pasma

Pasma is a Filipino cultural concept describing a set of symptoms believed to arise after exposure to cold air or water, a rapid change in temperature, or emotional stress. It is not recognized as a medical disease by scientific health authorities and is considered a culture-bound syndrome or psychosomatic condition within the Philippines.

Symptoms attributed to pasma vary but commonly include dizziness, stomach pain or nausea, headaches, feverish warmth or chills, numbness or tingling in the limbs, muscle cramps, fainting, and a general sense of malaise that follows such exposure or distress.

Beliefs about pasma emphasize bodily imbalance caused by coldness, wetness, or sudden environmental shifts. The explanation remains largely cultural and is widespread in everyday speech, media, and popular culture, though not all symptoms need to be present for someone to be described as pasmado or pasma.

Treatment in traditional practice centers on warming the body and restoring balance: staying warm, drinking hot fluids, rest, and sometimes warm massages or foot baths. In modern medical contexts, pasma is treated as a non-specific complaint, and persistent or severe symptoms should be evaluated by a health professional to rule out other conditions.

See also: culture-bound syndrome; folk illness.