Does getting sha (petechiae) easily upon scraping indicate heavy dampness in the body?
Disease description:
My sister is 32 years old this year. Recently, she's been feeling unwell—constantly sleepy, with poor appetite and irregular bowel movements. After a medical checkup, the doctor said she has excessive dampness in her body. I'm wondering, if bruising (sha) appears easily after scraping therapy, does that mean she has severe dampness?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Ding Yu
Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese therapeutic method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), known for its effects of unblocking meridians, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, expelling pathogenic factors, and detoxifying the body. According to TCM theory, dampness manifests in two main types: cold-dampness and damp-heat. The appearance of petechiae (sha) after Gua Sha varies depending on the type: in cases of cold-dampness, the petechiae tend to be purplish, while in damp-heat conditions, they are typically bright red.
Individuals suffering from cold-dampness often experience symptoms such as bodily heaviness, stiff neck, and persistently cold limbs. They may also have spleen and stomach deficiency, indigestion, bloating, and diarrhea—especially after consuming raw or cold foods. In contrast, those with damp-heat may present with symptoms like internal heat (fire), yellow urine, and sticky stools. Furthermore, it should be noted that tuberculosis can be associated with various pathological factors including damp-heat, wind-cold, blood stasis, and external contraction of wind-heat or wind-cold.
