Influence of tropical climate in Southeast Asia on disease onset and strategies of applying TCM for regulating and treatment / 中华中医药杂志

ABSTRACT

People living in Southeast Asia Tropical Zone (Indonesia) have their unique life style. Climatic characteristics of that area are high temperature and high humidity. These factors tend to cause the constitution of local people with insufficiency of the qi and yin and yin deficiency or with inner heat. Pathologic factors are mainly the summer hea and usually together with the dampness. The summer heat can be further divided into the yang and yin categories. Most diseases occur in tropical zone have characteristics of the outside dampness resulting in the damp-heat, wind-damp and cold-damp under different seasons and environment. The dampness can also be generated within the human body which is usually caused by taking plenty of spicy and greasy foods. These pathologic factors will cause various diseases by affecting different parts of human body. Application of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) in Southeast Asia tropical zone can get satisfactory effect both in treating diseases and health cultivating by syndrome differentiation with consideration of individual physique, season's change and local pathologic factors. Replenishing qi, nourishing yin and expelling dampness are important therapeutic principles. Dosages of herbal medicine should be light and flexible when applying TCM in that tropical zone.