Dry throat

Also dry pharynx. Lack of moisture in the throat, associated with or without a desire to drink. Dry throat occurs in both vacuity and repletion patterns: Repletion patterns include wind-heat assailing the lung, dryness-heat damaging the lung, exuberant spleen-stomach heat, and depressed liver-gallbladder heat. Vacuity patterns include lung yīn vacuity and kidney yīn vacuity.

Patterns

Wind-heat assailing the lung (风热袭肺 fēng rè xí fèi) can cause a dry throat with a burning sensation, or soreness and itching, and a desire to drink. Other signs of externally contracted wind-heat are present, e.g., heat effusion, aversion to cold, headache, nasal congestion, and red swollen throat. The tongue is red with a thin white or thin yellow fur. The pulse is floating and rapid.

Medicinal therapy: Treat by clearing and diffusing lung heat using Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Beverage (桑菊饮 sāng jú yǐn).

Acumoxatherapy: For all repletion patterns, select Sea Source (海泉 hǎi quán), TB-2 (Humor Gate, 液门 yè mén), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi) as the main points, and needle with even supplementation and drainage; prick LU-11 (Lesser Shang, 少商 shào shāng) to bleed. For wind-heat assailing the lung, drain GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ).

Dryness-heat damaging the lung (燥热伤肺 zào rè shāng fèi) causes a dry throat and nose, dry cough without phlegm or with scant sticky phlegm that is not easily expectorated. These signs are often accompanied by chest pain, heat effusion, headache, generalized pain and discomfort. The tongue is red with thin white fur. The pulse is floating, fine, and rapid.

Medicinal therapy: Clear the lung and moisten dryness with variations of Mulberry Leaf and Apricot Kernel Decoction (桑杏汤 sāng xìng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Use the main points given above, and drain BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), CV-17 (Chest Center, 膻中 shān zhōng), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), and CV-22 (Celestial Chimney, 天突 tiān tú).

Exuberant spleen-stomach heat (脾胃热盛 pì wèi rè shèng) causes dry throat and mouth with vexation and thirst, and desire to drink. Other signs include bad breath, scorching stomach duct pain, acid upflow, clamoring stomach, dry stool, and yellow urine. The tongue is red with yellow fur. The pulse is slippery and rapid.

Medicinal therapy: Clear spleen-stomach fire using Stomach-Clearing Powder (清胃散 qīng wèi sǎn).

Acumoxatherapy: Use the main points given above, and drain ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), and LI-1 (Shang Yáng, 商阳 shāng yáng).

Depressed liver-gallbladder heat (肝胆郁热 gān dǎn yù rè) causes a dry throat with bitter taste in the mouth, dizzy vision, fullness and oppression in the chest and rib-side, no desire to drink, vexation, frequent retching, and alternating heat and cold. The tongue is red with a thin yellow tongue fur. The pulse is stringlike and fine.

Medicinal therapy: Clear the liver and drain fire using Chinese Angelica, Gentian, and Aloe Pill (当归龙荟丸 dāng guī lóng huì wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Use the main points given above, and drain LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān), and GB-43 (Pinched Ravine, 侠溪 xiá xī).

Lung yīn vacuity (肺阴虚 fèi yīn xū) causes a dry itchy throat with dry cough without phlegm or with scant sticky phlegm. The voice is hoarse and the nose is dry with snivel. The tongue is red with scant fur, and the pulse is fine.

Medicinal therapy: Enrich lung yīn. Use Lily Bulb Metal-Securing Decoction (百合固金汤 bǎi hé gù jīn tāng) or Yīn-Nourishing Lung-Clearing Decoction (养阴清肺汤 yǎng yīn qīng fèi tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: For all vacuity patterns, select TB-2 (Humor Gate, 液门 yè mén), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), as the main points, needling with even supplementation and drainage or with supplementation. If vacuity fire is pronounced and dryness is accompanied by soreness, prick LU-11 (Lesser Shang, 少商 shào shāng) to bleed. For lung yīn vacuity, supplement BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù) and BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù), and drain LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé).

Liver-kidney yīn vacuity (肝肾阴虚 gān shèn yīn xū) causes dryness of the mouth, throat, and root of the tongue with deafness, tinnitus, dizzy head and eyes, limp aching lumbus and knees, seminal emission, and insomnia. The tongue is red. The pulse is fine and rapid.

Medicinal therapy: Supplement the kidney and nourish yīn. Use Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (六味地黄丸 liù wèi dì huáng wán).

Acumoxatherapy: For kidney yīn vacuity, use the main point for vacuity given above, and supplement BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), and drain LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān) and LU-10 (Fish Border, 鱼际 yú jì).