Clear Damp-Heat

Clear Damp-Heat is a fundamental treatment principle that eliminates pathogenic dampness and heat from the body simultaneously, addressing their combined pathological effects. This action targets conditions where dampness and heat have combined to create sticky, turbid pathology that obstructs qi circulation and damages organ function.

Clinical Application

Indicated for patterns where damp-heat accumulates in specific organ systems or pervades the entire body. Primary applications include damp-heat jaundice with dark urine and bitter taste, urinary tract infections with burning and urgency, eczema and skin eruptions with weeping and itching, digestive disorders with loose stools and abdominal distension, leucorrhea with yellow discharge and foul odor, and joint pain with swelling and heat sensation. Essential for treating summerheat diseases, epidemic febrile conditions with gastrointestinal symptoms, and chronic inflammatory conditions where dampness predominates.

Key Herbs

Long Dan Cao

Clears damp-heat from Liver and Gallbladder channels with strong descending action

Huang Qin

Eliminates heat from upper and middle jiao while drying dampness

Huang Lian

Clears damp-heat from middle jiao with specific action on Stomach and Large Intestine

Huang Bai

Drains damp-heat from lower jiao, particularly affecting Kidney and Bladder

Ku Shen

Clears damp-heat with antiparasitic properties, especially for skin conditions

Che Qian Zi

Promotes urination to drain damp-heat through the bladder while clearing heat

Yin Chen Hao

Specifically clears damp-heat jaundice with pronounced cholagogic effect

Zhi Zi

Clears heat and eliminates irritability while facilitating dampness discharge through urination

Related Actions

Regulate Qi

Dampness obstructs qi circulation, requiring qi-regulating herbs to restore normal flow and prevent stagnation from reforming damp-heat patterns

Transform Dampness

Pure dampness-transforming herbs enhance the drying function when dampness component is particularly heavy or when spleen yang deficiency underlies the condition

Nourish Yin

Chronic damp-heat conditions often consume yin fluids, requiring yin-nourishing herbs to prevent excessive drying and restore proper fluid metabolism

Formulas for Clear Damp-Heat in Our Catalog

152 formulas in our catalog

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Frequently Asked Questions

Treat as combined damp-heat when symptoms show both components simultaneously: sticky, turbid discharges, burning sensations with feelings of heaviness, yellow greasy tongue coating, and slippery rapid pulse. Separate treatment is indicated when one pathogen clearly predominates or when they appear in sequence rather than combination.

Spleen qi deficiency creates dampness retention, while constitutional yang excess or yin deficiency generates internal heat. Patients with both tendencies, irregular eating habits, alcohol consumption, or living in hot humid climates are most susceptible to damp-heat pattern formation.

Reduce clearing intensity for elderly patients, those with underlying deficiency patterns, or chronic conditions where constitutional qi is compromised. Increase intensity for acute presentations, robust patients, or when heat signs predominate over dampness symptoms.

Professional Reference Disclaimer

This page is provided by Acu-Market (Medical Technology Products, Inc.) as an educational reference for licensed acupuncturists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. It is not medical advice and is not intended for use by the general public.

The clinical information on this page is a general summary compiled from traditional Chinese medicine sources and is provided for reference only. It is not exhaustive, may contain errors or omissions, and may not reflect the most current clinical research or guidance. Acu-Market makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, suitability, or availability of this information.

Practitioners are solely responsible for their own clinical decisions. Nothing on this page substitutes for independent professional judgment, formal TCM training, current authoritative reference texts, or direct evaluation of an individual patient. Pattern differentiation, formula selection, herb combinations, dosing, contraindications, drug-herb interactions, and patient-specific safety considerations must be independently verified by the prescribing practitioner before any clinical application. Use of this information is at the practitioner’s own risk.

This page does not create any practitioner-patient, provider-client, or consultative relationship between Acu-Market and any reader. Acu-Market is a supplier of professional acupuncture and herbal products. It does not provide medical advice, diagnose conditions, prescribe treatment, or render clinical services of any kind.

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