Diagnosis of nasal mucus

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This is a post for the intermediate TCM students on the list.

 

The classifications are taken from Fluid Physiology and Pathology in

Traditional by Steven Clavey, pp. 35 - 39.

 

Early in your TCM training you learned that two of the most common

symptoms of invasion by Wind Cold or Wind Heat are stuffy sinuses

and runny nose. You learned that clear or white nasal discharge can

be a symptom of Wind Cold and yellow mucus a symptom of Wind Heat

invading the body from the environment.

 

However, there are some Interior imbalances that also can result in

pathological nasal discharge. Damp Heat nasal mucus is due to an

Interior Excess (Damp Heat) and Qi (or Yang) Deficiency nasal mucus

and Kidney Deficiency nasal mucus are Interior Deficiency

imbalances. The excessive drying of or lack of enough nasal mucus

can be due to Exterior conditions (Dry Heat) or to Interior Excess

of Stomach Heat or to Lung Yin Deficiency.

 

To recap, Clavey lists 6 types of nasal symptom patterns: Wind-Cold

nasal mucus, Wind-Heat nasal mucus, Damp-Heat nasal mucus, Drying-

Heat nasal mucus, Qi (or Yang) Deficient nasal mucus, and Kidney

Deficient nasal mucus. (pp. 35 - 36.) Some of the traditional

classifications of nasal mucus are clear, white sticky, sticky pus-

like, yellow pus-like, pus and blood, and odorous mucus.

 

Clavey stresses 6 of the 8 Principle Patterns model of diagnosis in

classifying nasal mucus: Exterior/ Interior, Hot/ Cold, Excess/

Deficiency. The Exterior patterns such as Wind Cold and Wind

Heat " As a rule of thumb ... will show headache, chills and fever. "

(p. 39.) " Clear thin mucus will be cold, while thick sticky yellow

mucus will usually be heat. (p. 39.)

 

For readers who are new to TCM, the term " Exterior " refers to the

head, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, skin, muscles, meridians, and

bones. " Pernicious Evils " (Heat, Cold, Damp, Wind, and Dryness) in

the environment can have some very painful and at times even

debilitating effects on these areas of the body. The term " Interior "

refers to the Organs of the body. Pernicious Evils also can arise in

the Interior. For example, if a person consumes too many foods or

herbs with a heating effect on the body, Heat can arise in the

Interior. If a person lacks enough Yin, this also can cause Heat to

develop. (The function of Yin in TCM is to cool, calm, and moisten.)

 

It is possible for a person to suffer more than one of these

imbalances at a time. For example, a person may get invaded by Wind

Cold but also suffer Qi Deficiency. I'm not talking about just a

temporary Protective Qi Deficiency but an overall, on-going Qi

Deficiency and weak Spleen. (Protective Qi is a special kind of Qi

that circulates at the surface of the body and gives people

protection against Pernicious Evils in the environment.)