THE SIX EXCESSES IN HUMAN BODY

 THE SIX EXCESSES

The six Excesses are the extrinsic causes of disease.

The six Excesses are :-

1) Wind

2) Cold

3) Heat

4) Dampness

5) Dryness

6) Summer heat

The term Excess means "Abnormality or Evil".

When normal envirnomental forces become excessive, they may cause disease. The Excesses are each related to a particular season and associated with either Yin or Yang.

The Excesses:-

1) Wind:- Diseases caused by wind arise suddenly and change thier symptoms quickly. They may be accompained by symptoms of muscle spasm, vertigo, pruritus, or a pain, which often changes location. Wind disease usually affects the skin, head, pharynx and lungs first. 

Internally, when the Liver yang is hyperactive, dizziness and convulsion occur.

2) Cold:- The symptoms of this Excess is that the whole body or a part of body feels cold. Cold causes fluid to congeal in the body; this causes pain. Pain is caused by the obstruction in the flow of Qi or Blood. Cold causes material substance to coagulate in the channels; this causes cramps and spasms. When cold disease are present, the body excretions (mucus, tear, phlegm,  urine, stool) are white or clear and watery.

3) Heat:- The main characteristic of Heat is that the body or a part of body feels hot. Heat easily injures the body fluids. Thus, the tongue and stool become dry and the patient is thirsty.  Heat can cause the blood to travel outside the channels, leading to haemorrhages or rashes. In the presence of heat caused disease, body excretions are dark and yellow, sticky and foul smelling. 

4) Dampness:- This Excess often appears during weather or when a person comes into contact with moisture for a prolonged period of time. Dampness is sluggish and stagnating. Disease caused by this Excess takes long time to be cured. When Dampness is on the external part of the body the patient feels anxious, the limbs heavy, and the head feels swollen. When Dampness invades the muscles and joints, all movements become painful and oedema of the affected parts occur. Dampness tends to attack the Spleen. When the Spleen's transforming and transporting functions are weak.

5) Dryness: Dryness attack the fluids of the body and may result in dry skin, chapped lips, hacking cough, constipation. When body yin substances are seriously depleted similar may appear. 

6) Summer Heat:- The primary characteristic of Summer Heat is fever with pronounced sweating. This injures the Yin and the Qi. Dampness almost always accompanies this Excess.