There are several types of cough in traditional Chinese medicine

According to TCM diagnosis, cough is caused by the deficiency and unclearness of lung qi, which fails to clear and purify the lung qi, and causes cough as its characteristic symptom. Cough and bloody sputum are the clinical symptoms of this syndrome. Because the causes of the disease and the body's responses are different, corresponding symptoms and characteristics appear. Cough and bloody sputum caused by exogenous wind-cold are mostly accompanied by fever, headache, chills, etc., with an acute onset and a short history of illness. Cough caused by internal injuries generally has no symptoms of exogenous wind-cold, a slow onset, a long history of illness, and is often accompanied by symptoms of imbalance in the functions of the internal organs.

TCM Syndrome Differentiation: Cough and Cold Affecting the Lungs

In the early stage, the throat itches and causes a heavy cough, shortness of breath, bloody sputum that is thin and sticky, or nasal congestion and clear runny nose, white and greasy tongue coating, and a floating pulse. If it is caused by heat, the sputum and runny nose will turn from white to yellow.

TCM Syndrome Differentiation of Cough and Wind-Heat Invading the Lung

Common cough with thick yellow sputum, rough breathing, sore throat, dry mouth, runny yellow nose, thin yellow fur, and a floating pulse

TCM Syndrome Differentiation: Cough and Dryness Harm the Body

Dry cough with little or no sputum, dry nasopharynx, red and dry tongue with little fluid, rapid pulse

TCM Syndrome Differentiation of Cough and Phlegm-Dampness in the Lungs

Heavy cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath, thick white sputum, greasy white tongue coating, slippery pulse

TCM Syndrome Differentiation of Cough, Phlegm, Heat and Lung Stagnation

Bloody sputum, thick yellow color, chest tightness, shortness of breath, thick yellow tongue coating, slippery and rapid pulse

TCM Syndrome Differentiation of Cough Liver Fire Invading the Lungs

Cough due to qi reversal, pain in the ribs caused by cough, yellow tongue coating with little fluid, deep and rapid pulse

TCM Syndrome Differentiation of Cough and Lung Yin Deficiency

Dry cough without sputum, or hemoptysis, red tongue with little coating, and thready and rapid pulse.

Causes of cough according to TCM syndrome differentiation

Cough is related to the invasion of external evil and the imbalance of the functions of the internal organs. As the "Medical Three Character Classic" often says: "The lungs are the canopy of the five internal organs. When you exhale, they are empty, and when you inhale, they are full. They can only receive the positive Qi of their own organs, and cannot accept the courtesy of outsiders. If the courtesy dries it up, you will choke and cough. They can also only receive the fresh Qi of the five internal organs, and cannot accept the evil Qi of the five internal organs. If the evil Qi dries it up, you will also choke and cough." The causes of cough are, first, the exogenous evil wind, cold and the six evils; second, the evil Qi of the five internal organs, both of which can cause the lungs to be deficient and unclear in Qi, failing to diffuse and clear, forcing Qi upward and causing cough.

TCM Syndrome Differentiation of Cough 1 External Evil Invading the Lungs

The six exogenous pathogens of wind, cold or fur enter the lungs through the mouth, nose or fur, causing the lungs to become deficient and qi to be restrained, and the lungs to fail to descend. The "Hejian Liushu Pengti Ketsu" says: "The six qi of cold, heat, dryness, dampness, wind and fire all cause coughing." This is what it means. Because the heat of the four seasons is different, the external evils felt by the body are also different. Wind is the first of the six evils, and other external evils often invade the body along with cold evil. Therefore, cough caused by wind and cold is often dominated by wind, or accompanied by cold, heat, or dryness, among which cold accompanied by cold is particularly common. Zhang Jingyue said: "All six qi make people cough, and cold symptoms are dominant."

TCM Syndrome Differentiation of Cough Internal Evils Involving the Lungs

The functions of the internal organs are not coordinated, which affects the lungs. The different internal organs diseases involve both the lungs and the lung diseases themselves. Coughing in other organs and lungs may be caused by emotional stimulation, liver dysfunction, qi stagnation and fire, and qi and fire going up against the meridians and attacking the lungs; or by poor diet, such as a preference for alcohol, cigarettes, spicy food and other fire-promoting foods, which burn the lungs and stomach, burn the body fluids and produce phlegm; eating too much fatty and greasy food, which leads to dysfunction of the liver, phlegm inside the body, which dries up in the lungs and blocks the trachea, all of which can cause lung qi to go up against the meridians and cause coughing. Because the lungs are sick, they are often difficult to heal due to various lung diseases, weak lungs, damaged yin and depleted qi, disorder of the lung's function of controlling qi, and even the inability to descend, which leads to coughing.