How to self-diagnose whether there is dampness in the body

In most cases, as long as the body's own functions are functioning normally, it can completely rely on its own "detoxification" function to expel toxins and moisture. However, since the weather in spring is humid and neither cold nor hot, there is less time for the body to detoxify and eliminate moisture through sweating, and the accumulation of toxins in the body will make the skin rough. Let’s find out together below!

How to self-diagnose whether there is dampness in the body

1. When you wake up - see how you feel

If you feel particularly tired, dizzy, and lack energy when you wake up every morning, or as if you are wearing wet clothes, feel uncomfortable all over, and are too lazy to move... then you can be sure that there is dampness in your body.

2. When going to the toilet - look at the stool

After going to the bathroom in the morning, you can observe your stool. Is it stuck to the toilet? Even a tank of water can't flush it away. If it is inconvenient to observe the toilet, you can also observe the toilet paper. Normally, one or two pieces of paper are enough. If three or five pieces of paper cannot be wiped clean after repeated wiping (this is why the medical record asks about bowel movements), it also shows that there is dampness in the body. The color and shape of the stool can also help determine whether there is dampness in the body. Normal stools are golden yellow and banana-shaped, but few people have this healthy stool nowadays. When there is dampness in the body, the stool will be blue in color, loose and soft without any shape (this is an important sign of spleen deficiency, which many people have), and there will always be a feeling of incomplete excretion. Over time, the toxins produced by stool retention accumulate in the body, causing a variety of diseases.

3. When washing your mouth - look at your tongue coating

After going to the toilet, we usually start washing. Before brushing our teeth, we might as well take a few seconds to look at our tongue in the mirror. “The tongue is the sprout of the heart and the external sign of the spleen.” The tongue can sensitively reflect our physical condition.

Methods to prevent and remove dampness in spring and summer

1. Diet therapy to remove dampness

There are many causes of damp heat, and food is one of the main factors. If you like to eat spicy and sweet foods, such as chocolate, cold drinks, cola, chili peppers, etc., or eat high-calorie foods such as beef and mutton, it is easy to accumulate damp heat in the body. Therefore, you should avoid eating too much of these foods and don’t be greedy just because you love to eat them. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that yam and coix seed have the function of transporting and transforming water and dampness. Eating yam and coix seed regularly can strengthen the spleen and remove dampness. These foods are good choices in autumn. If you are often troubled by acne, you might as well try these methods, and the acne may disappear soon.

Recommended medicated food:

1) Heat-clearing and dampness-removing soup

Ingredients: 250g of Poria cocos, 50g of adzuki beans, 250g of kudzu vine, 50g of lentils, half a dried tangerine peel, and 8 bowls of water.

Preparation method: Peel and cut into sections the Poria cocos, peel and cut into pieces the Pueraria lobata, put all the ingredients into a pot, bring the water to a boil and simmer for 3 hours.

2) Spleen-strengthening and Dampness-removing Soup

Ingredients: 10g yam (dry product), 10g turmeric grass, 10g poria, 300g pig pancreas (pig pancreas), and appropriate amount of water.

Preparation method: Wash Chinese yam, cyperus rotundus, wild yam and pig's horn moonflower, put them into a clay pot together, add appropriate amount of water and boil, then turn to low heat and cook for 1 hour before drinking.

3) Lentil and lean meat soup

Ingredients: 100 grams of lentils, 1/4 tangerine peel, 400 grams of lean pork, and appropriate amounts of salt and ginger.

Method: Cut the pork into pieces and wash it, peel the tangerine peel and slice the ginger; put the ingredients in 1 into the pot, add water, boil it over high heat, then simmer it over low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours, and add appropriate amount of salt.

2. Cupping therapy

Cupping therapy is a commonly used method of treating diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. This therapy can expel cold and dampness, dredge meridians, remove stagnation, promote qi and blood circulation, reduce swelling and relieve pain, remove toxins and reduce heat. It has the function of adjusting the body's yin and yang balance, relieving fatigue, and strengthening the physical fitness, thereby achieving the purpose of strengthening the body and eliminating evil and curing diseases. Moreover, cupping is relatively easy to operate and is very suitable for self-care and removing moisture at home.

3. Moxibustion to remove dampness

Mugwort leaves are bitter, pungent and warm in nature, and have the effects of warming the meridians and stopping bleeding, dispelling cold and relieving pain. "When roasted with fire, they can penetrate all meridians and eliminate all diseases." Therefore, moxibustion has the functions of warming the meridians and dredge collaterals, promoting qi and blood circulation, dispelling cold and removing dampness as well as maintaining health. It is especially effective in removing dampness in spring which cannot be replaced by other methods.

Dehumidification of the stomach and spleen: Use moxa sticks to moxibustion the Zhongwan acupoint for 10-15 minutes, or use moxa cups to moxibustion for 20-30 minutes. Zhongwan acupoint has the functions of regulating the stomach and replenishing qi, eliminating dampness and harmonizing the middle, and relieving nausea and vomiting. Moxibustion can improve stomach diseases. If there is heavy moisture in the body and gastrointestinal discomfort, moxibustion can be applied once a day or every other day for 2-3 weeks. Health care can be done 1-2 times a week.

Dizziness, headache, and lack of energy: Soak your feet in warm water for 10 minutes before going to bed, dry them and lie on your back in bed, and have someone light a clean moxa stick and apply gentle moxibustion to the Yongquan acupoints on the soles of your feet, moxibustion each acupoint on both feet for 15-20 minutes. Take once a day, 7 days as a course of treatment.

4. Use more onions, ginger and garlic

Onions, ginger and garlic are some of the most common seasonings used in our homes. Not only do they add flavor to our dishes, they also have irreplaceable medicinal value. In spring, all things grow, so we should eat more onions, ginger and garlic. As for the moisture in the body, we can also try to cook a bowl of hot and spicy ginger soup at home. The wonderful effect of ginger soup can disperse the moisture in the body. After sweating all over the body, the symptoms will be relieved. This method is also suitable for preventing colds after being caught in the rain.

5. Avoid humidity in the environment

It is best to reduce exposure to humid environments in daily life. People who are particularly sensitive to moisture should pay attention to the following matters:

(1) Do not sleep directly on the floor. The moisture content in the air will decrease and the floor will be very damp, which can easily invade the body and cause soreness in the limbs. It is best to sleep on a bed that is some distance from the floor.

(2) Avoid going out on wet and rainy days.

(3) Do not wear damp clothes.

(4) Drink enough water.