What are the traditional Chinese medicine formulas for removing dampness and heat?

Dampness and heat are common symptoms in life. They affect the body in many ways and have a very significant impact. Long-term dampness and heat can lead to serious health problems. For example, joint inflammation is caused by dampness and heat and other factors. Therefore, when dealing with dampness and heat, people must deal with it in a timely manner and use Chinese medicine prescriptions to regulate it. Let’s take a look at some Chinese medicine formulas for removing dampness and heat.

The so-called dampness is what is commonly referred to as water dampness, which can be divided into external dampness and internal dampness. External dampness is caused by the invasion of external moisture into the human body due to a humid climate, wading through rain, or a damp home; internal dampness is a pathological product, often related to digestive function. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the spleen has the function of "transporting and transforming water and dampness". If one is weak and has poor digestion or if one overeats and eats too much greasy food and sweets, the spleen will not be able to "transport and transform" normally, causing "water and dampness to stagnate inside the body". People with spleen deficiency are also prone to invasion of external dampness, which often blocks the spleen and stomach and causes dampness to be generated from the inside. Therefore, the two are both independent and related.

The limbs feel heavy and the fever is usually more obvious in the afternoon and is not relieved by sweating; the tongue coating is yellow and greasy and the pulse is rapid. The specific manifestations vary depending on where the dampness and heat are located: in the skin, it is eczema or blisters; in the joints and tendons, it is local swelling and pain. However, the damp-heat usually referred to refers to damp-heat that penetrates into the internal organs, especially damp-heat in the spleen and stomach, which can be seen in abdominal distension, nausea and loss of appetite, loose stools and cramps, short and dark urine, and a weak and rapid pulse; others, such as damp-heat in the liver and gallbladder, are manifested by distension and pain in the liver area, bitter taste in the mouth and poor appetite, or yellow body and eyes, or alternating fever and chills, and a stringy and rapid pulse; damp-heat in the bladder is manifested by frequent and urgent urination, and the urination is astringent and painful, with yellow and turbid color; damp-heat in the large intestine is manifested by abdominal pain and diarrhea, and even tenesmus, bloody stools, burning sensation in the anus, and thirst.

Li Shi Hua Zhuo San was formulated by the author based on historical documents, family prescriptions and many years of clinical experience. The prescription consists of: gentian, scutellaria, gypsum, poria, patchouli and other medicines. Grind into very fine powder before use, take 2-6g each time, 10 days as a course of treatment, take 3-6 courses in a row, and the duration of medication can be extended for severe cases.

Prescription: 1 dose of Li Shi Hua Zhuo San, 3g each time, 3 times a day. 1 set of nasal spray, spray both nasal cavities (keep nasal cavity unobstructed and drainage smooth), 4 times a day.

Prescription: Lianpu Yin with modifications, 1 dose of Li Shi Hua Zhuo San. Take 1 dose of decoction per day, decoct in water and drink warm in 2 doses. Take 4g of powder three times a day. After taking it for 20 days, all symptoms were greatly alleviated. Because it was inconvenient to take decoctions, the decoctions were stopped and the patient insisted on taking Li Shi Hua Zhuo San. After half a year, he was as healthy as a normal person and recovered.