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
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| Mould growth is a result of Damp |
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.
- 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.
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.
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| 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.
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| Damp forming foods can affect our health |
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.
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.
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.
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.
