Traditional Chinese Medicine Summer Health Care Methods

Summer refers to the months of April to June in the lunar calendar, from Li Xia to Li Qiu. It includes six solar terms: Li Xia, Xiao Man, Mang Zhong, Xia Zhi, Xiao Shu, and Da Shu.The Huangdi Neijing describes the characteristics of summer as follows: "In the three months of summer, this is called flourishing and beauty, when heaven and earth energies meet, and all things blossom and bear fruit," meaning that during the three months of summer, the yang energy descends from heaven while the heat rises from the earth, and the energies of heaven and earth intermingle, causing plants to flourish and bear fruit, making it a season of great prosperity and beauty.Among the four seasons, summer is the time of year with the most yang energy, characterized by intense heat and vigorous vitality. For humans, this is a period of heightened metabolism,where the yang energy spreads outward, while the yin energy remains internally, causing the blood and qi to become more active and circulate on the surface of the body. To adapt to the hot climate, the skin pores open to release sweat, helping regulate body temperature and adjust to the hot weather. When discussing how to maintain health in summer, Wang Qishi wrote in "Li Xiu Yuan Jian": "Prevent summer heat, also prevent getting cold from cooling down excessively; in long summer, prevent dampness." This clearly states the basic principle of summer health care: prevent summer heat in peak summer; prevent dampness in long summer; and at the same time, protect the body's yang energy, avoiding excessive exposure to cold which can harm internal yang energy, as emphasized in the Huangdi Neijing: "Nourish yang in spring and summer," meaning even in the hottest summer, one must still protect internal yang energy.Heat is the dominant element in summer, transformed from fiery energy, and appears exclusively in summer. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, heat is considered a yang pathogen, with a rising and dispersing nature, easily depleting qi and injuring body fluids. This is its pathological characteristic. When heat invades the body, it causes the pores to open and excessive sweating, leading to reduced body fluids—this is the key to injury. When body fluids are injured, symptoms such as thirst, dry lips, hard stool, dark urine, irritability, and confusion appear. If not treated promptly, excessive opening can lead to further depletion of body fluids beyond physiological compensation, ultimately exhausting vital qi. At this stage, symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, and lack of speech may appear, and in severe cases, sudden fainting, unconsciousness, or even death may occur. Thus, preventing heatstroke in summer cannot be taken lightly.Dampness is the dominant element in long summer. In many parts of China, especially in the south, it is both hot and rainy. Diseases caused by dampness are common during this season. The air has the highest humidity, and due to external injuries, exposure, sweat-soaked clothes, wetting from rain or water immersion, or living in damp places, people are most susceptible to dampness-related illnesses.Traditional Chinese Medicine considers dampness as a yin pathogen that easily injures yang energy. Because of its heavy, sticky nature, it easily obstructs qi movement, resulting in chronic and difficult-to-treat conditions—this is the pathological feature of dampness. Moreover, dampness tends to damage spleen yang because the spleen prefers dryness and dislikes dampness. Once spleen yang is blocked by dampness, the spleen’s ability to transform and transport food becomes impaired, leading to stagnation of qi. Clinically, this manifests as bloating, poor appetite, loose stools, and cold limbs. Especially when the spleen’s ascending and descending functions are disrupted, fluid retention occurs, often resulting in edema with a swollen appearance under the eyes.Traditional Chinese Medicine also believes that dampness is heavy and sticky, so after external dampness invasion, symptoms include heaviness, fatigue, and a feeling of head being wrapped. Due to its sticky nature, the illness often settles and is hard to resolve. If it affects the skin and bones, it often causes pain and stiffness in fixed areas, hence the term "zhe bi" (fixed obstruction). Generally, dampness-related diseases have a prolonged course. For example, damp-heat diseases often present with a greasy, inseparable clinical picture. Rheumatism involving skin and joints often recurs repeatedly. Internal dampness often produces pathological products that are foul and unclean, such as exudates from skin lesions, vaginal discharge in damp-heat conditions, which are sticky and smelly. Therefore, people commonly refer to dampness as a "visible pathogen" with a foul and dirty nature.Since dampness often arises from moisture rising from the ground, it usually attacks the lower part of the body first. Clinical examples include lower limb ulcers, damp foot, and leukorrhea, all related to dampness.From a modern scientific perspective, humidity refers to the amount of water vapor in the air and the degree of moisture in objects. Humidity is a significant factor in climate change and directly affects the human body. Generally, the ideal humidity for humans is between 40% and 60%. When temperatures exceed 25°C, the ideal relative humidity is around 30%. In autumn, the cool and moderate weather boosts energy levels; however, during the dog days of summer, due to high temperature, low pressure, and high humidity, sweat does not evaporate easily, causing restlessness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and increased risk of gastrointestinal infections like enteritis and dysentery. If humidity is too low, the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract lose moisture rapidly, weakening resistance and increasing susceptibility to colds. Furthermore, during long summer, the hot and humid weather leads to continuous rain, making the air moist. Clothes and food easily become damp, even moldy or hairy, causing discomfort. Wearing damp clothes increases the risk of catching a cold or triggering joint pain, and consuming moldy or spoiled food can cause enteritis or even poisoning. Therefore, during long summer, it is crucial to prevent dampness invasion."Also prevent getting cold from cooling down," this warns people in hot summers to protect their internal yang energy. As stated in the Huangdi Neijing: "Nourish yang in spring and summer," so how should one protect yang energy in summer?First, people must not only seek immediate comfort but avoid excessive avoidance of heat and cold, such as sleeping outdoors in the cold or drinking cold drinks excessively, which can weaken the middle qi and allow summer heat and wind-cold pathogens to invade. When cooling off, pay special attention to covering the abdomen. Many rural areas prefer wearing "doubi" (belly wraps), which aligns well with health principles. The "Yang Lao Shou Qin Shu" states: "In summer, the sky is hot and the earth is warm. Avoid sitting under eaves, through corridors, or through broken windows for cooling, to prevent catching the 'evil wind.'" Similarly, "She Sheng Xiao Xi Lun" advises: "Do not sleep under stars and moonlight, nor let yourself fall asleep while using a fan to cool down." These are valuable health practices consistent with the principle of "nourishing yang" in summer. The reason ancient people emphasized protecting yang energy in summer is because the external heat causes excessive sweating and open pores, making the body highly vulnerable to wind, cold, and dampness.Second, prevent cold air sickness: Cold air sickness refers to a condition caused by prolonged exposure to cold environments in air-conditioned spaces. Mild cases may involve facial nerve pain, leg pain, fatigue, headache, back pain, frequent colds, and varying degrees of gastrointestinal issues; severe cases may result in skin diseases and cardiovascular problems, especially noticeable in the elderly.There are two main reasons for cold air sickness:First, repeated entry and exit from air-conditioned environments cause multiple cold adaptation reflexes, stimulating excessive secretion of adrenaline by the sympathetic nervous system, thereby adding strain to the heart. In traditional Chinese medicine, there has long been the idea that summer is the time to nourish the heart, as the five organs correspond to the five seasons—specifically, the heart corresponds to summer. During summer, outdoor activities increase, leading to higher activity levels and longer daylight hours, resulting in shorter sleep duration compared to other seasons. Consequently, more energy is consumed, blood circulation accelerates, and sweating increases. Clearly, the heart bears a heavy burden during this season. If heart care is neglected, it is easy to suffer damage. From this, we see that repeatedly entering and exiting air-conditioned environments is harmful to the heart. Since the heart belongs to fire, damaging the heart means damaging yang energy.Second, individuals who spend long periods in air-conditioned environments experience a series of physiological reactions upon returning to hot outdoor conditions. Besides rapid temperature rise, the skin begins to sweat, and sweat-covered skin often carries many bacteria. When returning to the air-conditioned environment, the skin and blood vessels contract immediately, allowing bacteria to easily enter the body through open pores, potentially causing infection.Given these circumstances, one must not indulge in excessive cooling during extreme heat and must take precautions against cold air sickness. Measures include:Keep indoor-outdoor temperature differences within 5°C if possible. Maintain indoor temperature above 25°C.Turn off the air conditioner before sleeping; avoid keeping the room sealed for long periods. Whenever possible, allow fresh air to circulate between indoors and outdoors.When feeling chilly indoors, stand up and move your limbs and body to accelerate blood circulation.Those suffering from coronary heart disease, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, or elderly individuals should avoid staying too long in air-conditioned rooms. People with joint pain should also avoid prolonged stays in cold environments.Additionally, prevent dampness invasion: As previously mentioned, dampness is a yin pathogen that easily harms yang energy, particularly spleen yang. In peak summer, the heart corresponds, but in long summer, the spleen—the organ associated with the five zang—is most affected. Therefore, dampness in long summer easily impairs spleen function, leading to poor digestive and absorptive capacity. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine nutrition, the dietary principle in long summer should be light and less greasy, favoring warm foods. The famous养生 expert Qiu Chuji from the Yuan Dynasty advocated: "Warmth is essential, avoid overeating, eat small portions frequently... Avoid fatty and greasy foods." Meaning, food in long summer should be slightly warm, not overly cold; avoid eating too much, but increase meal frequency. In some southern regions of China, many people have the habit of eating chili peppers because spicy food promotes sweating, creating a cooler sensation in hot, humid environments. Additionally, eating spicy food helps digestion, increases appetite, and raises internal heat, thus helping prevent the common phenomena in high temperature and high humidity—reduced digestive juice secretion and weakened intestinal motility.To prevent dampness invasion, avoid damp living environments: Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that "dampness damages flesh," meaning dampness easily injures muscles, such as in rheumatic arthritis. The Huangdi Neijing also states: "Those injured by dampness first suffer in the lower part," where "lower" refers to the lower part of the body. This means dampness typically attacks the lower body first, as it often originates from moisture rising from the ground. Hence, dampness commonly starts from the lower body, such as in athlete’s foot, lower limb ulcers, and women’s leukorrhea. Therefore, during long summer, ensure good ventilation, moisture control, and insulation in living spaces. If the indoor environment is too damp and the air is polluted, furniture and clothing will mold and grow hair, damaging them and harming the body’s yang energy. Some studies on childhood rheumatic diseases show that over 50% of patients were caused by living in damp houses.