Bronchial Asthma
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Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways, leading to difficulty in breathing, coughing, and wheezing. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a unique approach to treating bronchial asthma by focusing on the individual's overall health and addressing the root causes of the condition. In this article, we will explore several TCM remedies for bronchial asthma based on different underlying causes, as well as the key ingredients and their benefits.
Cold Sputum Obstructing the Lungs
Symptoms: Cold limbs, congested chest with a choking sensation, coughing out thin and watery sputum, love of hot or warm drinks, no perspiration, pain in the chest, panting, swelling of the lungs, and wheezing.
Treatment: She-Gan-Ma-Huang-Tang is prescribed to warm the lungs, expel cold, and remove sputum.
Foods to incorporate: Fresh ginger, leaf or brown mustard, black and white pepper, and white or yellow mustard seed.
Sputum-Heat Accumulated in the Lungs
Symptoms: Acute respiration and gasping for air, coughing out yellowish or sticky sputum, panting, swelling of the lungs, thirst with craving for cold drinks, and wheezing.
Treatment: Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan-Tang is used to expand the lungs, clear heat, transform sputum, and push down the lungs' energy.
Foods to incorporate: Apple peel, common button mushroom, grapefruit peel, radish, and pear.
Lungs-Dampness
Symptoms: Congested chest, copious sticky sputum, cough with gasping for air, insomnia, nausea, palpitations, poor appetite, vomiting, and underweight.
Treatment: San-Zi-Tang with Er-Chen-Tang is prescribed to push down lungs' energy, transform sputum, promote energy circulation, and stop panting and cough.
Foods to incorporate: Cheese, Job's-tears, adzuki bean, ambergris, barley, bamboo shoot, common carp, cucumber, mung bean, seaweed, shepherds purse, and star fruit.
Lungs Unable to Push Down Energy
Symptoms: Cough, discharge of copious whitish and sticky sputum, dislike of cold, dry throat without thirst, inability to lie on back, more exhaling than inhaling, pain in the throat, palpitations, short streams of reddish urine, swelling of the lower abdomen, wheezing that persists or occurs suddenly, and wheezing triggered or intensified by moving around.
Treatment: Shen-Zhe-Zhen-Qi-Tang is used to push down upsurging lungs' energy, transform sputum, and relieve panting.
Foods to incorporate: Adzuki bean, ambergris, barley, bamboo shoot, seaweed, black soybean, almond, areca nut, buckwheat, common carp, cashew nut, coriander, grapefruit peel, loquat, malt, nutmeg, pea, black and white pepper, radish, rice bran, sword bean, and clove.
Lungs Energy Deficiency
Symptoms: Breathing difficulty, cold limbs, common cold, copious clear and watery sputum, cough, excessive perspiration, fatigue, fear of cold, dislike of wind, light wheezing, low and weak voice, shortness of breath, smooth urination, swelling of the lungs, and too tired to talk.
Treatment: Bu-Fei-Tang is prescribed to strengthen the lungs' energy, solidify the superficial region, and relieve panting and cough.
Foods to incorporate: Cheese, Job's-tears, yam grape, longan nut, maltose, mandarin fish, Irish potato, sweet rice, apple, cucumber, bog bean, gold carp, carrot, chestnut, ham, horse bean, hyacinth bean, royal jelly, string bean, whitefish, yam, red and black date, mutton, squash, and rock sugar.
Loss of the Kidneys' Capacity for Absorbing Inspiration
Symptoms: Breathing difficulty, cold limbs, fear of cold, frequent fear of cold both in hands and feet, frequent urination, more inhaling than exhaling, panting triggered or intensified by moving around, perspiration due to hot weather or putting on warm clothes, shortness of breath, swelling of the lungs, wheezing, and whitish sputum.
Treatment: Shen-Qi-Wan is used to tone and warm the kidneys.
Foods to incorporate: Abalone, asparagus, chicken egg, cuttlefish, duck, duck egg, white fungus, milk, lobster, oyster, pork, royal jelly, chestnut, chicken liver, pork kidneys, sardine, shrimp, sparrow, clove, dill seed, fennel, pistachio nut, sparrow egg, crab apple, raspberry, and walnut.
Conclusion
Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a holistic and natural approach to treating bronchial asthma by addressing the root causes and focusing on overall health. The remedies discussed in this article target various underlying issues and offer relief from asthma symptoms using a combination of herbs, fruits, and other natural ingredients. It is essential to consult with a qualified TCM practitioner before starting any treatment to ensure the proper diagnosis and treatment plan are tailored to your specific needs. With the right guidance, TCM can be an effective complementary therapy for managing bronchial asthma and improving overall well-being.