Symptoms of Damp-Heat Constitution

Damp-heat constitution is one of the classifications of body types in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), primarily characterized by excessive internal dampness and heat. Clinically, individuals with a damp-heat constitution may exhibit the following symptoms:

1. Face and skin: Oily facial skin, acne, pimples, eczema, and other skin conditions are common. Hair may also become oily and fall out easily. Skin may show symptoms such as melasma and oily facial appearance, with a yellowish and greasy tongue coating.

2. Mental state: Individuals may easily feel tired, fatigued, listless, depressed, irritable, or prone to anger.

3. Digestive system: Symptoms may include poor appetite, bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, nausea, and abdominal distension. Bowel movements are typically sticky and unsatisfactory, sometimes accompanied by constipation or diarrhea.

4. Urinary and reproductive systems: Men may experience dampness and itching in the scrotum; women may have increased vaginal discharge that is yellowish and thick, accompanied by itching in the external genitalia. Yellowish or reddish urine, frequent urination, and urgency may also occur.

5. Tongue and pulse manifestations: In TCM diagnosis, the tongue coating of individuals with damp-heat constitution is typically greasy and yellow, the tongue body appears red or dark red, and the pulse is slippery-rapid or soft-rapid.

6. Joint symptoms: When dampness and heat affect the joints, they may cause joint pain and swelling, particularly evident in lower limb joints such as the knees and ankles.