What causes cough with black phlegm?

If you cough up black phlegm, then we need to pay attention to understand the cause. If you are weak and lack of vital energy, this symptom may occur, so you should pay more attention to regulating the spleen and stomach and replenishing the vital energy.

First, the physique is weak and the vital energy is insufficient. Due to the spleen deficiency, water and moisture can remain and condense into phlegm.

Second, the spleen and stomach are weak , and stagnation of water can damage the spleen and stomach; or eating too much raw food, melons and fruits can damage the middle yang; or drinking too much water due to fever and inadequate spleen function can cause water and moisture to retain and gather into phlegm. In addition, eating too much fatty and sweet food can cause turbid air to accumulate in the stomach, generate dampness and heat, and also turn into turbid phlegm.

Third, if exogenous infection is not treated properly , or if a person is weak and suffers from exogenous infection repeatedly, the lung qi will be damaged and unable to transport fluid to the four parts of the body and regulate the water channels to transport it to the bladder, causing the fluid to retain and turn into phlegm. The phlegm is stored in the lungs, the lung qi is not well affected, and the phlegm surges into the airways, which will inevitably lead to coughing and excessive phlegm.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the production of phlegm is mainly related to the lungs and spleen. The lungs control breathing and regulate the entry, exit, and rise and fall of zongqi (vital energy). If the lungs fail to descend, symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and uneven sleeping may occur. When wind or cold invades the lungs, the body fluid in the lungs condenses into phlegm. The spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation, that is, digesting and transporting nutrients to various organs. If dampness invades the human body, or if one thinks too much, is overworked, or has an unhealthy diet, the spleen can be damaged and lose its function of transporting and transforming water, causing dampness to stagnate inside the body and condense into phlegm.