Lung Problems & Brain Connection

[Guest guest]

I was told by my OMD (Oriental Medical Doctor) that I had problems

with my lungs. These included coughing, wheezing, etc. She also

thought this could be the problem of my hair falling out.

 

But she also told me that it could be a part of my emotional problems

or anxiety because the lungs are connected to the part of the brain

that controls thinking.

 

She said acupuncture would solve all of these.

 

Does all of this sound right? What is the connection with the lungs

and the brain?

[Guest guest]

gigigrem wrote:

>

> I was told by my OMD (Oriental Medical Doctor) that I had problems

> with my lungs. These included coughing, wheezing, etc. She also

> thought this could be the problem of my hair falling out.

>

> But she also told me that it could be a part of my emotional problems

> or anxiety because the lungs are connected to the part of the brain

> that controls thinking.

>

> She said acupuncture would solve all of these.

>

> Does all of this sound right? What is the connection with the lungs

> and the brain?

 

One of the problems in treating people with Oriental or Chinese medicine

is that half of the time we have to come up with some way to explain in

recognizable terms the things that we do that don't always translate

that well.

 

What you described doesn't sound right at all, but I wouldn't point my

needling finger at your OMD and say that she is doing something wrong,

either.

 

The Lungs (capitalized here to differentiate them from the lungs, which

are the biomedical concept of the organ) would be responsible for

coughing and wheezing, yes. That makes obvious sense. Now, the

functions of the Lungs can also be witnessed in the skin and the body

hair too. It is the Lungs' energy called " wei qi " that is responsible

for the opening and closing of the pores of the skin to allow sweat out

and to prevent hazardess materials to get in. We sometimes call that

the immune system too.

 

Now, hair falling out can be due to a variety of problems stemming from

not just the Lungs, but the Liver (Liver Blood) or the Kidney's Yin. So

if your OMD is connecting your particular hair loss issue to the other

Lung problems that's okay with me.

 

As for the Lungs being attached to the brain that is the part that

controls thinking, I'm not sure where she's coming from here. There are

connections between every organ in the body in Chinese medicine, so we

can always find some relationship, but as for a direct connection of the

lungs to the brain, specifically in regards to anxiety, I'm at a bit of

a loss.

 

Personally, just given what you've told me, and this is no where near

enough to really know what's going on, I would say that you've got a

Lung problem, but you've also got a deficiency of Blood in there as

well. A Blood Deficiency can cause hair loss as well as anxiety. I

suppose that if it is related to a Jing or Yin (body fluids) deficiency

then the Lungs could get dry and give rise to the coughing and wheezing.

Or the Lung issue may be simply that, a Lung problem not necessarily

attached to anything else.

 

The bottom line is this: Monitor your coughing, your hair loss and your

anxiety. If they're all getting better, then you're on your way. If not,

start questioning things, as apparently you already are.

 

Be well.

 

--

Al Stone L.Ac.

<AlStone

http://www.BeyondWellBeing.com

 

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.