Chinese medicine for cough

Cough can be treated with traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine includes cough suppressants and Sanaotang. These medicines can dispel cold, relieve cough and eliminate phlegm. They can also be antibacterial and antiviral. Therefore, for symptoms such as cough, we can use traditional Chinese medicine to treat it faster, but we must pay attention to the dosage of the medicine to avoid physical discomfort caused by the side effects of the medicine. You can learn about the treatment prescriptions for cough.

Syndrome differentiation and treatment of cough (classic prescriptions)

(I) Cough due to external factors

1 Wind-cold cough (wind-cold attacking the lungs syndrome): heavy cough, shortness of breath, itchy throat, thin white sputum, often accompanied by cold symptoms such as nasal congestion, clear runny nose, headache, body aches, fever, etc. It is common in acute upper respiratory tract infection caused by cold, namely wind-cold cold.

Prescription 1: Sanao Decoction

Source: Zhang Zhongjing's Sanao Decoction, which was later included in Volume 2 of Taiping Huimin Hejijufang.

Ingredients: Ephedra (without roots and nodes removed) 30 grams, Apricot kernel (without skin and tip removed) 30 grams, Licorice (without roasting) 30 grams.

Function: Clears lung qi and dispels cold, used for wind-cold blocking the lungs. It has antitussive, antiasthmatic, expectorant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and anti-allergic effects. It is suitable for coughs caused by exogenous wind-cold, allergic coughs, etc.

Prescription 2: Cough-control powder

Source: Volume 3 of "Medical Insights"

Ingredients: 1 kg each of Platycodon grandiflorum (fried), Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Aster tataricus (steamed), Stemona japonica (steamed), and Rhizoma diffusae (steamed); 375 g of licorice (fried); 500 g of tangerine peel (washed with water to remove the white part).

Usage: Grind into fine powder, take 9 grams each time, mix with boiled water after meals and before going to bed. For those who have just caught a cold, take it with ginger soup.

Function: It can relieve lung wind, stop cough and resolve phlegm. It is used for patients with persistent cough or recurring cough after recovery, such as upper respiratory tract infection, acute and chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, and other symptoms such as itchy throat, cough, and uncomfortable phlegm.

2 Wind-heat cough (wind-heat attacking the lungs syndrome): frequent and severe coughing, dry and sore throat, thick or yellow sputum that is difficult to cough up, runny yellow nose, thirst, headache, fatigue, etc. Upper respiratory tract infection, also known as wind-heat cold, is more common in summer.

Prescription 3: Sangjuyin with modifications

Source: Treatise on Febrile Diseases

Ingredients: 7.5g mulberry leaf, 3g chrysanthemum, 6g almond, 5g forsythia, 2.5g mint, 6g platycodon, 2.5g licorice, 6g reed root, 10g chuanbei, 10g loquat leaf

Function and efficacy: Dispel wind and heat, promote lung function and relieve cough. The main effects include antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, antibacterial, and inhibition of hyperperistalsis of the intestine. It is used for patients with cough, thick sputum and dry throat. It is suitable for cough caused by wind-heat cold and acute pharyngitis in summer.

3 Wind-dryness cough (wind-dryness damaging the lungs): dry cough, constant choking cough, itchy throat, sore throat, dry lips and nose, no sputum or little and sticky sputum, difficulty in coughing up sputum, etc. It is common in diseases such as cough syndrome after upper respiratory tract infection, cough variant asthma, acute and chronic pharyngitis, and acute bronchitis.

Prescription 4: Sangxingyin with modifications

Source: Treatise on Febrile Diseases

10g mulberry leaf, 5g almond, 5g adenophora, 3g elephant fritillaria, 15g pear peel, 6g burdock, 6g peucedanum, 10g crystal sugar

Function and efficacy: Dispel wind-heat, clear the lungs and relieve cough. This recipe is often used for acute bronchitis, acute and chronic pharyngitis, and can be drunk instead of tea.

(ii) Cough due to internal injury

1 Phlegm-damp cough (phlegm-dampness accumulation in the lungs syndrome): Coughing occurs repeatedly with a heavy and turbid cough sound and a lot of thick phlegm. The cough is caused by phlegm and stops when the phlegm is coughed out. The cough worsens in the morning or after meals and is accompanied by symptoms such as chest tightness, anorexia, and fatigue. It can be seen in diseases such as chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, and some asthma.

Prescription 5: Erchen Decoction combined with Sanzi Yangqin Decoction with modifications:

Source: From "Taiping Huimin Hejijufang" and "Jiexiaofang"

Ingredients: 12g of Pinellia, 15g of Tangerine Peel, 15g of Poria, 10g of Licorice, 15g of Belamcanda, 15g of Lemongrass, 15g of Perilla Seed, 12g of White Mustard Seed, 15g of Radish Seed, 15g of Coltsfoot Flower, 15g of Atractylodes, etc.

Functions and effects: Drying dampness and resolving phlegm, regulating qi and relieving cough. It is used for patients with cough, excessive sputum, thick sputum, chest tightness and loss of appetite.

2 Phlegm-heat cough (phlegm-heat stagnation in the lungs syndrome): cough, rough breathing, shortness of breath, or phlegm sound in the throat, a lot of thick or yellow phlegm, difficulty in coughing up phlegm, phlegm with hot and fishy smell or hemoptysis, chest tightness, chest pain, flushed face, or fever, dry and sticky mouth, thirst, etc. It can be seen in diseases such as lung abscess, pneumonia, and bronchiectasis.

Prescription 6: Qingjin Huatan Decoction with modifications