Every October, we get calls of people looking for help with the same symptoms: flaky skin, a cough that won’t quit but isn’t really “sick,” a nose that feels like sandpaper, lips that can’t get enough lip balm. Then comes the question: “Is this normal?”
Short answer: it’s not just you, and East Asian medicine has been saying so for a very long time.
Autumn’s signature: dryness
In the Five Element framework, autumn belongs to Metal, and its climatic influence is dryness. The classical texts describe the seasons in terms of quality in the air that’s around us and how the body responds to it. Summer is heat and abundance. Late summer is damp and heavy. Autumn is crisp, dry, and contracting. Things pull inward and thin out this time of year, like leaves loosening from branches.
Metal governs the Lungs and their partner, the Large Intestine. The Lungs also have a special relationship with the skin, which we refer to as the third lung. The Lung system also has a relationship to the fine tissues of the nose and throat. All of these are the body’s outermost boundary and first point of contact with the air. When the environment turns dry, those are the tissues that show it first.
If you tend toward dry skin, an irritated throat, a dry cough, and even sluggish digestion in autumn, you’re not alone. EAM often sees this as one pattern, not four unrelated complaints.
What Western science says
You don’t have to choose between following Western thought processes and East Asian Medicine.
Skin: Lower humidity increases water loss through the skin’s outer layer, which weakens the barrier and leaves it tight, flaky, and itchy.
Nose and airways: The mucus lining your nose and airways is a first line of defense. Dry air can slow the tiny hair-like cilia that sweep out particles and pathogens, so those tissues don’t clear things as well.
Immunity: Research suggests that low humidity is associated with better survival and spread of some respiratory viruses, one reason cold and flu season tends to ramp up as the air dries out.
As is often true, we may use different vocabulary to tell the same (or similar) story: autumn dryness is hardest on the body’s barrier tissues and the airways. The Lung and Metal association isn’t so far off the mark.
Moistening, the EAM way
The classical approach is to nourish and moisten from the inside, and it’s very kitchen-friendly:
Pears – especially steamed or gently poached with a little honey. This is a classic for dry cough and dry throat.
Honey – stirred into warm (not boiling) water or tea.
White (tremella) mushroom – simmered into a soft, silky soup. It’s a beloved moistening food.
Almonds, lily bulb, and sesame – gently nourishing and easy to work into meals.
Warm, soft foods such as soups, congee, and stews. Autumn is not the time for a raw, icy salad marathon.
Two things to ease up on: overly spicy, drying foods and constant cold drinks. Both can work against you this time of year.
More tips you can follow
Add a humidifier where you sleep.
Moisturize while skin is still damp, and choose richer creams over thin lotions.
Hydrate adequately with warm fluids.
Breathe through your nose and take a few slow, deep breaths outdoors. The Lungs like it.
Get to bed a little earlier as the days shorten. Autumn is a season to gather in, not burn out.
When it’s more than seasonal
Occasional dryness is normal. Dryness that’s persistent, intense, or paired with other symptoms deserves attention. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and supportive therapies like cupping or gua sha can help address the underlying pattern rather than just chasing symptoms. If your body seems to be asking for more than a pear and a humidifier, we’d love to help.
Whether you’re new to Jennum O’Hara Acupuncture or have been in our care for years, this welcome packet has useful information for how to get the most out of your treatments with us.
Keep this to refer back to when a new symptom arises or you receive an unfamiliar treatment.
As always, reach out to us with any questions or concerns!