🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Dampness Can Also Cause Harm
According to Professor Zhou Desheng, moderate dampness is essential for human and all life survival, but excessive dampness leads to illness. We typically refer to such excessive dampness causing disease as "dampness evil." In Western medicine, dampness-related diseases in TCM appear across internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, pediatrics, and various systems. With global humid air currents intensifying, the prevalence of dampness-induced diseases will become even more evident.
Simply put, dampness harms the body in four main ways: First, prolonged duration. TCM views dampness as a yin pathogen that easily damages yang qi. Being heavy and sticky, it obstructs qi movement, resulting in lingering, difficult-to-cure conditions—this is a hallmark of dampness pathology. Combined with wind, dampness invades skin and joints, causing rheumatic arthralgia that frequently recurs. Second, damage to the spleen and stomach. Since the spleen prefers dryness and dislikes dampness, once spleen yang is suppressed by dampness, it fails to properly transform and transport, leading to qi stagnation. Clinically, this manifests as fullness in the epigastrium, poor appetite, loose stools, and cold limbs. Especially when spleen qi ascends and descends improperly, fluid retention occurs, often causing edema with puffy eyes resembling "cucumber-shaped" bags. Third, skin disorders. Since dampness often originates from dampness rising from the earth, it tends to affect the lower body first. Clinical examples include lower limb ulcers, damp foot conditions, and leukorrhea—all related to dampness evil. Fourth, worsening respiratory diseases. It can trigger asthma attacks or upper respiratory tract infections.
House Moisture Return—Dry Bedsheets Often
Recently, many residents in Xingcheng noticed small droplets forming on walls for several days, and mirrors fogged up. We commonly call this phenomenon "moisture return." Spring indoor moisture return occurs because wall and floor temperatures gradually drop during winter, and upon spring arrival, indoor heating warms up slower than outdoors. When outdoor air suddenly heats up rapidly and becomes very humid, it enters indoors and condenses on cold surfaces, forming tiny droplets or even flowing water layers. On mornings with overcast skies, excessive warmth, and strong south winds, moisture return appears immediately.
Previously, moisture return was mostly limited to low-floor apartments, but now high-rise dwellers experience it too. For instance, Xiao Liu from Yuhua District lives on the 10th floor and reports severe moisture return. Professor Zhou Desheng analyzes this may be due to modern homes being fully renovated with thick paint on walls and flooring made of tiles or hardwood—both less absorbent than old lime or brick walls. Thus, increased atmospheric humidity shows up visibly on surfaces.
Humid air makes clothes and food prone to moisture return. Wearing damp clothes increases risk of catching colds or triggering joint pain. Eating moldy or spoiled food can cause gastritis or even poisoning. Hence, preventing dampness invasion must be taken seriously. Experts recommend using electric or gas heaters to warm rooms, minimizing indoor-outdoor temperature differences. Place moisture-absorbing materials indoors—currently, block lime (calcium oxide) is economical and effective. During moisture return, keep windows and doors closed to reduce incoming moisture. Use air conditioning dehumidification mode. After moisture return ends, ensure bedding and pillows are thoroughly aired and dried.
Spring Sleepiness Caused by Dampness
As poetry says, "Spring sleep knows no dawn." From a purely TCM perspective, spring weather is relatively humid, with high atmospheric moisture content. When dampness enters the body via respiration and other routes, it easily impairs the spleen and stomach, disrupting their normal function and causing qi deficiency. When dampness turbidity ascends to obscure the clear orifices, it induces fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and a hazy, sluggish feeling—what we call "spring sleepiness."
Those most susceptible to spring sleepiness or severely affected usually have weak constitutions, especially those with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases. Poor vascular conditions lead to inadequate circulation, resulting in serious cerebral hypoxia and ischemia, thus amplifying and prolonging spring sleepiness. Office workers, particularly white-collar employees, are also highly vulnerable—this warrants special attention.
After winter, many offices still maintain outdated habits: windows remain closed, ventilation systems inactive, leading to poor air circulation and increased carbon dioxide levels, causing acute oxygen deficiency in the brain. Additionally, prolonged sitting with legs dangling causes muscle relaxation and reduced venous pressure, allowing blood to stagnate in the feet. This worsens cerebral ischemia, further weakening circulation and inducing overwhelming fatigue and irresistible sleepiness. The mind feels muddled, like a tangled paste, making work efficiency impossible.
Spring sleepiness is primarily linked to weather, work, diet, sleep, and exercise imbalances. It signals suboptimal health and demands attention.
Dampness-Removing Dietary Therapy
In spring, when liver energy is dominant, reduce intake of sour foods, as they can further stimulate liver qi and harm the spleen and stomach. Instead, consume more neutral, sweet-tasting foods such as lean meat, eggs, milk, honey, soy products, and fresh vegetables. Since spring sees strong liver energy and weak spleen function, and since the spleen governs the limbs, weak spleen qi leads to weakness and heaviness in the limbs. Therefore, it's crucial to strengthen the spleen. Rather than medicinal tonics, opt for dietary tonics—eat more crucian carp, carrots, apples, and yam.
1. Dietary Therapy:
Crucian Carp Soup: Pan-fry both sides of the fish until golden, then boil rapidly with boiling water to create a milky-white broth. Add 3 grams of sand ginger, 3 grams of tangerine peel, 20 grams of coriander, and 10 grams of ginger, simmer for three minutes. Crucian carp is sweet and neutral, nourishing without drying, strengthening the spleen and removing dampness, rich in nutrients. TCM considers this remedy excellent for spleen and stomach tonification.
Field Mint and Crucian Carp Soup: 30 grams of field mint, 250 grams of crucian carp, 10 grams of ginger. Boil into soup—beneficial for strengthening spleen and removing dampness, and can prevent favism.
Sand Ginger Coix Seed Yam Porridge: 5 grams of sand ginger, 30 grams of coix seed, 30 grams of yam, 100 grams of rice. Cook into porridge.
2. External Washing Method to Remove Dampness and Invigorate Spleen:
Boil 100 grams of ginger, 20 grams of tangerine peel, and 30 grams of mint to make bathwater. This warms the spleen, removes dampness, and relieves sleepiness. If inconvenient, use this water for foot baths.