"Long summer should change with the spleen". Dampness is the main qi of long summer, and the spleen of human body corresponds to it. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that dampness is yin evil, which hurts yang, especially spleen yang. Because the spleen has the characteristics of liking dryness and hating dampness, once it is damaged, it will lead to abnormal spleen qi transport and lead to poor digestion and absorption function. Abdominal distension, loss of appetite, tasteless mouth, chest tightness, vomiting, loose stool, even diarrhea and edema can be seen clinically. In addition to the moisture in nature, in the long summer, the human body is also prone to the syndrome of water-dampness stagnation in the body due to spleen-yang deficiency and dysfunction of transporting and transforming water and liquid. The interaction between external dampness and internal dampness aggravates the damage of spleen yang.

Because spleen deficiency and dampness are trapped in the long summer, the corresponding countermeasures are to strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness, discharge excess water in the body or reduce the generation of water and dampness in the body.

Dampness is divided into cold and heat, and cold and dampness should also be distinguished before eliminating dampness.

People with cold and wet constitution have a thick white tongue coating, a light mouth and even feel sweet. At the same room temperature, they feel cold more easily than others and feel more comfortable drinking hot water. People suffering from cold and dampness can adopt methods of invigorating spleen and benefiting qi, warming yang and promoting diuresis, such as Shen Ling Baizhu Powder, Lizhong Decoction and Gui Ling Shugan Decoction, all of which are commonly used Chinese patent medicines in clinic. You can often eat diuretic and dehumidifying or aromatic foods or drugs, such as carp, poria cocos, lentils, coix seed, cardamom, Amomum villosum, dried tangerine peel and so on. Eating spicy and warm food can also play a role in dispelling cold and dampness.

If you are trapped in the body for a long time, you will be depressed for a long time and become hot and humid. Damp-heat patients have thick yellow tongue coating, bitter mouth and dry mouth, sticky stool and yellow urine. For patients with damp-heat, the main treatments are clearing away heat and promoting diuresis, such as Liuyi Powder, Sanren Decoction, Wei Ping Powder, Lianpu Decoction, Yinchenhao Decoction and Gegen Qinlian Decoction. Bitter gourd has the effect of relieving summer heat and detoxifying; Watermelon can relieve summer heat and dampness; Tomatoes are nutritious and have the functions of clearing away heat and toxic materials and quenching thirst. Cucumber can clear away heat, benefit water and relieve summer heat; Mung beans can clear away heat and detoxify; Lotus leaves clear summer heat and promote diuresis.