Dryness as a pathogenic influence in Chinese medicine

In Oregon, we are lucky.  In a matter of hours we can go from the rainforest to the desert, from a misty 60 degrees to a scorching 95 through the mountain range.  It is like someone turned a page as we drive down Mount Hood and the trees thin, filling the landscape with sagebrush and more sandy brown hues than Crayola could ever dream up.  A few days in the desert dries us up.  It is a relief to be away from the blanket of humidity we are familiar with.  Our ears unclog, our noses cease to run, our digestion changes.  Soon, though, the dryness seeps in.  We cannot drink enough water.  Why did we forget the body lotion?  How is my nose so dry?  This is pathogenic dryness.  As our bodies acclimate to the new lack of moisture in the air, our homeostasis struggles.  Our lungs, especially, pay a toll to the dryness as they are now required to provide more moisture in our airways than before.  In the rainforest, the air itself provided the moisture needed for smooth respiration. If we cannot acclimate, our lungs suffer, our skin suffers, our body fluids may suffer, we dry up.  

So, what do we do when dryness hardens our nature?  Hydration helps--drinking water and eating soups gives our bodies the tools needed to replenish fluids that have been taken away from our environment.  Acupuncture and herbs to support the organs that nourish our blood and yin will also be helpful to recalibrate our bodies to our new environment.  Have you been to a dry environment lately?  The desert, or even on an airplane?  Let your acupunturist know and they can address the dryness you've experienced in a way that suits your experience, needs and specific symptoms.