Health for All says
Cough is a common symptom that not only affects people's quality of life, but can also be a sign of certain underlying diseases. When we feel an itchy throat and cough, should we hold it or cough it out?This problem has a wealth of theory and experience in traditional Chinese medicine.
First of all, let's talk about the practice of "holding back and not coughing". According to TCM theory, cough is divided into two types: empirical and hypothetical. It has been proven that coughing is mostly caused by the invasion of external evils, and it is true that sometimes holding back the cough can prevent the stimulation of the itch, but this method cannot fundamentally solve the problem. Empirical cough needs to be expelled from the body through appropriate methods, otherwise it will lead to the retention of evil qi and cause more serious problems.
On the contrary, the cough is caused by a lack of vitality in the body, and this cough is often accompanied by symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue. For cough with false syndrome, it is even more inappropriate to hold back and not cough, because this will only lead to the retention of diseases and evil in the body, affect the flow and regulation of qi and blood, and then aggravate the symptoms of cough with false syndrome.
According to the point of view of traditional Chinese medicine, it is necessary to distinguish between empirical and hypothetical cough according to the specific pathogenesis, and take corresponding methods. In the case of evidence-based cough, the use of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, such as Dendrobium Chuanbei decoction, can be considered to clear away heat and phlegm, moisten the lungs and relieve cough. For the deficiency cough, you can take the method of nourishing and nourishing the lungs, such as ginseng barley and gastrodia soup, to nourish the lungs and spleen, and regulate qi and blood.
In addition to traditional Chinese medicine**, traditional Chinese medicine also emphasizes balanced lifestyle habits and dietary adjustments, which can also help improve cough symptoms. For example, do not eat spicy and stimulating food, do not overeat, properly maintain indoor humidity, etc.
In general, cough is a symptom and how to deal with it depends on the individual situation. In empirical and hypothetical cough, holding back and coughing out have different indications. In any case, if the cough lasts for a long time, is accompanied by other symptoms, or the condition worsens, it is necessary to seek medical attention in time, and ask a TCM doctor to treat the syndrome differentiation according to the specific situation to restore the health of the body.
Thank you for taking the time to read our article. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. I wish you all the best!
References: 1Chinese Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Common sense of traditional Chinese medicine: cough. Beijing:Health Press, 2010