Phlegm Blocking Lungs - asthma Root

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In an earlier post we saw that asthma can be a manifestation of a number of

TCM syndromes. The imbalance can be rooted in the Lungs, the Liver, the

Kidneys, and/or the Spleen. What helps asthma from one Root may not help or

may even make worse asthma from another Root.

 

The most important things to consider when looking at asthma is Hot/Cold and

Excess/Deficiency. Possible Qi Stagnation and improper direction of flow

may also be important.

 

In general, if the person has more problems inhaling than exhaling, the

condition is due to Deficiency. If the person has equal or greater problems

breathing out than breathing in, this points to Excess.

 

There are two main types of Phlegm Blocking (Obstructing) the Lungs - Hot

Phlegm and Cold Phlegm. Phlegm Obstructing (Blocking) the Lungs actually is

subdivided into conditions like Damp Phlegm Obstructing Lungs, Phlegm Heat

Obstructing the Lungs, Phlegm Fluids Obstructing the Lungs, etc., but at

this point we'll stick with learning the basics of Cold Phlegm Obstructing

Lungs and Hot Phlegm Obstructing Lungs.

 

The treatments for any Cold condition is going to be radically different

than the treatments for any Hot condition, and this includes Phlegm blocking

the Lungs. The symptoms that are common to both include heavy and rasping

breathing, breathing is harder when the person is lying down (but this can

also be a symptom of Kidneys Refusing to Receive Qi), and chest and

subcostal distention and soreness.

 

When you start to consider if it's Cold Phlegm or Hot Phlegm, the symptoms

divurge. With Cold Phlegm you see the usual symptoms of any Cold disorder:

The person tends to fell cold and dislike cold, the person is seldom thirsty

or prefers hot soup or hot drinks, the urine is light-colored and there may

be a lot of it, the stools are loose, application of heat reduces

discomfort, and the tongue tissue is pale (actually normal colored to pale)

and the tongue coating is white. Because this is a Phlegm problem and

Dampness problem (Excess), the tongue coating with be thick and

wet-appearing in addition to being white. The pulse will be slow like in

all Cold conditions, but because this is an Excess problem, it also will be

slippery. (A slippery pulse is one which feels like a slippery pearl sliding

beneath the fingers. It has a gradual rising and falling quality, and its

boundaries are poorly defined. A slippery pulse can indicate Phlegm, Food

Stagnation, and/or Excess Heat. (Wicke, vol 1, p. 236) Maciocia says that a

slippery pulse can indicate Phlegm, Dampness, retention of food (Food

Stagnation), or pregnancy. (Foundations, p. 168) When you encounter a

slippery pulse, consider the possibility of Phlegm first and rule in or

out.)

 

If it's Hot Phlegm Blocking the Lungs, you'll going to see the symptoms

common to both Hot and Cold Phlegm Blocking the Lungs (like heavy and

rasping breathing, chest and subcostal distention and soreness, etc.) pulse

you're going to see the signs of any Heat disorder. The person will tend to

feel hot and dislike heat, the urine is dark-colored, and cold tends to

reduce discomfort. The tongue will be reddish (actually normal to reddish

and the tip especially will be red since this is a Lung Heat disorder). The

tongue coating will be yellow like in any heat disorder, but it also will be

thick because this is a Dampness and/or Phlegm disorder. Like all Heat

disorders, the pulse will tend to be rapid and strong, but since this is

Phlegm, it also will be slippery in quality. However, Hot Phlegm Blocking

the Lungs differs from what you usually find in Hot disorders when it comes

to thirst and drinking. Usually in Heat disorders the person will be thirsty

and drink a lot and wants cold liquids. But in Hot Phlegm Obstructing the

Lungs the person may not want liquids or may want cold liquids but refuse to

swallow much because the person has an adversion to drinking. The person

may complain that the liquid just sloushes around in his/her stomach and

feels uncomfortable. This aversion to liquids is common with any Dampness

and/or Phlegm accumulation problems. The person feels water-logged because

of the Dampness and/or Phlegm.

 

The mucus from the lungs will be different depending on rather it's Hot or

Cold Phlegm Obstructing the Lungs. In Cold Phlegm, there will tend to be a

lot of clear or white mucus. In Hot Phlegm Blocking Lungs, the mucus tends

to be thick, sticky, and yellow.

 

There often will be high-pitched coughing with either condition.

 

The etiology of the two may vary quite a bit. Wicke says that " Both Hot

Phlegm and Cold Phlegm Blocking the Lungs are most commonly generated from a

Pernicious Evil invasion in an individual with a predisposition toward

Dampness Accumulation or Stagnation. " (vol 1, p. 99) This is a good, general

rule when it comes to Phlegm Blocking the Lungs. What it means is that two

factors usually have to be present. There is an Exterior Pernicious Evil

attacking (the temperature is too hot or cold) but there usually also is an

underlying weakness in the Spleen like Spleen Qi Deficiency. One of the

jobs of the Spleen system is to move fluids in the body and make sure that

all parts of the body have just the right amount of fluid, neither too much

or too little. If Spleen Qi is weak, the Spleen can't perform these

functions and Dampness accumulates and Stagnates. If the Dampness sits in

an area long enough, it congeals into Phlegm. If Phlegm is exposed to cold

conditions (like the air the person breathes in being too cold (or the

person lacking Yang energy), the Phlegm will be Cold. If it forms under

conditions of Heat (like the weather being too hot, or the person smokes, or

the person eats a lot of spicy foods, or the person is Yin Deficient), it

will be Hot Phlegm.

 

Sometimes Cold Phlegm will transform into Hot Phlegm. This can happen when

there is severe blockage (or the person has an infectious disease and severe

fever). Any time a person has a severe blockage from any cause, Cold (or

any Pernicious Evil) can turn into Hot. It's like what happens in a pressure

cooker. The reason food inside pressure cookers reach much higher

temperatures than food in a regular pot is because there is no where for

most of the enery to go. It builds up, and temperature rises as a result.

Something like this happens in the body anytime there is severe blockage

from Phlegm or severe blockage of Qi. Wherever the energy dams up it will

create Heat. You also see this when the common cold turns into pneumonia.

The Wind Cold becomes blocked and can't escape, and it turns into Heat and

even Fire.

 

Phlegm disorders tend to take a long time to treat and resolve. In addition

the treatment of the Phlegm will differ according to its nature. It's not

just a matter of the person has Phlegm so let's just give him/her an herb

like pinellia to get rid of Phlegm. According to Dr. C.S. Cheung in

Comprehensive Management Phlegm Fluid (Tan Yin), Cold Phlegm is best treated

not by directly attacking it with herbs to dissolve Phlegm but by clearing

up the underlying reason why the person is too Cold. If there's Interior

Excess Cold, use herbs to Warm the Interior. If it's due to Yang Deficiency

(Deficiency Cold), tonify Yang. (Treatments will vary according to what type

of Phlegm it is - Cold, Hot, Damp, Dry, etc.)

 

Because Spleen Qi Deficiency so often plays a role in Phlegm formation in

the Lungs, you must check to determine if Spleen Qi Deficiency is present.

If there is a Root of Spleen Qi Deficiency contributing to the Lung Phlegm,

it will do you no good to attack just the Phlegm. It will just keep forming

until the underlying problem of the Spleen being too weak to move fluids

properly.

 

Some Kidney imbalances also can cause problems with fluids not moving

properly so it's not automatic that it's Spleen Qi Deficiency or just Spleen

Qi Deficiency. Check all possibilities.

 

BTW, modern authorities are looking increasingly at the role of Phlegm and

Blood Stasis (co-factors) in many intractable conditions.

 

Victoria

 

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