Dampness in the Spleen

How to recognize Dampness in the Spleen

The signs that point most strongly to this pattern:

1. Heavy head, heavy limbs, a foggy feeling
2. Bloating and fullness after meals
3. Nausea, a sticky mouth, no appetite
4. Loose, sticky stools
5. A thick greasy white tongue coat

Also common

• Puffy ankles or face
• Soft weight gain
• Worse in damp weather
• Thin discharge
• No thirst

Tongue

Pale and swollen with a thick white greasy coat.

Pulse

Soft and slippery.

Formulas for Dampness in the Spleen

Herbs that matter most for Dampness in the Spleen

• Cang Zhu Rhizome of Swordlike Atractylodes Grey atractylodes dries damp and wakes the Spleen.
• Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes White atractylodes strengthens the Spleen and dries damp.
• Fu Ling Poria Poria drains damp through the urine.
• Yi Yi Ren Job's Tears Seed Job's tears leach damp and firm the stool.
• Chen Pi Dried Tangerine Peel Tangerine peel moves qi and dries damp.
• Sha Ren Villous Amomum Fruit Amomum wakes the Spleen and stops bloating.
• Huo Xiang Wrinkled Gianthyssop Herb Patchouli clears damp and settles nausea.

How Dampness in the Spleen differs from its look-alikes

• Spleen Qi Deficiency Plain qi deficiency is tired and loose-stooled with a thin coat. Dampness adds the heaviness, nausea, and thick greasy coat.
• Phlegm Damp When the damp thickens into phlegm, it shows in the chest and head: a wet cough, dizziness, a lump in the chest. Dampness stays in the gut and limbs.

What drains into Dampness in the Spleen

• Sweet, greasy, dairy-heavy, and raw food
• Iced drinks
• Damp living conditions
• Sitting all day
• Spleen qi deficiency that let the damp settle

Food and habits that help Dampness in the Spleen

• Cut sugar, dairy, greasy food, and iced drinks. They are the damp.
• Warm, dry, cooked food: rice, barley, Job's tears, ginger, cardamom.
• Move every day; damp settles in a body that sits.
• Dry out the house if it is damp.
• Stop eating when seventy percent full.

What should change as Dampness in the Spleen improves

• The heavy head and bloating ease within one to two weeks.
• The thick greasy coat thins; that is the gauge.
• Stools firm and the puffiness drains over a month.

Conditions where Dampness in the Spleen shows up