In the West, one of the most “popular” illnesses is the common cold and everyone knows what it is and how to deal with it.
In Indonesia, if you ask your Indonesian friends, then many people suffer from a condition called “Masuk Angin” which is unknown to Western medicine.
So, we went to investigate what happens when you get Masuk Anging and how to treat Masuk Angin.
What Is Masuk Angin?
The phrase Masuk Anging literally means “enter wind”. Thus, you might think of Masuk Angin as the coming wind or trapped wind.
How Do You Catch Masuk Angin?
However, it’s not the same as the Western idea of trapped wind and has nothing to do with gas inside the digestive system building up.
Rather, it’s sort of similar to the common cold and is caught when cold air wis thought to enter the body, often in the rainy season, and it makes the person feel cold and present some cold-like symptoms.
Masuk Angin Symptoms
There are many symptoms associated with Masuk Angin as there are with the common cold and they include:
Feeling dizzy
Feeling cold or having cold sweats (i.e. running a fever)
Runny nose
Sore throat
Nausea (similar to feeling seasick or other balance issues) and stomach ache
High body temperature
A compromised immune system
And occasionally – bad wind (in the Western sense of things)
It’s important to note that in this corner of Southeast Asia, Masuk Anging is often considered to be a medical diagnosis and a healthcare professional may act like it’s a proper medical term.
So, while there’s no equivalent disease to Masuk Anging in the West – here in Indonesia, the cultural belief in its existence has seen the idea become part of the local medical world’s lexicon.
It’s also fair to say that Masuk Angin symptoms would generally be seen as a sign of sickness in the West too.
Many would compare this form of feeling sick to how you feel sick inside during the incubation period of a cold or flu.
However, as with the common cold, many Indonesians will place the blame for this condition on unrelated events such as:
The changing weather and particularly the change between wet and dry seasons. This is called “pancroba” which means the period of changing seasons.
Spending too much time in an air-conditioned room or other cold area.
Not getting enough bed rest when required. This is referred to as “begadang”. And it’s meant to tempt the “night wind” into your body to bring on the Masuk Angin.
What Is The Appropriate Treatment For Masuk Angin?
Indonesian customs refer to many supposedly effective treatments for Masuk Angin and they include:
Burping and farting – after all, if it’s wind inside of you that’s affecting your immune system why would you not want to get that wind out of you? Of course, many Indonesians struggle with this (and not just because it’s an unpleasant thing to do) but because there’s a belief that if you do burp and fart, you might give somebody else you Masuk Angin.
Coining – this is a practice similar to Chinese Traditional Medicine when a coin that has been dipped in oil is repeatedly drawn over the skin of the Masuk Angin patient again and again. Once the skin is bright red, it is said to allow the wind to pass through the skin and alleviate the sickness. This practice is known as Kerokan here in Indonesia. There is often some concern about the marks made by Kerokan which are quite angry and pronounced, however, it’s worth noting that they normally fade within a week and are not normally dangerous to the individual.
Massage – it’s fair to say that if you relax well enough while being massaged using Indonesian massage or techniques from other cultures, you’re likely to relax and then you’re going to umm… fart which ought to help with Masuk Angin.
Sauna – this practice is said to be beneficial when treating cold symptoms in many cultures including Indonesian culture. The warm water and steam created in a sauna might help to clear out your sinuses and allow you to breathe more easily.
Cold and flu medicines – while Masuk Angin isn’t exactly the same as the cold or flu, the symptoms often respond very well to cold and flu medicines which can be easily purchased over the counter in all parts of Indonesia. Drugs like paracetamol and ibuprofen are likely to alleviate the pain caused by Masuk Angin symptoms and others like Sudafed are going to help bring down any congestion in the sinuses.
Jamu mixtures – if you don’t like the big pharma offerings, you can always resort to traditional Indonesian medicine and enjoy some herbal Jamu mixtures for your Masuk Angin.
Note: We’d strongly advise against diagnosing your sickness using any internet page. It’s best to visit a doctor to see what they think (and it is possible they will say it’s Masuk Angin here in Indonesia, particularly in the rainy season) and then get their treatment regime for Masuk Angin.
If you treat Masuk Angin at home without medical advice, you might be treating the wrong condition and potentially prolonging the illness that you’re dealing with.
Many Indonesian friends will also take steps to try and prevent contracting Masuk Angin and some of these steps may be quite baffling:
You may find that they prefer to drink warm water or worse, warm beer, because they believe that cold drinks can cause Masuk Angin
You may find that they opt to travel in the window seat in non-airconditioned transport just so that they can keep the window closed and avoid Masuk Angin coming in the breeze through the window
You may see an Indonesian person dressed like they’re about to hit the slopes in a parka, gloves, scarf, etc. outside and again, they’re trying to avoid Masuk Angin.
Is Masuk Angin The Same As Angin Duduk?
No! Masuk Angin is, no matter who is experiencing it, quite a trivial condition and most people with symptoms will see them abate within a week or two, even if they are untreated.
Angin Duduk (“sitting wind”) on the other hand is a very serious condition, indeed. In fact, it’s a heart attack! Yes, Angin Duduk is a description of cardiac arrest and should be taken very seriously.
It’s worth noting that many Indonesians only use this term when referring to a heart attack that has resulted in a sudden death. It’s not a medical term as such, but it’s often used by medical professionals as well as lay people to talk about heart attacks.
The good news is that if you’re receiving this diagnosis, it’s likely to be from a medical professional who is already prescribing the appropriate treatment for you.
Is Masuk Angin Psychosomatic? How Does The Medical World See This Condition?
It’s quite fascinating because your average modern Indonesian is not unaware of medical science and most Indonesians believe in that science.
So, for example, if you ask the average Indonesian adult or even child how they get a cold, they will talk about germs and how they are contagious.
Yet, oddly, when they get sick from Masuk Angin, these scientific terms go out the window and traditional folk beliefs tend to be re-exerted, despite the belief in science.
Thus, cultural factors are clearly in play when it comes to the idea of Masuk Angin.
That doesn’t, however, mean that Masuk Angin is psychosomatic or some form of delusion.
The symptoms themselves are real and measurable. In fact, it’s fair to say that nearly every human being on the planet at some point or another has had some or all of the symptoms associated with Masuk Angin.
It is possible that some Indonesians start to report the symptoms of Masuk Angin only because they believe they have fulfilled the criteria that “bring in the wind”? Yes.
And is it possible that such belief results in the symptoms manifesting in their bodies? Yes.
This is also true of Westerners with cold or flu symptoms, mind you. Many Westerners think that if they get physically cold they are going to get sick, even though there is no evidence to support this belief.
There is no doubt that psychosomatic conditions do exist. The question is really one of prevalence.
It seems more likely that Masuk Angin is the precursor stage for colds/flus in the majority of sufferers and that it’s not psychosomatic as much as it is simply mislabelled thanks to a long-standing tradition in Indonesian lore.
Once the symptoms develop into a fully-fledged cold then the sufferer is happy to switch out the diagnosis for once based on “medical fact”.
And it’s worth noting that even in America, many people believe that cold conditions lead to sickness.
FAQs
Why Do Indonesians Call It Masuk Angin?
Masuk Agin is “trapped wind” and many Indonesians believe that the symptoms associated with this condition come when their bodies are too full of wind.
There is no scientific basis for the idea of having too much wind in your body and it’s a throw back to Indonesian folklore. But as with many societies and many traditions, it persists even in the face of modern medicine.
It’s important to recognize, however, that because Masuk Angin symptoms aren’t caused by the wind of traditional belief, that the symptoms are still real and thus, someone with Masuk Angin is still unwell.
What Does Masuk Angin Mean?
Masuk Angin literally means “enter wind”, Masuk means “enter” and Angin means “wind”.
This is often reduced to “coming wind” or “trapped wind” in English.
What Is Masuk Angin In The Philippines?
Interestingly, while it’s true that Masuk Angin is most commonly diagnosed in Indonesia – it’s a condition that also appears elsewhere in the region once known as the Malay Archipelago.
It appears in the Philippines but it is called “Tulak Hangin” (“push out the wind”) there. In Malaysia, they may say “Masuk Angin” too but more commonly they will say “Pasok Angin” which means the same thing.
Is Masuk Angin Contagious?
No. Masuk Angin is not contagious though some locals believe that the symptoms can be alleviated by farting and burping and that the farts and burps can pass on Masuk Angin to others.
There is no evidence that this is true, though.
What Is Angin In Medical Terms?
Angin is just “wind” and it’s not a particularly significant term medically unless paired with other words.
The use of “angin” is derived from folklore and traditional medicine in the archipelago, particularly, here in Indonesia.
You’re not likey to run into “angin” in any medical textbooks, etc.
What Is Tolak Angin?
Tolak Angin is a local cure for bloating, stomach ache, headaches, fevers and dry throats. As a herbal remedy, it can be taken at any time the patient believes it might help them to feel better.
It’s commonly used prior to long journeys as it’s thought to buffer the immune system and help with sleep on the trip.
Final Thoughts On Masuk Angin And How To Treat Masuk Angin
Masuk Angin is a uniquely Indonesian idea but it clearly describes a set of real-world symptoms that can be unpleasant or downright distressing to someone suffering from them.
Thus, it’s imperative to treat Masuk Angin even if you’re not sure that the disease itself has been correctly diagnosed.
The good news is that the treatment options are easy to find, relatively low cost and are unlikely to cause any harm to the patient.
Thus, if you recieve a diagnosis of Masuk Angin here in Bali or in Indonesia as a whole, there’s no need to worry and the best news of all is that you are likely to make a full recovery within a week or two, no matter what you do.
