Editor’s Note:
This article contains reader-contributed explanations of the Indonesian concept of masuk angin. While the term is widely used throughout Indonesia, it is not a recognized medical diagnosis in Western medicine. The explanations below reflect both cultural beliefs and personal experiences shared by members of the expatriate and Indonesian communities.
A Medical Explanation of Masuk Angin
There is no exact English translation or direct medical equivalent for masuk angin. The phrase literally means “wind entering the body.”
From a medical perspective, the symptoms that Indonesians describe as masuk angin are often associated with common conditions such as:
- The early stages of a viral infection (cold or flu)
- Mild fever
- Indigestion or digestive discomfort
- Gas and bloating
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Mild dehydration
- Motion sickness
- Muscle aches and chills
Many Indonesians believe that exposure to cold air, rain, wind, air conditioning, or being outdoors at night can cause masuk angin. Modern medicine generally attributes these symptoms to viruses, digestive issues, fatigue, or environmental factors rather than wind entering the body.
Despite this difference in explanation, masuk angin remains one of Indonesia’s most common and widely understood health concepts. Treatments may include rest, warm drinks, massage, herbal remedies (jamu), and kerokan (a traditional scraping technique used to relieve discomfort).
Reader-Contributed Explanations of Masuk Angin
In response to an inquiry to the Expat website, we put the question out to the community to see what they thought “masuk angin” was.
A literal translation of the term masuk angin is: a draft or wind has entered the body, similar to having a slight cold.
masuk = to enter
angin = wind
Masuk Angin = “Wind Coming In”
It’s also referred to by some as “trapped wind.”
Our best equivalent in English is “catching a cold.” Indonesians believe that the wind makes you sick in various ways, and getting the wind out of your body by burping, passing gas, or undergoing kerokan (drawing an oiled coin repeatedly over the skin until it turns red) helps the wind leave the body so that you recover.
Masuk angin can mean:
- Feeling chilled
- Indigestion
- Bloating
- Heartburn
- Achy flu-like symptoms
- Upset stomach
- Catching a cold
… all of which are believed to be caused by wind.
Masuk angin is sometimes considered the early stage of becoming ill, particularly before developing a cold or flu. Symptoms may include:
- Dizziness
- Feeling feverish
- Chills
- Nausea
- Stomach discomfort
- Cold sweats
- General weakness
Many Indonesians use masuk angin as a general term for feeling unwell.
Some people are particularly sensitive during pancaroba, the transitional period between seasons, and may attribute their discomfort to masuk angin.
If you stay up all night (begadang), don’t get enough rest, and are exposed to cool night air, many Indonesians would say that you have allowed angin to enter your body and may wake up feeling unwell.
One reader humorously explained:
If you keep the angin inside your body, it causes a stomachache, but if you let it out (keluar angin), it causes other people to be sick, particularly if you keluar angin (fart) in a closed room.
Another suggested that in air-conditioned rooms there should be signs saying:
“Dilarang merokok” (No Smoking) and “Dilarang keluar angin” (No Farting).
An Indonesian newspaper article once listed several common treatments for masuk angin:
- Kerokan
- Massage
- Sauna
- Flu medicine
- Traditional jamu remedies
And from our “You Know You’ve Gone Native When…” observations:
- You prefer warm beer and even warm water because cold beverages could cause masuk angin.
- When travelling in a non-air-conditioned vehicle, you insist on sitting near a window so that you can keep it firmly closed and avoid the breeze.
One expatriate contributor joked:
“Masuk angin” is the reason people in Indonesia are dressed as though they’re going skiing. I’ve never understood how someone can complain that the office air conditioning isn’t cool enough, then put on a parka, gloves, and a scarf before stepping out into Jakarta’s tropical heat!
