One rain brings autumn, beware of dampness and dryness
Published Time:
2016-06-14
Oriental Daily News
On August 7th, a sudden downpour brought the discomfort of the sweltering heat, but the rain also brought a hint of autumn coolness. Summer's heat hasn't passed, yet autumn has quietly arrived. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this season is called "Longxia" (late summer).
The alternating hot and humid weather of Longxia causes some common illnesses to manifest differently than in other seasons. Therefore, experts remind people to prevent and be aware of seasonal illnesses in accordance with changing weather patterns, to safely navigate Longxia and prevent autumn dryness in advance.
● Preventing Dampness in Longxia
"The saying goes, 'Prevent dampness in Longxia, and dryness in autumn.' In the hot and humid Longxia, if one's immunity is low, or if one's lifestyle is careless, it's easy to experience summer heatstroke symptoms and gastrointestinal diseases. To safely get through Longxia, preventing dampness is key." says Guo Yunxie, chief physician of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
"As Longxia begins, cases of summer heatstroke increase, often presenting with low-grade fever. Generally, the fever is more pronounced in the afternoon, accompanied by diarrhea, and even after the diarrhea stops, the fever may persist." says Guo Yunxie. In Longxia, especially near the autumn equinox, the temperature difference is significant throughout the day, hot at noon and cool in the morning and evening. Damp heat hides in the body, and catching a chill in the morning easily leads to summer heatstroke. Symptoms of summer heatstroke include fever and diarrhea.
Hot and humid weather is most likely to cause gastrointestinal diseases. Traditional Chinese Medicine considers dampness as yin evil, which easily harms yang energy, especially the spleen yang. Once the spleen is damaged, the spleen qi cannot function normally. This manifests as poor digestion and absorption, clinically seen as abdominal distension, loss of appetite, lack of taste, chest tightness, nausea, loose stools, and even edema.
During Longxia, due to the muggy weather and frequent rain, clothes and food easily become damp, even moldy, causing discomfort. Wearing damp clothes can easily lead to colds or trigger joint pain. Eating moldy or spoiled food can cause gastroenteritis or even poisoning.
"During Longxia, one must pay attention to dietary and lifestyle changes to prevent illness." Guo Yunxie says to adjust clothing according to the weather to avoid catching a chill. It's important to note that the air conditioning temperature should not be set too low to avoid artificially inducing damp heat and illness. Avoid overly greasy or sweet foods to prevent dampness. Eat fresh foods that clear heat, remove dampness, and strengthen the spleen, such as winter melon, mung bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage, and adzuki beans.
● Autumn's Arrival: Preventing Dryness Early
Dryness is the main Qi of autumn. "Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that dryness easily injures the lungs. Therefore, 'lung dryness' is the most common complaint heard from patients in autumn." says Guo Yunxie. "The lungs govern Qi, and Qi governs breathing, so autumn is a high-incidence period for respiratory diseases. Patients with respiratory diseases or those prone to them should take preventive measures and prevent autumn dryness early."
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, autumn dryness is divided into warm dryness and cool dryness, both manifesting as dry skin, dry mouth and nose, dry throat, cough without phlegm or difficult-to-expectorate phlegm, but with differences. "Warm dryness" is accompanied by fever, slight aversion to wind and cold, headache, and red tongue; while "cool dryness" initially presents with more aversion to cold and less fever, a non-red tongue, and a floating and tight pulse. Clinically, "warm dryness" should be treated with pungent, cool, sweet, and moistening medications. "Cool dryness" should not use warming and drying medications, but focus on warming and moistening phlegm and benefiting the lungs. Patients with "warm dryness" can eat more star fruit, lemon, grapes, grapefruit, and pear, which contain vitamin C or are cool and moist, avoiding ice cream, spicy food, barbecue, fried food, coffee, tea, and dried fruits. Patients with "cool dryness" can drink ginger and brown sugar water, and sweat slightly in bed after drinking. Avoid drinks, cold foods, stimulants, and dried fruits.
Even healthy individuals should prepare for autumn dryness to prevent its harm. In a dry climate, the body may experience fluid deficiency, leading to various symptoms of autumn dryness, such as dry eyes, nose, and throat. The treatment of dryness prioritizes moistening. If you feel dry mouth and tongue or have phlegm, encourage drinking plenty of warm water. Pay attention to nourishing body fluids through diet, drinking sufficient soup, and choosing foods that moisten the lungs, clear dryness, and nourish yin.
In daily life, adjust air humidity and maintain environmental moisture. Keep air-purifying green plants in the courtyard and indoors, and place a basin of cold water in the bedroom before bed to humidify the air.
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