Cough  Ke Sou

Bronchitis or Cough is due to lung Qi up surging in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The lung Qi cant descend meaning the lung cannot complete its descending function.

Ke Sou (cough) can be caused by both external pathogens and internal pathogens

Internal: - slow onseTongue - may be induced by anger

External: - quick onseTongue - agg. by wind and cold  joint and muscle aching.

Etiology (causes) of Cough in TCM:

1. Heat - thirst and/or fever, constant continual cough

2. Dry- itchy throat with dry symptoms

3. Damp - aching joints, heavy body, foggy in head

4. Yin deficient - dry hacking cough, hoarseness, sticky phlegm

5. Qi deficient - weak cough, large amount of thin phlegm

When Diagnosing a Cough Distinguish between:

Pulmonary Tuberculosis: - cough blood, chest pain, tidal fever,

Asthma- wheezing cough, lung distension, breathing difficult

Chinese Medicine Differentiation and Treatment of Cough 

Wind Cold Cough with white thin phlegm, superficial syndrome, tickle in throat Tongue - thin white coat Pulse - floating / tense

Principle of Treatment: expel wind cold, promote lung function, disperse lung Qi to relieve cough.

Acupuncture points for Cough - hand Taiyin and Yangming, Lung 7, Large Intestine 4, Bladder 13 (disperse Lung Qi, relieve cough), SJ 5 - superficial symptoms  Bladder 11,12 (Moxa and cupping) - headache  Gall bladder 20, Du 23 - body and limbs aching  Bladder 60, Large Intestine 7 - Phlegm  Stomach 40

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Xing Su San, Jin Fuo Cao San

External Cold with Internal Heat Heavy hacking cough, thick phlegm, chest pain, thirst, sore throat Tongue - white greasy yellow coat Pulse - rapid, tense

Principle of Treatment: Expel cold and clear heat

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang

Cool Dry Dry cough, dry nose, dry mouth, dry throat, superficial wind cold symptoms, no sweat. T - dry coating Pulse - floating, tense

Principle of Treatment: expel wind-cold, moisten lung to relieve cough

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Xing Su San

External Fire Loud, dry cough, scanty bloody phlegm, thirst, red complexion, chest/hypochondriac pain, constipation, red tongue Tongue - red Pulse - forceful, rapid  

Principle of Treatment: Purge lung fire, induce bowel movement

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Liang Ge San

Phlegm Damp Cough with large amount of phlegm(white/sticky), fullness in chest, poor appetite, fatigue Tongue - greasy white coating Pulse - slippery, soft

Principle of Treatment: Invigorate spleen, dry dampness, promote lung Qi to eliminate phlegm.

Acupuncture points for Cough - hand foot Taiyin, Lung 9, Bladder 13 (regulate Lung Qi), Bladder 20, Spleen 3 (relieve cough), Stomach 40 - poor appetite  Pericardium 6, Stomach 36

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Er Chen Tang Excess Phlegm - San Zi Yang Qin Tan

Wind Heat Thick yellow sticky phlegm, dry mouth, sore throat, fever, H/A, aversion to wind, nasal discharge, (sweating) Tongue - tip/sides red Pulse - floating, rapid

Principle of Treatment: expel wind, clear heat and descend Qi by promoting lung function to relieve cough.

Acupuncture points for Cough - hand Taiyin and Yangming, Du, induce sweat, Large Intestine 11 (expel Wind Heat), Bladder 13, bleed Lung 5, Du 14 - sore throaTongue - bleed Lung 11, Large Intestine 1 - copious cough  Ren 22, Stomach 40

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Yin Chao San, Sang Jue Yin

Wind Damp-Heat Thick yellow sticky phlegm, dry mouth, sore throat, fever, H/A, aversion to wind, nasal discharge, sticky sweat - MORE PHLEGM, TIGHT/FULL CHEST T - greasy white Pulse - soft, rapid

Principle of Treatment: expel wind, clear heat, expel dampness and descend lung Qi by promoting lung function to relieve cough.

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: With Summer HeaTongue - Ching Hao / Xiang Ru

Warm Dryness Small amount of phlegm (sticky, possible blood spots), dry mouth, nose, throat, nose bleed, chest pain, aversion to wind, fever, H/A Tongue - tip/sides red, thin yellow dry coat Pulse - thin, rapid

Principle of Treatment: clear lung heat, moisten dryness, expel wind to relieve cough  

Acupuncture points for Cough - hand Taiyin, foot Shaoyin, neutral stimulation, Kidney 3 (moisten LU), Bladder 13, Kidney 6, Lung 7 (all for throat/chest/Lung disorders) - blood in Phlegm  Lung 6, Spleen 10

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Sang Xing Tang *diet-pears lubricate dry lung.

Phlegm Heat Yellow thick sticky phlegm, chest fullness, dry mouth bitter taste in mouth, sore throat Tongue - red, yellow greasy Pulse - slippery, rapid

Principle of Treatment: Clear heat, eliminate phlegm, promote lung function

Acupuncture points for Cough - hand Taiyin and Yangming, Lung 5, 7, Bladder 13, Stomach 40 (Phlegm), Large Intestine 11 (heat)  

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Qing Jing Hua Tang

Liver Fire Cough (liver qi stagnation turns into fire attacking lung), Cough fresh blood, agg by anger/stress, moving pain in chest/hypochondria Tongue - red, yellow coat Pulse - wiry, rapid

Principle of Treatment: purge lung and liver fire

Acupuncture points for Cough - foot Jueyin, hand Taiyin, Lung 5, Bladder 13, Gall bladder 34 and Liver 3 (dry throat), Kidney 6, Lung 6

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Dai Ge San, Xie Bai San

Yin Deficiency Dryness, evening dry cough, little/no phlegm, dry symptoms, night sweat Tongue - red Pulse - thin, rapid

Principle of Treatment: nourish lung yin, lubricate lung

Acupuncture points for Cough- Lung 1, Bladder 13, 23 (nourish Lung Kidney Yin), Lung 5, Kidney 6 (Yin deficient heat), Kidney 3, Lung 9 (nourish Lung KI) - night sweats  Small Intestine 3 - tidal fever  Large Intestine 11 - 5 centre heaTongue - Pericardium 8, Kidney 1, Bladder 43

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Er Dong Tian Meng Dong

Lung Qi Deficiency Weak cough, low voice, shortness of breath, thin phlegm, easily catch cold all year, aversion to cold, spontaneous sweat. Tongue - pale, thin, white Pulse - weak  

Principle of Treatment: nourish Qi, transform phlegm

Acupuncture points for Cough - hand Taiyin, foot Yangming, Lung 9, Bladder 13, Lung 7, Stomach 36, Ren 6 - fullness, shortness of breath  Ren 17, Pericardium 6 - wheezing  ding chuan

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Bu Fei Tong

Yang Deficiency (originates as sp/kd deficiency), Cough with watery frothy clear phlegm, palpitation, dizziness, edema, averion to cold Tongue - swollen purple, white coat Pulse - deep, slippery

Principle of Treatment: Warm up spleen, kidney yang, eliminate water, expel cold

Herbal Medicine Formula for Cough: Zhen Wu Tang

Alternative Treatment Methods

Ear Acupuncture Points for treating Cough LU, trachea, bronchi, shenmen, *medium stimulation

7 star Needle for Cough  Du and Lung meridian, upper chest

injection treatment for Cough Ren 17, Lung 1, Liver 2, Bladder 11, 12, 13, Gall bladder 21, ding chuan, Stomach 36, Stomach 40 chronic cough should be treated in mid summer with 16 % Bai Fu Zi, 48 % Yang Jin Hya Ye