Coughing removes secretions or foreign bodies from the respiratory tract, but it can also reflect problems with the respiratory system. TCM classifies coughs into various types, and cough remedies are chosen according to the type.
How do TCM remedies relieve cough?
1. Whooping cough
Put 150 grams of sunflower stem cores in a pot and decoct them to drink as a substitute for tea, suitable for people with cough and phlegm. Sunflower stem cores contain polysaccharides, neochlorogenic acid, scopolamine, etc. They are sweet in taste, flat in nature, and belong to the bladder meridian, which has the effect of clearing heat and relieving cough and diuretic. You can also mash the sunflower stem heart, add the right amount of sugar, and drink it with cool water, which can assist in the treatment of chronic bronchitis.
2. Cough phlegm
White radish has a cough and phlegm effect, the appropriate amount of white radish washed and sliced, together with sugar decoction, can be used to treat pediatric whooping cough, chronic bronchitis, wind cough, etc. If you suffer from tonsillitis, pharyngitis, hoarseness, more phlegm, etc., you may want to pound white radish into juice and put it in a pot with dried ginger and almonds to decoct, which can help stop cough and dissolve phlegm, warm the Yang and disperse cold. Reminder, white radish metabolism in the body can produce thiocyanic acid, and inhibit the work of the thyroid gland, if eaten with apples, pears, oranges, and other fruits containing phytochrome, will further inhibit the thyroid gland, resulting in goiter, so patients with thyroid disease should be cautious.
3. Blood in the sputum
Chinese medicine says: lily is sweet and slightly bitter, belongs to the heart and lung meridians, can play a nourishing yin moisten the lungs to stop the coughing effect, relieve the dry heat cough caused by lung yin deficiency, and phlegm with the blood. We recommend lily soup, put the lily in a pot of decoction pot, and take it once a day in the morning, in the middle of the day, and in the evening respectively. Lily is suitable for those who nourish the lungs and stomach, including those with tuberculosis, chronic cough, dry mouth and bad breath, and sores on the tongue. However, lily is on the cool side and should be used with caution by those with wind-cold coughs, those with poor spleen and stomach, and those with deficiency cold bleeding.
4. Wind-cold cough
Prepare 15 grams of rock sugar and 30 grams of garlic separately, add 120 ml of water, steam over water, and take before going to bed to relieve wind-cold cough. Chinese medicine says: garlic is warm, belongs to the lung meridian, and is used to treat cough and asthma; garlic contains allicin, which can stimulate appetite and help sterilize, especially inhibit staphylococcus, streptococcus, dysentery bacillus, etc.; rock sugar also has the effect of relieving cough and dissolving phlegm, and the two together can enhance the effect of relieving cough, but only and the cough caused by wind-cold cold.
Warm Tips
People with coughs should drink more plain water, choose light and nourishing food, and stay away from spicy and rough food. Open windows regularly and use a humidifier to improve indoor humidity to about 50%-60% relative humidity. At the same time, stay away from cigarettes and wear a mask when you go out in foggy weather.