Addressing Edema

When your ankles turn to cankles, you are fighting a bout of gout, or your face has swollen like a puffer fish - we need to address edema. In Chinese medicine terms, we need to move Qi, fluids and transform damp - maybe we need to clear some heat too. Gout? That’s damp heat in your big toe.

Types of edema

Qi edema - There is swelling and fullness in the area, but it will not pit when you apply pressure. This is caused by Qi failing to move.

Fluid edema - Arises when Qi has failed to move and fluids accumulate. There will be swelling, a feeling of heaviness and dampness. Pressure applied to the swelling will leave temporary pitting. It is very common for fluid edema to be coupled with heat. Treatment is to drain dampness, move Qi, and clear heat if necessary. Gout? That’s damp heat in your big toe.

Causes of edema

Exterior - Extreme heat, summer heat, strong shifts in barometric pressure. Damp, hot climates. Eating rich, greasy, cloying foods. Certain medication and medical treatments.

Interior - Any existing damp condition in the body will be vulnerable to being triggered by exterior conditions. Post viral syndrome, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritic conditions, sinusitis, rhinitis, pericarditis. Constitutional patterns, and pregnancy. More details soon.

While the ideal is to treat the symptom and clear up the root/cause, sometimes we just need to get the symptom under control until we can get to the root. Below are my most common recommendations for clearing up edema now. The foods and herbs are easy to find, you might have them in your cupboard. Besides certain foods that have a nature of addressing dampness (cornsilk, etc) the use of the bitter and sour flavor are our allies in this struggle. Be sure and check out Clearing Congestion if allegies and sinus congestion are a part of your patterns.

Foods and herbs that help clear edema

• Aduki bean congee

• Apple cider vinegar - 1 T. straight up or diluted in water.

• Buckwheat tea (and plaster topically)

• Cornsilk Tea

• Cranberry juice -unsweetened

• Nettle tea - 1 cup of nettle tea a day is excellent for prevention and minor treatment. During acute phases drink 3 or more cups of strongly brewed tea.

• Onions or leeks

• Orange peel tea - of course it does…

• Radish

• Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

• Sour cherry juice

• Hydrate. Yes, water is necessary to help us properly transform or clear out quagmire-like damp conditions.

• Get in for Amma! Focused treatment and point work will help reduce the edema quickly.

Be well,

April