Lung vacuity cough

Cough attributable to lung vacuity, usually insufficiency of lung yīn, and sometimes lung qì vacuity.

Patterns

Insufficiency of lung yīn (肺阴不足 fèi yīn bù zú) gives rise to a cough associated with scant phlegm sometimes flecked with blood, emaciation, vexation and insomnia, and postmeridian tidal heat and reddening of the cheeks.

Medicinal therapy: Nourish yīn and clear the lung; transform phlegm and relieve cough. Use formulas such as Moonlight Pill (月华丸 yuè huá wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LU and KI. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), and KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi); needle with supplementation.

Lung qì vacuity (肺气虚 fèi qì xū) gives rise to cough associated with panting, faint low voice, tendency to sweat, and a forceless soft pulse.

Medicinal therapy: Qì vacuity patterns are treated with formulas such as Lung-Supplementing Decoction (补肺汤 bǔ fèi tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, and LU. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), LU-9 (Great Abyss, 太渊 tài yuān), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ); needle with supplementation and add moxa.