Posted on 01/17/2026 7:59:07 PM PST by SeekAndFind
During the winter, coughing becomes one of the most common reasons for clinic visits. Many people mistake a persistent cough for an unresolved cold, turning to over-the-counter medications or throat lozenges, only to see little to no improvement. Meanwhile, in some cases, symptoms may worsen.
In Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), treating a cough begins with identifying the pattern and determining whether it is caused by cold or heat, or by external factors or internal imbalances. This approach helps address the root cause rather than simply alleviating symptoms.
With proper home care and guidance, a chronic cough can often be effectively managed by first identifying the type of cough and then choosing the most appropriate treatment.
Coughs are classified according to characteristics such as the color and amount of phlegm, the sound of the cough, and the time of onset.
Cough Sound: Frequent, intense, loud, and forceful.
Phlegm: Yellow or green, thick, and sticky.
Timing: More common during the daytime.
Other Features: Often accompanied by a sore throat and a yellow tongue coating.
Relief Methods: Treatment focuses on clearing heat and reducing internal fire by avoiding spicy, fried, or other heat-inducing foods and beverages, such as grilled meats, sugary snacks, highly processed foods, and alcohol, which can aggravate the condition.
Cough Sound: Clear and crisp.
Phlegm: White, thin, and sometimes frothy.
Timing: More common at night.
Other Features: Often accompanied by chills, clear nasal discharge, and other signs of a wind-cold pattern—an external cold invasion carried by wind that blocks circulation at the body’s surface, causing chills, stiffness, and clear congestion
Relief Methods: Avoid cold or chilled beverages and limit the use of menthol or other cooling throat lozenges, as these may worsen the condition.
Cough Sound: Short and dry.
Phlegm: Little to none.
Timing: May occur both in the morning and at night; often seen during seasonal changes or after excessive use of voice
Other Features: Triggered by dryness, often causing an itchy throat and, at times, redness or swelling of the throat lining.
Relief Methods: Treatment focuses on moisturizing and soothing dryness, including drinking plenty of water to keep the throat well hydrated.
Cough Sound: Weak, often accompanied by shortness of breath.
Phlegm: Clear and scant.
Timing: Persistent
Other Features: Common among people with weakened constitutions, such as those with asthma, older people, or people with chronic illnesses.
Relief Methods: Treatment focuses on nourishing the lung’s vital energy or “qi” and strengthening the spleen and kidneys. Herbal therapy may help restore balance and support immune function.
Apart from the above types of coughs, some may experience excessive or forceful coughing, which may cause tiny blood vessels in the airways to rupture, leading to small streaks of blood in the phlegm. This typically occurs during the inflammatory phase of a heat-type or dry-type cough and can often be relieved with medications that help clear internal heat.
However, if phlegm contains visible blood clots or a significant amount of bright red blood—or if coughing up blood occurs without any symptoms of a cold—the condition may be more serious. In such cases, immediate medical attention is essential to rule out possible structural abnormalities in the lungs.
After a confirmed diagnosis, TCM strategies can be used as a complementary approach to support recovery.
Symptoms: Nasal allergies can cause postnasal drip, in which mucus flows down the back of the throat and irritates the pharynx and trachea, leading to coughing.
From a TCM Perspective: Nasal allergies are often associated with a deficiency-cold pattern involving the lungs, spleen, and kidneys.
When nasal congestion is severe, people tend to breathe through the mouth during sleep. This allows bacteria and viruses to enter the lungs directly, bypassing the nasal filtration process. Over time, this can affect sleep quality and may contribute to sleep apnea. Therefore, proper management of nasal allergies is essential.
Symptoms: A typical feature is a dry cough that occurs when lying down at night, during the night, or early in the morning. It is often accompanied by a bitter taste in the mouth and throat discomfort upon waking.
Identification: Redness and irritation at the back of the throat observed during examination with a tongue depressor, in the absence of any acute cold symptoms, are strong indicators of gastroesophageal reflux.
Some patients experience coughing for up to six months, finding little improvement despite treatment by an otolaryngologist (ENT specialist). Once gastroesophageal reflux is properly managed, however, the cough often subsides within about two weeks.
At this stage, continuing to take over-the-counter cough suppressants may further weaken the body’s resistance and delay recovery.
Consulting a qualified TCM practitioner for an individualized treatment plan tailored to your body constitution and stage of illness is recommended.
Restoring internal balance can help prevent a cough from becoming prolonged or recurring. Targeted herbal formulas can enhance immunity, shorten the duration of illness, and are nonhabit-forming, making them a suitable choice for children and people suffering from chronic coughs.
Phlegm-Producing Foods: Excessively sweet foods tend to generate phlegm. People with abundant phlegm should avoid having too much loquat syrup or other sweetened cough remedies.
Cold and Cooling Foods: Chilled beverages and foods with cooling properties, such as melons and mint, can worsen cold-type coughs.
Herbal Medicine: Herbal products should be obtained from reputable sources that follow established quality and safety standards and are tested to be free of pesticide and heavy metal contamination.
During the hot summer period, the pores open in response to heat, allowing the herbal pastes to penetrate the skin. This process helps strengthen lung function and expel deep-seated phlegm and cold. Tianjiu therapy is regarded as one of TCM’s classic preventive and restorative methods for managing asthma and chronic respiratory conditions.
Sanjiu Plaster treatment—applied during the coldest days of winter, known as Sanjiu days—can also help maintain lung health, though its effects are generally less pronounced than those of Sanfu Plasters.
In TCM, effective management for coughing involves not only improving one’s environment and diet but, more importantly, addressing the root cause through pattern-based diagnosis and treatment.
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cough bkmk
Drink.
Go to bed.
Cough gone.
Bookmark
Go to bed with a hot bottle and a cold blonde
or a hot blonde and a cold bottle.
Either works
I’m a big believer in Mullein Leaf Tea. I attribute it to saving my life in 2019. I couldn’t cough the phlegm out of my lungs to save me. The Tea worked. Think about it as far as a very thick cough syrup compared to a more liquid medium. It grows wild here in Ohio.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mullein-benefits
https://www.hawthorncenter.com/for-lung-health-get-to-know-mullein/
Another interesting article about it’s history.
https://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/plant-profile/herb-to-know-mullein-verbascum-thapsus/
They didn’t mention the Lisinopril cough.
Cure is to stop taking it.
bbb
You are right about Lisinopril. But the dry cough caused is lesser evil than high blood pressure
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