External Hydration and Air Humidification
With cooler weather arriving and prolonged drought, the air has become extremely dry—Guangdong and South China have experienced the worst drought in 54 years. In such dry conditions, people unconsciously increase fluid intake, yet even gulping down cup after cup of water still leaves mouths dry and throats parched. Waking up with a dry, sore throat—why is this so?
Journalists interviewed Dr. Liu Youzhang, chief physician of the Department of Internal Medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. He explained that TCM attributes severe dryness in autumn to external dryness. Simply drinking more water is not an effective solution.
External Dryness Causes Thirst
Ms. Wang recently experienced a significant decline in sleep quality. Once she slept soundly through the night, now she wakes up twice each night. Why? Every time she shifts position, her throat feels "as if it's smoking dry," with mild pain. Naturally, she gets up to drink water. Previously, she never woke up at night, let alone had nocturnal urination. Now, once awake, she can't fall back asleep.
Dr. Liu explained from a TCM perspective why autumn brings such intense thirst. TCM divides autumn dryness into internal and external types. Autumn primarily features external dryness. "Harmony between humans and nature" means dry external climate causes internal dehydration, prompting thirst. But don’t assume drinking more water solves the problem. While increased hydration temporarily eases thirst, it doesn’t fully relieve autumn dryness. True relief requires internal and external treatment combined—moisturizing the body internally and externally to prevent "throat dryness like smoking."
Moreover, excessive water intake may impair spleen and stomach function, hindering efficient distribution of fluids throughout the body. Thus, even after drinking, one still feels thirsty.
External Dryness Requires External Treatment
As the saying goes: "Heart ailments require heart remedies." Dr. Liu said, "I believe external dryness must be addressed externally." After addressing internal moisture, external measures are equally important. Since autumn dryness is mainly external, we must treat external dryness directly—by humidifying the air.
Four basic methods to humidify indoor air:
Method One: Wet Mopping. Mop the floor with a damp cloth once daily before bed—no need to clean thoroughly; the goal is to leave the floor slightly moist.
Method Two: Salt Water Bowl. Place a bowl of salt water in each room. Salt water absorbs moisture, and as it evaporates, it adds humidity to the air, providing moisturizing effects.
Method Three: Hang Wet Towels by Windows. This uses airflow to distribute moisture evenly indoors, humidifying the air.
Method Four: Use Humidifiers or Nebulizers. These small appliances specifically designed to moisten indoor air offer the easiest solution. Household humidifiers typically cost between 200–300 yuan. Dr. Liu emphasized: Never add fragrances to humidifiers—too much fragrance harms more than it helps.