Feeling under the weather, but your doctor is unable to find anything particularly wrong with you? If so, you could be having a sub-health condition which shows up in symptoms such as chronic fatigue, poor appetite and general body weakness.

Sub-health, also known as the “third health condition” or “grey state”, is a borderline state between being healthy and falling sick. In this critical state, you are not sick, but yet do not feel well. The immune system is weak and this makes you more susceptible to falling ill.

“Many people tend to neglect their health despite experiencing tell-tale signs from their body that something is not right. Not heeding these signals can lead to more serious consequences later,” says Ms Miao Meng, Senior TCM physician at Raffles Chinese Medicine.

There are many causes leading to sub-health conditions including poor lifestyle habits, extreme personalities, pollutions and stresses from work and life. According to the Red Cross Society of China, white-collar workers and those with higher education levels are more prone to sub-health due to the nature of their work and lifestyle.

A study in Guangdong province has also shown that people between 30 - 40 years old have the highest incidence of sub-health. Among approximately 8 500 college students and office workers investigated during the study, nearly 70% are in sub-health state. The prevalence of severe sub-health in females was also found to be significantly higher than males.

So what would get you out of this state? According to Ms Miao, managing sub-health condition involves changes in lifestyle, habits or stress management capabilities.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has also been gaining popularity as a modality for treating sub-health. Its ability to boost body immunity and enhance internal harmony gives it a distinct advantage in managing sub-health conditions.

Ms Miao explained that acupuncture and TuiNa have been proven to be safe and effective to relieve symptoms closely related to sub-health. Chinese herbal medicine has also been used for thousands of years to help to restore the energy and rebalance the Yin and Yang in human body. This is an important aspect of sub-health treatment.

“One of my patients is a lady in her early 40s. She is in a managerial position and her job requires her to travel very frequently. She told me that she felt that her thought processes seemed to be slower than previously and she would feel tired all the time despite getting a sufficient amount of sleep. In addition, she had poor appetite and general body weakness. She saw results after four sessions of treatment over two weeks. Her treatment included acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. She shared with me that her quality of life has improved since and I am really happy for her, ” shares Ms Miao.

To keep sub-health at bay, you should:

• Maintain a balanced diet. Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish.
• Exercise regularly
• Talk to a qualified and experienced TCM expert on sub-health when in need

Is your body telling you that something is not right?

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For appointments or enquiries, please call 6311 1222 (24 hour service) or 6311 2388.