Are your herbs lab tested?

Yes. All herbs and formulas we carry are lab tested for identity, heavy metals, and microbial safety before being offered for sale.

Do you offer practitioner or wholesale pricing?

Yes. Herbalists, acupuncturists, and other qualified practitioners may qualify for wholesale or bulk pricing. Contact us or visit our wholesale information page for details.

Are your herbs sulfur-free?

Yes. Our herbs are sulfur-free unless clearly noted otherwise. We prioritize clean processing and traditional preparation methods.

Where do you ship from?

All orders are processed and shipped from our facility in Washington State, USA. We offer domestic shipping and select international options.

Do you provide Certificates of Analysis (COAs)?

Yes. Certificates of Analysis (COAs) are available upon request for many of our herbs and formulas. Please contact us if you need documentation for a specific product batch.

Blog

Show Sidebar

TCM Patterns Self Check Cold Heat Damp Dry Deficiency Excess

Jan 5th 2026

How to Tell If You’re Cold, Hot, Damp, Dry, or Deficient in Chinese Medicine (A Simple Self-Check)

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), you’re not permanently “a damp person” or “a heat person.” You’re showing a pattern—a cluster of signs that describes what your body is doing right now. This guide helps you identify your likely pattern using the same practical framework taught in TCM education, explained in plain English.

what is a tcm pattern

Quick answer (40–60 seconds)

TCM patterns are symptom “clusters” (not diagnoses). Most people can sort their pattern using 3 questions: Hot or Cold? Damp or Dry? Excess (stuck/pressure) or Deficiency (low fuel)? Your best match is usually a combination (example: hot + heavy + stuck = damp-heat excess).

Jump to what you need

Start here: the 6-question decision tree
The 3-axis pattern map (the easiest way)
Pattern cheat sheet table
Cold, Heat/Fire, Damp, Damp-Heat, Dryness, Deficiency
The 7 most common mixed patterns (real life)
Most common misreads (why quizzes confuse people)
Printable 7-day pattern tracker
What to do next
FAQ

Start here: the 6-question decision tree

Answer these quickly. Don’t overthink—choose what’s true most days.

Temperature trend: Do you feel better with warmth (blanket, hot tea), or better with cool air and cold drinks?
Thirst: Are you genuinely thirsty (often), or not much?
Stool: More often loose/sticky, or dry/hard?
Feeling tone: Heavy/puffy/foggy, or dry/tight/scratchy?
Energy: Mostly low fuel (fatigue), or more pressure/fullness “stuck” sensations?
Worst time: Worse with heat/spicy foods and stress, or worse with cold/raw foods and overwork?

Quick interpretation

Better with warmth + loose stools + low appetite → often Cold/Deficiency
Worse with heat + thirst + constipation + irritability → often Heat/Excess
Heavy/foggy + bloating + sticky stools + puffiness → often Dampness
Heavy + hot + greasy feeling + thick coating → often Damp-Heat
Dry skin/throat + dry stools + night heat → often Dryness / Yin-fluid deficit

The 3-axis pattern map (the easiest way to be accurate)

Think of patterns like three sliders—not personality labels:

Temperature: Cold ↔ Heat/Fire
Fluids: Damp ↔ Dry
Strength: Deficiency (low fuel) ↔ Excess (stuck/pressure)

Most people land in a combination. Example: Heat + Damp + Excess is “damp-heat excess.” Example: Cold + Damp + Deficiency often looks like “Spleen yang deficiency with damp.”

Pattern cheat sheet table

Pattern	Key signs (plain English)	Usually worse with	Often feels better with	Most common mistake
Cold	Chilled, pale, slow digestion, loose stools, low drive	Cold/raw foods, iced drinks, cold weather	Warm soups, warmth, gentle movement	Doing aggressive “cleanses” that drain more
Heat / Fire	Redness, irritability, thirst, constipation, restless sleep	Spicy foods, alcohol, overheating, stress	Cooling foods, hydration, calm routines	Mistaking “stress heat” for infection
Dampness	Heavy limbs, puffiness, brain fog, bloating, sticky stools	Greasy/sugary foods, overeating, late-night eating	Light cooked meals, regular movement	Clearing “heat” without addressing damp
Damp-Heat	Heavy + hot, sticky sweat, irritability with fogginess, thick/greasy feeling	Alcohol, sugar, spicy/greasy meals, humid weather	Cooling + light meals, consistency	Treating it like “just heat” or “just damp”
Dryness	Dry throat/skin/eyes, dry stool, scratchy cough	Dehydration, overly drying foods, very dry climates	Fluids, soups, humidification	Assuming dryness is always “heat” (it can be)
Deficiency	Low energy, weak recovery, symptoms worse when tired	Overwork, poor sleep, skipping meals	Rest, routine, gentle nourishment	Using strong draining strategies too long

The main patterns explained (simple, accurate, practical)

1) Internal Cold

Plain English: your “warmth and movement” are running low.

Cold hands/feet, prefers warm drinks
Pale complexion, low appetite
Loose stools, frequent urination
Feels worse with cold/raw foods

Common overlap: Cold + damp (puffy + sluggish + chilled).

2) Heat and Fire

Plain English: your system feels overheated—often from stress, diet, or congestion.

Red face/eyes, irritability, restless sleep
Thirst, dry mouth, bad breath (often)
Constipation or darker urine

Heat vs Fire: “Fire” is more intense heat (more agitation, redness, dryness, intensity).

3) Dampness

Plain English: fluid metabolism feels sluggish—things feel heavy, sticky, and slow.

Bloating, nausea, low appetite
Loose or sticky stools
Puffiness/water retention
Brain fog, heavy limbs

4) Damp-Heat (the most common “I’m not sure” pattern)

Plain English: dampness + heat together (heavy + inflamed).

Feeling hot but also heavy or sluggish
Sticky sweating, body odor, greasy skin (often)
Digestive upset with heat signs (burning, foul stools)

Why it’s tricky: clearing heat alone can fail if damp is trapping it.

5) Dryness

Plain English: your inner “humidity” is low.

Dry throat/skin/eyes
Dry stools, constipation tendency
Scratchy cough, dry nose

Dryness can come from: environment, dehydration, or heat consuming fluids.

6) Deficiency (Qi, Blood, Yin, Yang) — the simplest way to understand it

Deficiency means your resources are low. The label changes depending on what’s low:

Qi deficiency: low energy, weak voice, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating
Blood deficiency: pale, dizziness, numbness/tingling, dry skin/hair, insomnia
Yin deficiency: dryness + “night heat,” hot palms/soles, restless sleep
Yang deficiency: cold + fatigue + loose stools + low drive

The 7 most common mixed patterns (because real people are not one label)

Damp + Qi deficiency: bloat + fatigue + fogginess
Yin deficiency + deficiency heat: dry + night restlessness + warm sensations
Qi stagnation → heat: stress + tightness + reflux/irritability over time
Cold + damp (yang deficiency with damp): chilled + puffy + sluggish digestion
Phlegm-damp + heat: thick congestion + inflammation or “stuck” feeling
Blood deficiency + dryness: pale + dry skin/hair + lightheadedness
Deficient underneath, excess on top: tired baseline + stubborn congestion/pressure symptoms

Most common misreads (why quizzes get it wrong)

Yin deficiency vs Dampness: Yin deficiency is dry + night heat; dampness is heavy + sticky.
Qi stagnation vs Heat: stagnation feels tight/pressure; heat feels inflamed/red/thirsty.
Cold digestion vs “detox needed”: if you’re cold + loose stools, harsh draining tends to backfire.

Printable 7-day pattern tracker (copy/paste)

Track for one week. Patterns become obvious when you see repeats.

Daily checkboxes

Temperature: □ cold today □ neutral □ hot today
Fluids: □ heavy/puffy □ normal □ dry
Stool: □ loose □ sticky □ normal □ dry/hard
Thirst: □ low □ moderate □ high
Energy (0–10): ____
Sleep quality (0–10): ____
Stress level (0–10): ____
Notes: foods/alcohol/spicy? weather? cycle? new meds?

After 7 days: circle your most frequent trends → Hot/Cold, Damp/Dry, Excess/Deficiency.

What to do next

Choose one main direction for 7–14 days: cool heat, reduce damp, moisten dryness, or rebuild deficiency.
Start with food and routine: these are the safest “first levers.”
Use herbs with guidance if you’re on medications or have chronic conditions: patterns can overlap and strong strategies can be mismatched.
Re-check your tracker: the goal is trend improvement, not a perfect label.

Food-style guidance

Heat/Fire trend: reduce alcohol, very spicy foods; prioritize hydration and calmer evenings.
Cold trend: favor warm cooked meals; reduce iced drinks and raw-heavy meals.
Damp trend: reduce greasy/sugary late-night eating; prioritize light cooked meals and daily movement.
Dry trend: hydrate consistently; consider soups, stews, and humidification in dry seasons.

About this guide

This article is written as educational content using commonly taught TCM pattern frameworks (temperature, fluids, and excess/deficiency). 1st Chinese Herbs has served customers since 1994 with a focus on identity-forward sourcing and quality handling. This page does not diagnose conditions or replace medical care. For personalized guidance, work with a licensed practitioner.

Want the simplest “next best step”? Save your tracker results, then learn correct preparation and usage basics here: How to Use Bulk Herbs →

FAQ

Can I have more than one TCM pattern at the same time?

Yes. Mixed patterns are common (example: dampness in digestion with dryness in the lungs, or deficiency underneath with excess on top).

What’s the difference between “heat” and “fire” in Chinese medicine?

Fire is stronger, more intense heat—often showing more agitation, redness, dryness, and intensity than mild heat.

How do I know if I have damp-heat?

Damp-heat often feels heavy plus hot: sticky sweating, a greasy/thick feeling, digestive upset with heat signs, and irritability with fogginess.

Is this a medical diagnosis?

No. Pattern language is an educational framework. For symptoms that are severe, sudden, or persistent, get medical evaluation.