Cough, a main symptom of lung problems, may result either from attack by exogenous pathogenic factors disturbing the dispersion of qi of the lung or from disorders of the lung itself or other diseased zang-fu organs affecting the lung.
Invasion by the exogenous pathogenic factors:
The lung dominates qi and is regarded as an umbrella protecting the five zang organs. Upward it connects the throat and has its opening in the nose, governing respiration. Externally it associates with the skin and hair. Once the lung is attacked by the exogenous pathogenic factors, the qi of the lung is blocked and fails to descend, thus resulting in cough.
Since the weather changes in different seasons, the exogenous pathogenic factors attacking the human body are various. Cough is therefore divided into two types: wind cold and wind heat.
Internal injury:
Cough resulted from functional impairment of the zang-fu organs falls into the category of cough due to internal injury, such as cough caused by dryness of the lung with deficiency of yin leading to failure of the qi of the lung to descend or by disorders of the other organs affecting the lung. For example, in case of weakened spleen yang, the accumulated dampness may be turned into phlegm which goes upward to the lung, affecting the normal activities of qi and leading to cough. As said in internal classic, “Cough can be caused by disturbance not only of the lung, but of any other zang-fu organs.” No matter which zang-fu organ is dysfunctioned, cough may result if the lung is affected. The commonly seen cough caused by internal injury in clinic results from dryness of the lung with deficiency of yin, and blockage of the lung by phlegm.
Cough is often seen in common cold, acute and chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchiectasis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Cough can be treated with Acupuncture and Herbs.
For more information, please call Jun’s Acupuncture Clinic at 661-799-7369.