Many people are puzzled: why do they often take donkey-hide gelatin and ginseng to tonify their body, yet end up feeling weak all over with a yellow, greasy tongue coating? In fact, this is likely due to internal Damp-Heat causing trouble! In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there's a saying: "A deficient body cannot accept tonification." When Damp-Heat is excessive in the body, it's like a room that is both damp and stuffy. Tonifying herbs are not only not absorbed but also add to the burden. The more you tonify, the worse you feel.

From a TCM perspective, Damp-Heat is like dirt in the body. The Spleen governs the transportation and transformation of fluids. Once the Spleen and Stomach functions weaken, and fluids cannot be properly metabolized, combined with consuming too much greasy or spicy food, or chronic sleep deprivation, it easily mingles with internal Heat to form Damp-Heat. People with Damp-Heat often have an oily face prone to acne, a bitter taste in the mouth, and sticky stools that are hard to flush clean. Blindly tonifying the body in such a state is like spreading sand on a waterlogged road—it only clogs the Spleen and Stomach further.

But don't worry, our ancestors have long provided solutions! For example, the classic patent medicine Ermiao Wan specifically targets damp-heat issues, taking a three-pronged approach to help resolve your troubles. It contains only two medicinal ingredients: Phellodendron chinense and Atractylodes macrocephala. Phellodendron excels at clearing heat and drying dampness—like putting out a fire in the body, it dispels excess heat. Atractylodes, on the other hand, strengthens the spleen and eliminates dampness, helping the spleen and stomach restore their transporting and transforming functions, thereby moving and transforming water-dampness. These two herbs together can also regulate the flow of qi, allowing the "qi" in the body to circulate smoothly.

Different people exhibit different manifestations of damp-heat. If you frequently feel a dry mouth, a bitter taste, and have dark yellow urine, it indicates a predominance of heat. In such cases, you can pair it with chrysanthemum or honeysuckle steeped in water to enhance the heat-clearing effect. If you experience abdominal bloating, poor appetite, and loose stools, indicating a predominance of dampness, adding ingredients like dried tangerine peel or poria cocos to boiled water can better strengthen the spleen and promote diuresis to eliminate dampness. However, traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes individualized treatment. It's best to consult a TCM practitioner to determine the specific combination. Through pulse diagnosis and tongue coating examination, adjustments can be made according to your constitution. Only then can damp-heat be thoroughly cleared, allowing tonics to take effect.

This article is intended solely as a popular science introduction to traditional Chinese medicine knowledge. If you experience physical discomfort, please seek timely medical attention. Do not self-medicate blindly to avoid delaying treatment.