What is Dampness and how does it affect you every day?

/ˈdæmpnəs/ ​

the fact or state of being slightly wet, especially in a way that is not pleasant or comfortable.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine we refer to dampness as one of the pathological factors which can invade the body from the outside environment or from inside your body, giving us symptoms of disbalance.

When exterior dampness invades the body, it tends to do so from the lower extremities first. Dampness then works its way up the legs and settles into the abdomen area and spreads throughout the body.

You can recognize symptoms like dizziness, a heavy sensation in the head and body, and joint soreness and pain.

Internal dampness can be described as the condition of "high humidity" inside the body. Symptoms can include a feeling of heaviness, swelling or water retention, distended abdomen, phlegm discharge, nodular masses, loose bowels and turbidity of fluids. If your body is affected by such a dampness condition you may often have low energy and easily gain weight.

Internal dampness is often generated when the Spleen, the digestive organ in Chinese Medicine, is not functioning ideally. This creates an excess of fluid that can accumulate in different areas in the body. Since dampness is a product of an imbalanced Spleen, diet is key in its formation but also in its re-balancing.

Find out how acupuncture and a balanced diet can help you get rid of dampness by booking an intake today.