If you’ve ever lived in Korea during summer, you might hear someone complain of naengbang byeong (냉방병), which literally translates to "air-conditioning illness." It’s a commonly used term to describe the feeling of fatigue, chills, body aches, or even mild fever that people claim to get from prolonged exposure to strong air conditioning. While not a medically recognized disease, many Koreans take it seriously! They avoid sitting directly under vents or even wearing jackets indoors in July.
In contrast, in Indonesia, we have something that sounds quite different but is surprisingly similar called masuk angin. Literally meaning “trapped wind,” it’s believed to happen when too much wind enters the body. Also believed to be caused by being exposed too much cool air.The symptoms? Also chills, bloating, aches, and general discomfort. The usual cures include herbal drinks, coin scraping therapy, or resting with a warm compress. We even have a medicine that literally means "reject the wind" to relieve the symptoms!
Both of these cultural concepts aren’t strictly backed by Western medicine, but they reveal how local understandings of health are deeply tied to environment, tradition, and body perception. While Korean culture emphasizes balance between body temperature and external conditions (especially artificial cold), Indonesians worry more about wind disrupting the internal energy flow. Whether it’s naengbang byeong or masuk angin, it’s a reminder that health can be cultural too!
Photo by: filadendron / Getty Images
If you’ve ever lived in Korea during summer, you might hear someone complain of naengbang byeong (냉방병), which literally translates to "air-conditioning illness." It’s a commonly used term to describe the feeling of fatigue, chills, body aches, or even mild fever that people claim to get from prolonged exposure to strong air conditioning. While not a medically recognized disease, many Koreans take it seriously! They avoid sitting directly under vents or even wearing jackets indoors in July.
In contrast, in Indonesia, we have something that sounds quite different but is surprisingly similar called masuk angin. Literally meaning “trapped wind,” it’s believed to happen when too much wind enters the body. Also believed to be caused by being exposed too much cool air.The symptoms? Also chills, bloating, aches, and general discomfort. The usual cures include herbal drinks, coin scraping therapy, or resting with a warm compress. We even have a medicine that literally means "reject the wind" to relieve the symptoms!
Both of these cultural concepts aren’t strictly backed by Western medicine, but they reveal how local understandings of health are deeply tied to environment, tradition, and body perception. While Korean culture emphasizes balance between body temperature and external conditions (especially artificial cold), Indonesians worry more about wind disrupting the internal energy flow. Whether it’s naengbang byeong or masuk angin, it’s a reminder that health can be cultural too!
Photo by: filadendron / Getty Images