What are the traditional Chinese medicines for clearing damp-heat from the upper, middle, and lower jiaos?
Aug 27, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Sun Lianqing
Introduction
In general, for clearing damp-heat from the upper, middle, and lower jiaos, single-herb traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) with specific heat-clearing and dampness-resolving effects can be selected. Commonly used herbs include Scutellaria baicalensis (Huang Qin), Coptis chinensis (Huang Lian), Phellodendron amurense (Huang Bai), Artemisia capillaris (Yin Chen), and Gardenia jasminoides (Zhi Zi). Additionally, when clearing damp-heat from the three jiaos, other herbs may be combined according to the specific syndrome pattern. During the use of herbal medicine, it is important to follow professional guidance and maintain a light diet.
Generally, for clearing damp-heat from the upper, middle, and lower jiaos, single-herb traditional Chinese medicines with specific heat-clearing and dampness-resolving effects can be selected. Commonly used herbs include Scutellaria baicalensis (Huang Qin), Coptis chinensis (Huang Lian), Phellodendron amurense (Huang Bai), Artemisia capillaris (Yin Chen), and Gardenia jasminoides (Zhi Zi). Detailed analysis is as follows:
1. Scutellaria baicalensis (Huang Qin)
Scutellaria baicalensis is cold in nature and bitter in taste. It acts on the lung, gallbladder, spleen, large intestine, and small intestine meridians. It has the functions of clearing heat, drying dampness, purging fire, and detoxifying. It is particularly effective for clearing heat in the upper jiao (lung heat) and damp-heat in the middle jiao. It helps alleviate symptoms such as cough with yellow phlegm and sore throat caused by lung heat, as well as abdominal distension and nausea vomiting caused by damp-heat in the middle jiao.
2. Coptis chinensis (Huang Lian)
Coptis chinensis is cold in nature and bitter in taste. It acts on the heart, spleen, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and large intestine meridians. It has the effects of clearing heat, drying dampness, purging fire, and detoxifying. It is especially effective for resolving damp-heat in the middle jiao, helping alleviate symptoms such as epigastric fullness, vomiting, acid regurgitation, abdominal pain with diarrhea, and dysentery. It also helps clear heart fire in the upper jiao.
3. Phellodendron amurense (Huang Bai)
Phellodendron amurense is cold in nature and bitter in taste. It acts on the kidney and bladder meridians. It clears heat, resolves dampness, purges fire, detoxifies, and reduces deficiency heat. It primarily targets damp-heat in the lower jiao and effectively improves symptoms such as short and dark urine, painful and difficult urination, red and painful knees and feet, and yellow, thick vaginal discharge caused by damp-heat in the lower jiao.
4. Artemisia capillaris (Yin Chen)
Artemisia capillaris is slightly cold in nature, bitter and pungent in taste. It acts on the spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder meridians. It clears damp-heat, promotes bile secretion, and reduces jaundice. It addresses damp-heat in both the middle and lower jiaos, helping alleviate symptoms such as abdominal distension, poor appetite caused by middle jiao damp-heat, and jaundice and difficult urination caused by lower jiao damp-heat.
5. Gardenia jasminoides (Zhi Zi)
Gardenia jasminoides is cold in nature and bitter in taste. It acts on the heart, lung, and triple burner meridians. It clears fire, relieves irritability, clears heat, removes dampness, cools the blood, and detoxifies. It effectively clears fire from all three jiaos, especially heat in the upper jiao (heart and lungs), damp-heat in the middle jiao (spleen and stomach), and damp-heat in the lower jiao (liver, gallbladder, and bladder).
In addition, other herbs can be combined according to specific syndrome patterns when clearing damp-heat from the three jiaos. While using herbal medicine, it is important to follow professional guidance, maintain a light diet, avoid spicy and greasy foods, and keep a regular lifestyle to support recovery.
