The immune system in Traditional Eastern Medicine 2 -when your inheritance has deprived-
What is a weak immune system in Traditional Eastern Medicine?
In the previous blog for the immune system, I explained two reasons why has the immune system been weakened and pathogens could enter into the body. The first is when protective energy has declined, it allowed the pathogen to get into the body. The second is in terms of the weakness of the digestive system, materials, which protect the body, is not sufficient; thus, the evil can invade the deep inside of the body straight through. I am going to explain the third reason in this blog, which is due to overwork. In this pattern, the kidney is the leading cause, and the spleen is also involved with this. Besides, this is a more complicated and more profound issue than the others. Why is this more complicated? How do we deal with the problems?
A relationship between the spleen and the kidney
The spleen is getting nutrition from the food intake to make essential substances in the body. It is like income, which should be earned by somewhere else. On the other side, the kidney is storing the essence, which is inherited by the ancestor. This income and inheritance are combined to transform into essential substances. The body fluids, which is moistening the body, is made by the spleen and sent to the kidney. The body fluids not only nourish but cool down the kidney. However, the kidney also has a warming function to make active the kidney itself. This warming function warms up the stomach, which pairs with the spleen, to provide energy for digestion. When the kidney can warm up the stomach, it can produce lots of materials, which the body needs. While the spleen is sending the body fluids to the kidney, the kidney contributes the spleen to keep its moistures by the cooling function. Therefore, the relationship between the kidney and the spleen is interactive.
What happens by overwork?
Each organ has certain factors, which make the functions of the organ weak. As for the kidney, overwork affects its work, and the outcome goes to the two directions. The first is possessing more heat due to impaired cooling function. The second is losing the warming function in terms of excessive cooling, which means the amount of the fire (=warmth) is less than it should be. Notably, this cold pattern affects not only the kidney but the spleen and the stomach. As a result, the stage of a disease is one more step advanced. It is a more vulnerable and severe stage than when the spleen became ill.
The attack from the outside
The kidney, which is the source of the primal energy, is not reproductive. As people get old, this substance called the essence decreases. When the essence has decreased, it brings less functioning of both warming and cooling system. When the nutrition comes from the stomach, a refined system of the kidney can’t work as used to be for creating the energy source. Eventually, it affects the fundamental strength of the body. If a person with a weak constitution (an inheritance from the ancestor is less) or prolonged chronic disease (the energy has consumed by battling with an illness), they tend to be overwork easily due to their underlying conditions. The primary energy of these people is not strong overall. When an outside pathogen attacked the body, the body doesn’t have enough protection. The pathogen invades the deeper level of the body directly. Symptoms are, such as chills, low-grade fever, diarrhea, sore throat, joint ache, and runny nose. Although symptoms are similar to the spleen attacked pattern, as the stage of a disease, it is a more severe. As for sore throat, the pathway, where the energy runs, starts from the foot, runs up the trunk via the kidney (and other organs), and finishes at the throat. Although more cold in the body, if there is no heat, it means death. Therefore, the heat, which remains in the pathways and organs, goes upward and gathers at the throat. This heat crates sore throat. Even a heat prone condition is usual; once the pathogen has invaded the body, it turns to the cold condition.
How to avoid this situation?
The most primary thing is avoiding overwork to make a decline slow. As second, sleep well. More sleep helps the organs to rest during the night. As third, keep warm, especially the foot. As I mentioned, the cold from the bottom makes the kidney suffer that affects the lower back, where the kidney locates (even in Western Medicine, keep the lower body warm is the key for core stability). As forth, eat healthy. If the kidney has more heat, the stomach works too much, so that it leads to overeating. If the heat is less, the stomach can’t digest the food. Either way, put the stress on the body. Healthy digestion is the key to producing enough essential substances. Unfortunately, in modern society, it is quite challenging to follow all of them. You have heard these many times because this is what Western Doctors say. However, the concept I tell you created more than 1500 years ago in ancient China. Although society has changed, the essential part of a human body hasn’t changed. Hence, it will be a good idea to re-evaluate what is “the essential value in life”.
