in the body and cause harm.  The TCM Lung governs Qi and its proper functioning manifests in vitality and constant renewal of our energy. Visit my post on the Lungs to learn more about this organ and how to maintain its health.

Another important function of the metal organs is to protect us from disease, which is an aspect of immunity. Being the most external of organs, the Lungs have the function of projecting outwards a protective energy  - Wei Qi - which is partly derived from the nutrients that we consume and acts as a barrier to invasive external pathogens. The Large intestine is also a main organ in our immune response as is the skin which in TCM is regarded as an extension of the Lungs. They are both in charge of fending off and eliminating harmful substances and waste products so that they don’t enter deeper into the body .  External pathogens most easily enter the body through the respiratory and digestive systems so the strength of the metal organs is considered of great importance.

If the energy of the Lungs is low or its flow impaired by blockage – usually in the form of phlegm and mucus along the respiratory passages – we may be more prone to catching colds, and develop coughs or allergic reactions during this season.

Staying healthy in autumn
In Traditional Chinese medicine texts, autumn is regarded as the season when dryness can injure the body. This is because in mainland China dryness is a prevalent condition at this time of year. Here in SW England however, the opposite is true. Our already humid environment becomes increasingly so, the air can turn soggy while moulds develop on trees and on the falling leaves.  For this reason, some of the Chinese medicine advice for this season needs to be adjusted to our different climate.

Whether we live in a humid or dry area, autumn is always about gathering what we need to be comfortable and well in the winter months, letting go what needs to be discarded so that we are not unduly burdened during winter, and setting up boundaries to protect us from the cold and from harmful external influences. 

Gathering and collecting:

At a physical level, this is represented by the need to prepare ourselves for the winter months when a strong body and immune system can ensure health throughout the cold season. After the more exuberant lifestyle of the summer, autumn calls for resting more and for consuming foods that are denser and richer than those we had in the summer to provide warmth and nourishment to the body.  

At a deeper level, the beauty of autumn leaves, the shortening days, and the chillier evenings invite contemplation and a look in. It is a good time to centre ourselves after the summer holiday and collect our thoughts so that we can start to plan and project into the months ahead.

Letting go:

This refers to an innate ability of the body to identify and discard harmful substances and waste products. This ability can easily get impaired when we either overburden the body with toxicity and/or allow tension and stress to build up inside us until we are literally unable to let anything out. Letting go thus implies a need to allow the body to do its job by helping it cleanse itself through the consumption of healthy food and plenty of fluid, as well as staying physically and mentally relaxed so that we allow things to flow in and out.

We may also need to eliminate certain foods and undergo a cleansing process to get rid of toxicity accumulated through the summer so that our immune system is not burdened and can protect us from illness in the colder months. The Lungs and Large intestine are particularly susceptible to accumulation and this can be very detrimental to their proper functioning. Making sure that we consume a diet that provides good nutrition as well as promoting proper evacuation is of particular importance to prevent disease. In addition, avoiding chemically-laden foods and reducing the consumption of mucus-forming foods such as processed foods, refined sugar, wheat and milk products can help our respiratory and digestive systems remain free of accumulations and blockages. This is more relevant when we live in cold humid climates like the one we have in SW England as environmental dampness and moulds can contribute to this type of accumulation and to the development of respiratory and skin problems.

At a deeper level, just as the lush trees need to lose their fruit and their leaves so that they can concentrate their energies inside themselves, also us need to focus on what goes on inside us. In TCM, grief and sadness are regarded as emotions of the metal element and many of us can indeed experience them more strongly at this time of year. Acknowledging and processing any unresolved emotions is necessary for us to be healthy and happy. Only when we let go of the past we open ourselves to enjoying our present life and plant the seeds of our future. After all, finding inspiration and energy for new projects and growth cannot happen while we are still attached to events, things, and people from the past.

Setting boundaries:

Amongst the TCM Lung functions it is that of providing a boundary between the body and the environment that enables goodness to enter – i.e. Oxygen – and keeps out harmful pathogens. Similar functions are performed by the skin and intestines both of which filter out what is harmful and allow nourishment of different kinds to go further into the body. In order for this protective energy to work optimally, we need to keep ourselves strong and also protect ourselves from harmful environmental influences. Keeping strong in this context is done by consuming nutritious food, accessing clean air, and performing breathing exercises, as well as getting enough rest to avoid over-exhaustion. All of this will ensure that plentiful Qi is made by the body.

A strong Qi however, may not be enough to protect us when pathogens are particularly strong. Because of this, we also need to put up physical barriers against the elements in the form of coats, hats, and scarves, and keep our bodies and environment clean and free of germs.  In TCM, Wind is considered an external pathogen which is the carrier of a 1000 diseases. This pathogen can “invade” the body easily during the autumn particularly through the neck and head, although it can also invade the skin when we are particularly susceptible to it. Wind can be a main factor in many conditions including the common cold, headaches, allergies and rashes.

At emotional and mental levels, the setting of boundaries involves understanding when we are allowing people or situations to override our needs, opinions, and desires. We often wait until we have become stressed, anxious, and even physically ill before we dare acknowledge that a situation or relationship is affecting us in a negative way. Yet it is always down to us to make things better for ourselves as we cannot expect a person or circumstance to go away or change on its own accord. I have experienced this myself and seen countless examples of it in the clinic: in the fear of disappointing others or speaking up, we may push ourselves to the point of making ourselves chronically ill. We then realise that there is no job or person in the world worth our health and that in fact we need to ensure our own wellness before we can be truly reliable, do our best, or look after others. Putting ourselves first and saying no without aggression or guilt are in this case important self-preservation tools born of self-respect rather than selfishness.                                         

Autumn diet

Although there are many diets around which seem to work for at least some people, the one thing that a healthy diet must consist of - for the most part- is natural fresh foods that do not contain any chemical additives, and which preferably are cooked from scratch. All the better if these fresh foods are in season and locally produced as well. Food loses nutrients in time so the further fresh food travels the less nourishing it is. 

If we make at least 50 % of our food fresh vegetables and fruit and ensure that our supply fluids and protein is adequate for our needs, we will be providing ourselves with good nutrition, protection from disease, and constant fuel for our energy. Following TCM views of the digestive process, it is preferable for us to consume cooked warming foods in the colder months. This means that soups and stews are commonly recommended over cold and raw foods. For more on this, have a look at the posts on TCM diet.

To enhance the energy of the Lung we invariably need to increase the energy of the whole body.  Making sure that we eat well and in a way that takes into account our digestive power is essential here as our ability to digest directly relates to our ability to transform food into energy or Qi. This means that for those whose digestive system struggles to process food, eating foods that are easily digested needs to be the focus of their diet so that food can be transformed into energy which will in turn fuel the digestive power itself. My posts on Qi and on the Lungs expand on this and explain how to maintain a strong Qi and healthy Lungs.

For humid areas like SW England, particular recommendations for this time of year are aimed to reducing mucus and phlegm formation as they can easily accumulate in the Lungs, respiratory passages and Large intestine and impair their function. Those with a tendency to congestion anywhere in the respiratory or digestive systems can benefit from avoiding mucus-producing foods such as milk and wheat products and refined sugar. Alcohol, sweeteners, processed and chemically-laden foods, and rich greasy dishes can also produce mucus and are best avoided. Adding small amounts of spices can be a good way to prevent phlegm and mucus from accumulating. Fresh ginger, thyme, and mustard seeds are particularly effective at this and can be added to meals on a daily basis. However, if there are signs of fever, flushing - especially night –, acid reflux or dryness anywhere in the body it is best to avoid these herbs as they are warming and drying.

Keeping the respiratory and digestive tracts free from blockage and accumulation benefits the functioning of these systems and results in enhancing the ability of the body to produce Qi. This can have a direct impact on our energy levels and immune response and can help us stay healthy through the coming winter months.