The 6 pernicious influences in Chinese medicine: when the climate affects our health

External causes of discomfort, the six pernicious energies, or Liu Qi in Chinese, refer to climatic attacks that can arise throughout the year.

Also called "the six Excesses" or "the six Evils", the pathogenic climatic energies are a fundamental theory of traditional Chinese medicine.

Discover the impact of the climate on health and learn more about the 6 pernicious energies.

The seasons and discomfort: how does the climate affect health?

Changes of season and temperature can trigger certain discomforts. Indeed, how often certain discomforts occur varies greatly over the seasons because of the climate. For example:

• In winter, viruses become more and more common.
• The arrival of spring fills the air with pollen, which explains why allergies are so frequent at this time of year.
• In summer, urinary infections become very frequent, partly because of a lack of hydration. Another example: ear inflammation most often occurs after swimming in summer.
• In autumn, falling temperatures can cause a thermal shock and bring on a cold: runny nose, sore throat, etc.

The six energetic pernicious influences

In traditional Chinese medicine, there are six pernicious energies that can attack the body as the seasons go by. While some energies are exclusively external in origin (such as Summer Heat), others can also be internal in origin (such as Cold and Wind). In the second case, the pernicious influence attacking the body is not linked to the climate but to an internal imbalance.

Wind (Feng)

This is an energy that dominates in spring but can be either external or internal in origin. When it is external, Wind comes from outside and enters our body by attacking the meridians. When Wind is internal in origin, it points to an imbalance in the body, generally linked to the Liver, the organ of spring, such as rising Liver Yang or Liver Blood Deficiency.

How it shows up

When Wind attacks the body, several symptoms can appear, such as muscle and joint pain, headaches, a floating, rapid pulse, an irritated throat, a blocked nose and nasal discharge.

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself from it, Chinese medicine advises turning to acupuncture. The basic principle of this treatment solution is to help promote the proper circulation of energy in the body. To avoid Wind attacks in spring, discover TCM's advice for enjoying the season.

Dampness (Shi)

This is the pernicious energy linked to the inter-season, but it can show up at any time of year when the weather is damp. When it is external, it enters the body and attacks the defensive energy (Wei qi). When Dampness is internal, it is generally caused by eating too much raw food.

How it shows up

In excess, Dampness results in joint pain, urinary discomfort, heavy vaginal discharge and a feeling of heaviness and numbness in the limbs. In this case, the pulse is generally slow and slightly slippery.

How to protect yourself

Traditional Chinese medicine recommends taking care of your Spleen to avoid being affected by Dampness. To tonify this organ and drive out Dampness, Chinese dietetics recommends vegetables such as cucumber and squash. To guard against Dampness, learn more about TCM's recommendations for getting through the inter-season well.

Cold (Han)

According to Chinese energetics, Cold is a pernicious influence that lurks above all in winter. Cold of external origin penetrates the surface of the body and attacks the organism. As for Cold of internal origin, it is often the result of eating too many foods that are cold in nature, and it points to weak Yang in the Stomach and Spleen.

How it shows up

Cold in winter can cause many symptoms. If it attacks the meridians, it leads to intense joint pain and muscle cramps. If it reaches the organs, it causes digestive troubles and a lack of appetite.

How to protect yourself

To drive out Cold in winter, the season when this pernicious energy is most dominant, warming plants such as ginger (Gan jiang) and cinnamon sticks (Rou gui) are the order of the day. To find out more about how to protect yourself, discover TCM's advice for enjoying the winter season.

Dryness (Zao)

Dryness is a pathogenic climatic energy that poses a threat mainly in the autumn season. It has a heavy impact on the Qi of the Lung, the organ of that season, and can therefore lead to a great many imbalances.

How it shows up

When it attacks the body, Dryness causes hair loss and a dry, sore throat, and it affects the health of the skin.

How to protect yourself

To combat Dryness, Chinese dietetics recommends a balanced diet suited to the autumn season. Choose cooked foods and favour slow, long cooking. As for the recommended cooking method, go above all for cooking in water, since it helps to moisten the Lung! To protect yourself, discover Chinese medicine's advice for enjoying autumn.

Heat (Re)

Heat is a pathogenic energy of a Yang nature that shows up mainly in summer, although it can arise in any season. When it is not linked to high temperatures, Heat is said to be "internal" and, if it is not kept in check, can turn into internal Fire.

How it shows up

In some cases, Heat causes hyperactivity of the organs and agitation of the Shen, and it exhausts the body's Fluids. It can also show up as redness in the face and irritability…

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself from Heat in summer and its impact on health, TCM strongly recommends avoiding prolonged exposure to heat, staying well hydrated, tonifying your Qi and choosing a diet suited to the season. Discover how to guard against this energetic pernicious influence and enjoy the summer.

Summer Heat (Shu)

Born of extreme Heat, Summer Heat is Yang in nature. It is always external in origin and appears only in summer. Summer Heat is the result of excessive exposure to heat.

How it shows up

In the body, Summer Heat shows up as several symptoms, such as excessive sweating, a parched mouth and throat, palpitations and a heavy-headed feeling.

How to protect yourself

To protect yourself from this energy that threatens the body in summer, Chinese medicine recommends turning to water-rich fruits and vegetables to nourish Yin, and avoiding raw foods and foods that are cold in nature.

When pairs form…

It should be noted that each of these energies can attack the body on its own or in combination with one or more others. For example, Wind rarely attacks the body alone and often teams up with Cold, just as Summer Heat very often teams up with Dampness.

Holistic by nature, traditional Chinese medicine takes a global view of the human being. It is therefore based on observing nature and its weather phenomena, and on how they influence human health.

Our health is closely linked to the seasons. So it's important to prepare for each season, adapt to it energetically, develop new habits and live in step with the seasons to protect yourself from discomfort.