Recently, a patient asked me: Why do I always feel like there is phlegm in my throat even though I don’t smoke?

I believe there are many friends who have this problem! What is going on?

The so-called tangible phlegm refers to the phlegm we cough out. Intangible phlegm refers to the viscous pathological liquid in the body, such as the phlegm that gradually condenses due to the condensation of water and moisture, or the phlegm formed by eating fat, sweet and delicious food all day long, over-nutrition, resulting in the retention of metabolites. .

This heavy dampness will lead to an increase in phlegm, and the appearance of phlegm will lead to even heavier dampness. The combination of phlegm and dampness makes things worse.

Here I would like to share with you a recipe - Xiaoxiang Chest Soup.

This prescription comes from "Treatise on Febrile Diseases" and is a commonly used prescription for the treatment of phlegm-heat and chest conjunctivitis. In clinical application, the key points of syndrome differentiation include chest and epigastrium tightness, pain when pressed, red tongue with yellow and greasy coating, and slippery and rapid pulse. .

Xiaoxianxiong Decoction consists of: Coptis chinensis, Pinellia ternata, and Trichosanthes trichosanthes.

Efficacy: Clear away heat and resolve phlegm, widen the chest and relieve stagnation.

Remove dampness and clear away heat: Coptis

Coptis has a bitter taste, cold nature, and is directed to the heart, spleen, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and large intestine meridians. It has the effects of clearing heat, drying dampness, purging fire and detoxifying.

Coptis chinensis is the bitterest medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine. Its rhizome contains about 7% berberine. Its bitter taste can remove dampness, and its cold nature can remove heat. Therefore, Coptis chinensis can remove dampness and clear away heat, and is especially good at clearing the fire of the heart and stomach meridians.

Dehumidify and reduce phlegm: Pinellia ternata

Pinellia ternata is pungent in taste and neutral in nature, and returns to the spleen and stomach meridians. The pungent taste has the effect of dispersing cold, ventilating and dryness. When it enters the spleen, it can dispel dampness and strengthen the spleen. When it enters the stomach, it can smooth the qi and harmonize the stomach. Therefore, it can treat phlegm inversion, dizziness, phlegm-dampness cough, palpitations, insomnia and other diseases.

As Li Shizhen said: "The spleen does not retain moisture and does not produce phlegm." Therefore, the spleen is the source of phlegm, and the lungs are the container for storing phlegm. Therefore, the body-smooth and pungent warmth of Pinellia ternata is needed to treat spleen dampness and phlegm.

Broad chest and dissipate knots: Trichosanthes trichosanthes

Trichosanthes trichosanthes, also known as "Trichosanthes trichosanthes", is bitter in taste, cold in nature, and returns to the lung and stomach meridians. It has the effects of clearing away heat and resolving phlegm, nourishing the stomach and promoting fluid production, promoting qi and widening the chest, reducing swelling and dissipating knots, moistening the intestines and laxative.

It is mentioned in the "Heritage Classic" that Trichomonas root can "continue injuries", that is, it can treat bruises and bruises, and this has been proven clinically.

It is recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica" that Trichosanthes kirilowii root also has the functions of "clearing the moon" and "treating the lingering afterbirth", and it has been used as an abortion medicine among the people.

Modifications

Adding Citrus aurantium Fructus, which can break Qi and eliminate pimples, can improve the curative effect; for those with chest pain, add Bupleurum, Platycodon, Curcuma, and Red Peony. If it is used to promote qi, activate blood circulation and relieve pain; if the phlegm is yellow and thick and difficult to cough up, the dosage of Pinellia ternata can be reduced, and gallbladder, almond, Fritillaria, etc. can be added to clear and moisten the phlegm.

Finally, to briefly summarize, the combination of Coptis chinensis and Pinellia ternata, one bitter and one pungent, embodies the method of relieving pungent and reducing bitterness; when combined with Trichosanthes trichosanthes, it moisturizes and complements each other, which can clear away heat and resolve phlegm, dissipate stagnation and relieve swelling. A common combination of pranksters. However, individual prescriptions require dialectical dosage and must not be self-medicated.