Remember: Winter Health Care: Avoid the "Three Suppressions"
Introduction: Winter health care focuses most on not developing bad habits due to the harsh weather. In winter, the biggest taboo is the "three suppressions": suppressing urination and bowel movements, suppressing ejaculation, and suppressing the urge to go outside.
Suppressing Urination and Bowel Movements
The winter climate is cold. Some people, fearing the cold, hold in their urine or bowel movements for long periods. Little do they know that suppressing urination and bowel movements is very harmful to the body and can trigger many diseases. Holding in urine for a long time causes urine to accumulate in the bladder. Urine containing bacteria and toxins that is not expelled in time can easily lead to cystitis, urethritis, painful urination, blood in the urine, or enuresis. In severe cases, a urinary tract infection can spread upward to the kidneys, causing pyelonephritis and even affecting kidney function. Studies have shown that people who frequently hold in their urine have a significantly higher incidence of prostate diseases and bladder cancer. When stool is not expelled in time, its water is reabsorbed by the intestines, leading to hard, dry, and difficult-to-pass stools. Toxins in the stool accumulate in the body for too long, and harmful substances are absorbed by the intestines, which can lead to symptoms such as listlessness, dizziness, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Furthermore, long-term suppression can disrupt the gut's microbial environment, leading to a series of anorectal diseases such as constipation, anal fissures, and hemorrhoids. In severe cases, it can even lead to intestinal cancer.
Suppressing Ejaculation
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the essence of winter health care is "storage." Consequently, some people have one-sidedly believed that one should not have sexual intercourse in winter, or if they do, they should not ejaculate. In fact, this practice is very harmful to the body. If semen is abnormally retained in the seminal vesicles for a long time, the testicles will be under "high pressure" for an extended period, which may cause a loss of sperm production capacity, gradually lead to testicular atrophy, a loss of sexual function, and physical discomfort. Furthermore, holding in ejaculation during sexual intercourse for long periods can also lead to chronic prostatitis. Therefore, under any circumstances, as a necessary physiological process of the human body, it must never be forced. Letting nature take its course is the best approach.
Suppressing the Urge to Go Outside
In the cold winter, many people prefer to stay at home, especially the elderly with weaker immune systems. With less sunlight in winter, the body's biological clock does not adapt to the shorter days. Coupled with staying indoors for long periods, this can lead to disruption of physiological rhythms and endocrine disorders, resulting in irritability, depression, fatigue, energy decline, and difficulty concentrating. Long-term confinement indoors can also lead to a weakened immune system, making one more susceptible to illness. Therefore, in winter, do not stay indoors for extended periods. Frequent walks, runs, practicing Tai Chi, or dancing to fitness music in outdoor, fresh air, and spacious places can help boost your mood and alleviate depression.