Can excessive dampness cause insomnia?

Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Updated on August 31, 2024
00:00
00:00

If excessive dampness is present, it can generally cause insomnia and other adverse reactions, such as numbness throughout the body, general weakness, memory decline, and poor gastrointestinal digestion, which can all lead to symptoms. Therefore, it is first necessary to help expel the dampness to achieve effective improvement. For instance, regularly consuming foods like Chinese yam, barley, dates, and red beans can greatly aid in expelling dampness and improving symptoms. It is also important to engage in regular physical activities, which can help expel dampness. Additionally, methods like steam sauna, warm water foot baths, and cupping can also help expel dampness and alleviate symptoms.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yuan Chun Yun
Geriatrics
1min 10sec home-news-image

What to do about insomnia?

Interventions for insomnia mainly include pharmacological treatment and non-pharmacological treatment. For patients with acute insomnia, it is advisable to use pharmacological treatment early. For patients with subacute or chronic insomnia, whether primary or secondary, psychological behavior therapy should be used in conjunction with pharmacological treatment. The essence of psychological behavior therapy is to change the patient's belief system and enhance their self-efficacy, thereby improving symptoms of insomnia. To achieve this goal, the involvement of professional physicians is often necessary. Psychological behavior therapy is effective for both primary and secondary insomnia in adults, and typically includes sleep hygiene education, stimulus control therapy, sleep restriction therapy, cognitive therapy, and relaxation therapy. These methods may be used alone or in combination for the treatment of primary or secondary insomnia in adults.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Xiao Jie
Internal Medicine
55sec home-news-image

What should women do about insomnia and frequent dreams?

For women with insomnia and frequent dreams, the specific age group should be considered. If the women are in menopause, it's related to a decrease in estrogen secretion. In such cases, hormone medications can be appropriately used, but it is necessary to visit the gynecology department for professional guidance from a doctor and not to blindly use hormone medications on one’s own. For younger women, it’s often caused by nervous exhaustion. Daily mental stress, or taking oral medications can address this issue, such as using Anshen Bunao liquid, Wuweizi granules, Bailemian, etc., which all have effective treatment results. Additionally, one can drink milk before bedtime, soak feet in hot water, listen to soothing music, etc., and try to avoid looking at phones or watching TV.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Huo Ze Jun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
1min 16sec home-news-image

What are the causes of insomnia?

Insomnia refers to difficulty in falling asleep or waking up early, which affects work the next day. There are many causes of insomnia, such as environmental factors, some medications, and some diseases, such as chronic diseases, which may cause insomnia in patients. It is also somewhat related to the patient's personality. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the main reasons for insomnia include the following: The first is Yin deficiency and excessive fire. The heart is associated with fire and the kidneys with water. If the heart's fire is too strong and the kidney's water is insufficient, it can cause insomnia. Additionally, patients with damp-heat conditions can also experience insomnia because too much damp-heat can disturb the mind and lead to insomnia. Moreover, some patients have excessive liver and gallbladder fire and a quick temper, which can also lead to insomnia. Another group of patients has both heart and spleen deficiencies; if both the heart and spleen are deficient in blood, it can result in insufficient nourishment for the mind's blood, ultimately leading to insomnia. Thus, patients with both heart and spleen deficiencies can suffer from insomnia.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Shi Xiang
Neurology
1min 21sec home-news-image

How to treat insomnia caused by excessive brain excitement?

If the issue is short-term brain excitement and insomnia, treatment should involve interventions in lifestyle and adjustments in sleeping habits. Firstly, the patient needs to establish a regular routine, going to bed and getting up at fixed times. Secondly, before bedtime, it is advisable to avoid consuming stimulant drinks like strong tea, coffee, alcohol, and also to refrain from engaging in excessive physical activities within two hours before sleep. If the condition of brain excitement and insomnia persists for an extended period, it might be necessary to use sedative-hypnotic medications to alleviate symptoms. Commonly used sedative-hypnotic drugs in clinical settings include zopiclone, eszopiclone, estazolam, melatonin, among others. Through these treatments, symptoms of insomnia in most patients can be improved. If the symptoms continue unabated, it may be necessary to consider whether the patient might also be suffering from anxiety or depressive disorders affecting their sleep. In such cases, an evaluation with the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale can be conducted to determine. If such conditions are present, treatment with anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications, such as citalopram, may be administered.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
1min home-news-image

What to do about anxiety and insomnia?

If the patient experiences anxiety and insomnia, the following treatment methods are recommended: The first method is to engage in more sports training. During the day, one can participate in aerobic exercises such as jogging or playing sports with others, including basketball and table tennis. Physical activity helps stabilize the mind and improve emotional health, and it is effective in combating anxiety and treating insomnia. The second method involves increasing communication with others. Research has shown that more communication can significantly alleviate anxiety. Thirdly, if necessary, one can take some sedative hypnotic drugs, such as benzodiazepines or some newer types of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics. Fourth, if the anxiety is significant, under the advice of a psychiatrist, one can take serotonin reuptake inhibitors to counteract the anxiety. (Please consult a professional physician for specific medications.)