Traditional Chinese Medicine : The 6 Evils of Disease
Disease, or dis-ease, is the manifestation of symptoms in living organisms that impair proper functioning of the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that these symptoms affect the balance of Qi, caused by external environmental factors, internal emotions, or lifestyle factors, like diet. The Six Evils, Wind, Cold, Dampness, Heat, Summer Heat, and Dryness, are external factors used to describe various types of dis-ease in the body caused by over exposure.
Understanding the nature and characteristics of experienced symptoms can help identify the issue and lead to proper treatment.
Wind
Liver, Wood, Spring, Yang.
Wind ailments are associated with the most diseases, and these types of ailments behave like wind; symptoms come and go quickly, change location and intensity, and periodically disappear. Affecting mostly the head, face, neck, shoulders, skin, and muscles, symptoms include headaches, dizziness, muscle spasms or rigidity, colds, stuffy nose, congestion, chills, and fevers. This evil can combine with other evils as well. In winter, wind can combine with cold evil to cause a wind-cold, characterized by chills, stiffness, congestion, headaches, and sneezing. In the spring, wind can combine with Heat Evil to create a wind-heat cold, causing a fever, headache, sore throat, and chills. While there are shared symptoms, each type of cold requires different types of treatment to restore balance.
Food Remedy:
Lightly cooked scallions, ginger, and garlic (e.g., in broth)
Avoid raw, cold foods
Tea Remedy:
Ginger-Scallion Tea
3 slices fresh ginger
1 chopped scallion (white part)
Simmer 10 mins, drink warm
This helps release exterior wind and cold.
Acupressure Point:
LI4 (Hegu) – Located between thumb and index finger
Use for headaches, congestion, and wind invasion
Press firmly for 1-2 mins per side
Cold
Kidney, Winter, Water, Yin.
Cold, in excess, inhibits the body’s ability to regulate temperature, leading to Qi and blood stagnation, pain, stiffness, chills, shivering, cold limbs, pallor, and painful cramps. Affecting the knees, lower back, joints, stomach, spleen, kidneys, and liver, cold within the body constricts and contracts, which is painful without proper lubrication from blood. Proper Yang flow warms the body and keeps blood flowing. Like the weather, food that is cold, like smoothies, sushi, or ice water can reduce the Yang Qi of the body. To restore balance, eat warming foods like ginger, cinnamon, clove, garlic, cardamom, and cayenne, and avoid raw fruits or vegetables.
Food Remedy:
Lamb stew, bone broth, cinnamon, clove, garlic, ginger
Avoid cold drinks, raw foods, smoothies
Tea Remedy:
Cinnamon-Ginger Tea
3 slices fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
Simmer 10 mins
Promotes Yang and circulation.
Acupressure Point:
ST36 (Zusanli) – Four finger-widths below kneecap, one finger-width lateral to shinbone
Strengthens digestion, warms interior
Massage 2-3 mins per leg
Dampness
Spleen, late summer, Earth, Yin.
Characterized by greasy hair and face, greasy skin, acne, bad breath, body odor, nasal discharge, edema, arthritis, swollen joints, candida, and yeast infections, damp ailments affect the lower body. Wet, heavy, and slow, dampness causes feelings of heaviness, and can be the result of external factors like damp weather. Those affected by dampness may feel heavy, sluggish, or dull. These symptoms impair the spleen’s ability to process fluids, leading to fluid retention. Dietary treatment requires the removal of high fat foods, oils, sugar, dairy, and flour products, with the inclusion of whole grains, beans, vegetables, and spicy food. Conditions such as exposure to fog or mist, immersion in water or rain, or living in high humidity can contribute to these symptoms.
Food Remedy:
Barley, aduki beans, lentils, leeks, radish, mustard greens
Avoid: dairy, sugar, greasy foods
Tea Remedy:
Job’s Tears (Yi Yi Ren) Tea
2 tbsp Job’s Tears (coix seeds)
Boil in 3 cups water, simmer 30 mins
Helps drain damp and support spleen.
Acupressure Point:
SP9 (Yinlingquan) – Just below the knee on the inner leg, depression under tibia
Resolves damp, helps fluid metabolism
Apply steady pressure 2 mins per side
Heat
Heart, Summer, Fire, Yang.
Heat Evil refers to diseases caused by external factors like environment, or internal factors like
emotions or diet, with similar symptoms like thirst, sweating, and flushed cheeks affecting mostly the upper body. When Heat Evil becomes too extreme or mental health becomes affected, symptoms manifest as high blood pressure, stress, insomnia, and short temper. Stress, anger, frustration, and repressed emotions can cause internal heat. Avoid eating warming foods like ginger, chilis, and alcohol, and opt for cooling foods like celery, apple, cucumber, and asparagus.
Food Remedy:
Cucumber, mint, celery, lettuce, mung beans
Avoid: spicy food, alcohol, coffee
Tea Remedy:
Chrysanthemum-Goji Tea
1 tbsp dried chrysanthemum
1 tbsp goji berries
Steep in hot water 10 mins
Cools heat and clears eyes/head.
Acupressure Point:
LI11 (Quchi) – At the end of the elbow crease when arm is bent
Cools internal heat
Press 1-2 mins per side
Summer Heat
Heart, Summer, Fire, Yang.
Summer Heat diseases are especially common in the summer months, and only occurs after prolonged exposure to heat. Symptoms, caused by the sun and high temperatures, include raised body temperature, excessive sweating, dehydration, constipation, vertigo, migraines, blurred vision, restlessness, nausea, and heart palpitations. The thought is that sweating causes the pores to open, which then allows Qi to leak out. Lack of Qi in the body can cause fatigue, and can also allow other Evils to enter the body. To combat this, drink plenty of water and electrolytes to stay hydrated, eat foods like watermelon that have a high water content, and seek shade. These symptoms are similar to heat stroke, and if symptoms persist, seek medical attention.
Food Remedy:
Watermelon, cucumber, mint, mung bean soup
Drink water with pinch of salt or lemon
Tea Remedy:
Mint-Mung Bean Tea
2 tbsp mung beans
Handful of fresh mint
Boil mung beans until soft, add mint last few minutes
Acupressure Point:
PC6 (Neiguan) – 3 finger-widths up from inner wrist crease between two tendons
Calms heart, nausea, heat exhaustion
Press 1-2 mins per wrist
Dryness
Lung, Autumn, Metal, Yang.
When the lungs can not properly regulate Qi, Dry Evil invades through the nose and mouth, with
symptoms manifesting as dry skin, hair, eyes, lips, throat, and stool, constant thirst, coughing,
and shortness of breath. This can be caused by dryness in climate or smoking. To combat
symptoms with food, eat hydrating fruits like pears and apples to protect the lungs and throat.
Avoid pungent or bitter foods like coffee, lemon, and tobacco, as well as activities like hot
tubbing.
Food Remedy:
Pears, apples, honey, almonds, white fungus, lotus root
Avoid: tobacco, dry snacks, coffee, alcohol
Tea Remedy:
Pear-Almond Tea
1 sliced pear
10 almonds
Simmer 15 mins in 2 cups water
Moistens lungs and throat
Acupressure Point:
LU9 (Taiyuan) – At the wrist crease under the thumb
Tonifies Lung Qi and Yin
Massage gently for dryness symptoms
The Six Evils categorize diseases and their effects on the body in a way that makes determining
and treating said diseases clear and concise. By recognizing your symptoms, you can make
environmental, emotional, or lifestyle changes to help relieve symptoms and recover from the
dis-ease and disharmony within your body.
Resources
● https://www.lilychoinaturalhealing.com/journal/2016/11/26/six-evils-to-health-according-to-tcm
● https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/treatment/traditional-chinese-medicine#:~:text=How%20does%20TCM%20work%3F,lifestyle%20factors%2C%20such%20as%20diet.
● https://www.meandqi.com/tcm-education-center/diagnosing-diseases/the-six-pernicious-influences-or-six-evils
● https://www.hk-cityguide.com/expat-guide/4461iwryzc7789ims5r7hztv2cnf7j
● https://www.worldtreeherbals.com/blog/2020/12/24/tcm-evils