Body Basics Part 7: Water Pathways and Water Metabolism

Dampness is another strange term we use in Chinese medicine, and it definitely comes up in the context of fertility.  

As I said out the outset of this series, I try not to overuse medical jargon (be it western or eastern), but some of it — like the concept of Dampness — simply doesn’t have a good correlate and is too useful to ignore. 

Think about Dampness as the body struggling to properly manage its water. So think about things like edema, swelling, water weight gain, excess vaginal discharge, or urinary issues (too much, too urgent, too frequent).

In our external ecosystem we know that a pond or a lake or a stream is a healthy water system, while stagnant water trapped after a flood or heavy rain is something different; it may look a little like a pond or a lake but it clearly isn’t, it shouldn’t be there, and gets stagnant and causes problems over time if we don’t deal with it.  

Dampness affecting a female body can look a lot of different ways. It can hinder the smooth passage of an egg through the fallopian tubes.  It can form fluid-filled cysts in the ovaries and be a factor in ovulatory issues.  It can lead to water retention, swelling, bloating, acne and it can contribute to a whole host of digestive complaints.

We talk about it a lot in clinic because there are a bunch of common dietary habits in the modern Western world that directly contribute to an accumulation of Dampness in the body: overconsumption of sugar, dairy, alcohol, refined carbohydrates, and poor quality oils being the top offenders. But even things we consider “healthy” in the west can contribute to these problems — most notably the current obsession with frozen breakfast smoothies and salads consumed in large quantities, year-round, in every climate. (Please stop!)

The good news is that some minor adjustments in eating habits can go a LONG way in resolving Damp-fueled symptoms.  I’ve seen dramatic shifts in a matter of days.

Reflect for a moment on your own diet.  What does your daily consumption of sugar, dairy, alcohol, processed or snack foods (poor quality oils) and refined carbs (pasta, bread, chips, crackers) look like?  Is most of your food taken cold or room temperature — like cold cereal or yogurt or a smoothie for breakfast and a sandwich or salad for lunch?  Do you eat big salads and lots of raw fruits and vegetables every day, even in the cooler seasons?

Recognize yourself in this idea of Damp? Let us help you!
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