Damp-heat is a term used in traditional Chinese medicine referring to symptoms of viral, bacterial or yeast infections, especially in the urinary tracts, bowels, gall bladders, vaginal and liver area. The term damp heat does not refer to dampness and heat. It is use as a single term damp-heat. It has nothing to do with dampness or heat. Most patients show slippery, thin and weak pulse, yellow urine, tongue with yellow coating or white coated tongue.

Although damp heat is a term referring to infection, a classical literature , "Diagnostics of Damp Heat" by Xue Sheng-bai classifies the infection condition into "dampness heavy" or "heat heavy". In dampness-heavy condition the tongue is coated with white oily substance while in heat-heavy condition the tongue is coated with yellow or thick oily or brown substance.

Bacterial infection often shows yellow coating on the tongue which denotes that the infection has been going on. The white coatings that can be washed away often are caused by Candida (yeast) infection. If there is a fever the pulse rate is higher. Usually every degree increase in body temperature will increase 10 counts of heart rate.