A while ago, an American friend living in Hong Kong, because of repeated skin inflammation, went to see a Chinese doctor, and after the doctor saw him, he told him that his body had "too much dampness", but the American friend didn't understand the meaning, and after discussing it with us, I learned that the doctor probably said that his body was "too damp".
Many Chinese words for TCM physical conditions do not necessarily have a direct corresponding word when converted into English, and sometimes the meaning of the same word, TCM and Western medicine is not exactly the same. However, here is a list of a few commonly used and frequently heard sayings, which must come in handy when you learn:
Heavy moisture
Modern people love to eat heavy flavors, fried foods and sweets, coupled with insufficient water intake, resulting in poor metabolism of the whole body, and gradually appear edema, poor bowel movements, easy fatigue and other "heavy moisture".
在英文里，身体的「湿气」通常会用 "damp" 这个词，「湿气重」的用法可能有：excessive dampness、dampness syndrome，或是 dampness retention。
Example phrase:
"My acupuncturist says I have excess dampness." （我的针灸师说我湿气重。 ）
"I'm adjusting my diet to reduce dampness." （我正在调整饮食来减少体内湿气。 ）
"Excessive dampness can cause digestive issues." （过多湿气可能会造成消化问题。 ）
Lack of qi and blood
如果你常常莫名其妙觉得疲累、精神涣散、脸色苍白、手脚冰冷等，代表你可能有「气血不足」的状况。 在英文里，「气血不足」可以这样说：deficiency of qi and blood 或insufficiency of qi and blood，也有见过有人说 insufficiency of vital energy and blood。
Example phrase:
"According to my doctor, my dizziness could be due to qi and blood deficiency." （我医生说，我头晕可能是因为气血不足。 ）
"I need to eat foods that nourish my qi and blood to improve my overall energy." （我得吃些补充气血的食物，提高整体能量。 ）
"Doctor suggested gentle exercises to help strengthen my qi and blood." （医生建议我做些轻量运动来增强气血。 ）
Menstrual disorders
In their lives, girls will more or less encounter some symptoms of irregular menstruation, sometimes delayed menstruation, sometimes too much or too little blood, or irregular bleeding and so on. This type of menstrual irregularity can be referred to in English as irregular menstruation or menstrual disorder.
Example phrase:
"My menstrual cycle has been irregular lately; I think I might have menstrual imbalances." （我的月经周期最近有点不规律，可能是月经失调了。 ）
"My TCM practitioner suggested adjusting my diet and lifestyle to help alleviate menstrual irregularities." （我的中医建议我调整饮食和生活方式，来缓解月经失调的问题。 ）
"Menstrual imbalances can be caused by internal imbalances of yin and yang in the body." （月经失调可能是体内阴阳失衡导致的。 ）
Phlegm dampness constitution
When our body circulates poorly and accumulates too much excess secretions or dampness, it will form phlegm-dampness. Common symptoms include oily face, sticky stools, sticky mouth, edema, lipomas, uterine fibroids, etc. In English, the term phlegm-dampness constitution can be used as phlegm-damp constitution (phlegm is "phlegm", damp is "wetness", and constitution is "composition, composition"), or phlegm-dampness body type (body type is "body type, body type").
Example phrase:
"I often feel phlegm in my throat; it might be because I have a phlegm-damp constitution." （我常觉得喉咙有痰，可能是因为我是痰湿体质。 ）
"My TCM practitioner mentioned that I have a phlegm-damp constitution and suggested avoiding raw and cold foods, and opting for lighter options." （我的中医跟我说我是痰湿体质，建议要少吃生冷食物，多吃些清淡东西。 ）
"A phlegm-damp constitution tends to cause oily skin and acne-prone conditions." （痰湿体质容易导致皮肤油腻，容易长痘痘。 ）
Kidney deficiency
Kidney deficiency is a condition of low immune function, Chinese medicine believes that people's yin and yang energy come from the essence of the kidneys, if the body is dysfunctional, there will be a lot of "kidney deficiency" conditions, the symptoms are many and vary from person to person, including forgetfulness, poor appetite, easy tiredness, joint pain, chills, cold hands and feet, dark circles, dry skin and lack of elasticity, frequent urination, urgency, lack of concentration, easy to get sick, premature ejaculation, anxiety and depression, lack of enthusiasm for life, etc.
In the English language of kidney deficiency, the current expressions that can be seen include kidney deficiency, kidney weakness, and I have also seen people directly say "shenkui" (kidney deficiency). However, it should be noted here that the meaning of "kidney" in Chinese medicine and Western medicine is not exactly the same, the "kidney" in Western medicine is a definite organ, and the "kidney" in Chinese medicine refers to a collection of various systems in the body.
Example phrase:
"I've been feeling tired and sluggish lately; I think I might have kidney deficiency." （我最近常常觉得很累，可能是有肾虚状况。 ）
"My TCM practitioner mentioned that my symptoms could be due to kidney deficiency." （我的中医跟我说，我的情况可能是肾虚引起的。 ）
"Kidney deficiency can lead to issues like lower back pain and frequent urination." （肾虚可能导致腰痛和频尿的问题。 ）
Upper Fire
If you feel that you have been very short-tempered lately, with acne on your face, red and swollen eyes, thirst at every turn, etc., in the view of Chinese medicine, you may be "on fire"!"
上火用英文来说，可以用 excessive internal heat、excessive body heat，或直接音译 shanghuo 等来表达。
Example phrase:
"I've been feeling really off lately, I think I might have excessive internal heat." （我最近常常觉得不舒服，我觉得我可能上火了。 ）
"I've been trying to balance my diet and avoid spicy foods to reduce my internal heat." （最近我试着平衡饮食，避免辛辣食物，看看能不能降火。 ）
"My friend always complains about mouth sores and bad breath; she says it's due to shanghuo"（我朋友老是抱怨口疮和口臭，她说是因为她有上火状况。 ）