Summer health care, preventing dampness and protecting the spleen is the key

The sixth month of the lunar calendar was called the long summer in ancient times. From this time to the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the natural climate has a notable feature, that is, there is more rain and more humidity. Therefore, just like the spring breeze, summer heat, autumn dryness and winter cold, humidity becomes the main air of the long summer.

Excessive moisture can cause disease and harm people, and artificial moisture can be divided into internal and external. External moisture is mostly caused by rain, wading or staying in wetlands for a long time, which causes heat and moisture to rise; internal moisture is caused by eating a lot of raw and cold fruits, cold drinks and other cold things that damage Yang Qi. At the same time, dampness is easy to be combined with summer heat, so that dampness suppresses heat and is difficult to distinguish. This is also the main reason why people always feel stuffy and uncomfortable. In addition, continuous rain and humid air make some indoor items, especially clothes, easy to get damp and even moldy, causing mold infection.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, dampness is a yin evil that can easily damage yang. Since the spleen likes dryness and hates dampness, excessive dampness can trap the spleen. Therefore, dampness is most likely to damage the spleen yang in the human body. At this time, the human body often has symptoms of damaged spleen yang, such as a heavy head or dizziness and swelling, heavy and painful body, fatigue in the limbs, chest depression, abdominal distension, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, loose stools and discomfort. Therefore, to prevent dampness, the first thing to do is to protect the spleen. Only when the spleen yang is invigorated and the spleen's ascending and descending functions are normal can it effectively resist the invasion of dampness. In this regard, the following four points should be noted.

Prevent external moisture. Bring rain gear when going out, including raincoats and umbrellas, to avoid getting wet. If you accidentally get wet or waded in water, dry your body and change clothes in time. Do not soak or bathe in swimming pools or bathhouses for a long time, as this will give dampness an opportunity to take advantage. When working or resting, try to avoid places with excessive moisture, and do not live in wetlands for a long time. Keep the working and living environment and facilities dry and well ventilated.

Prevent internal dampness. Avoid eating a lot of raw, cold and greasy food, especially overeating. The diet should be light and fragrant, because light is easy to digest, and the fragrance can wake up the spleen and stimulate appetite. Lentils, coix seeds, red beans, Poria cocos and other spleen-strengthening and dampness-removing products can be used to cook soup or porridge. You can also use 10 grams each of fresh Patchouli and Perilla, 20 grams each of talc and charred barley, and 3 grams of licorice, boiled in water and drink instead of tea.

Anti-mildew. In the bedroom, the bed should be well ventilated and as few things as possible should be placed under the bed. Since air conditioning can reduce humidity, the room and bedding can be dried by air conditioning. When the weather is fine, the quilt should be dried in time, or ventilation should be carried out according to the weather. Cleaning should be done carefully at home. In addition to the common bathroom and kitchen mold, the bedroom and living room should also be paid attention to. The humidity in the room should be kept at about 50%, garbage and dust should be cleaned up in time, and the surrounding area should be kept dry and less humid as much as possible.

Prevent damp fever. Damp fever is an epidemic disease that often occurs in the rainy and wet seasons of summer and autumn. The most common is the digestive tract infectious disease that is most likely to damage the spleen. Therefore, at this time, you must pay special attention to food hygiene, do not eat rotten, spoiled and unclean food, pay attention to frequent hand washing and proper storage of food, disinfect various tableware regularly, and eat foods with bactericidal and antibacterial effects such as garlic, vinegar, and tea to prevent it. In addition, the long rainy summer is a high-incidence season for floods and waterlogging disasters. It is necessary to establish the concept of preventing major disasters and major epidemics, strengthen epidemic prevention work, and prevent infectious diseases from spreading.

(The author is deputy chief physician of Chengdu Second People's Hospital, Sichuan Province)