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Phlegm-heat congesting the lung
痰热壅肺 〔痰熱壅肺〕tán rè yōng fèi
Also phlegm-heat obstructing the lung (痰热阻肺 tán rè zǔ fèi).
A disease pattern chiefly characterized by heat effusion; cough with copious yellow phlegm; oppression in the chest; in severe cases, pulmonary welling-abscess.
Description: Cough and panting, in severe cases with flaring nostrils; expectoration of copious thick yellow phlegm, in some cases with phlegm rale in the throat; oppression and pain in the chest; short voidings of yellow urine; bound stool; red tongue with slimy yellow fur; a pulse that is slippery and rapid.
Diseases: Cough; panting; pulmonary welling-abscess.
Biomedical correspondence: This pattern is observed in acute bronchitis, pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema with infection, and bronchial asthma with infection.
Pathogenesis: Phlegm and heat binding together, congesting the lung, and impairing depurative downbearing.
- evil heat invading the lung, giving rise to intense lung heat that scorches lung liquid and condenses it into phlegm;
- less commonly, depressed phlegm transforming into heat.
| Comparison Between Intense Lung Heat and Phlegm-Heat Congesting the Lung | ||
|---|---|---|
| Intense Lung Heat | Phlegm-Heat Congesting the Lung | |
| Common Signs | Cough, heat effusion, thirst, chest pain, short voidings of yellowish urine, and bound stool | |
| Phlegm | Little or none | Copious, yellow |
| Pulse | Surging and rapid | Slippery and rapid |
Analysis of signs
- Counterflow ascent of lung qì: Cough; panting and rough breathing sometimes with flaring nostrils.
- Phlegm and heat binding together: Expectoration of copious thick yellow phlegm and in some cases phlegm rale in the throat.
- Chest: Oppression and pain in the chest arising when phlegm-heat obstructs lung qì.
- Heat: Heat effusion; vexation and agitation.
- Damage to liquid: Thirst; short voidings of yellow urine; and dry bound stool.
- Tongue: Red with slimy yellow fur, reflecting both heat and phlegm.
- Pulse: Slippery and rapid, reflecting phlegm and heat. Pulmonary welling-abscess can develop when phlegm-heat causes qì stagnation and blood congestion that gives rise to putrefaction. This is marked by coughing of fishy-smelling phlegm with pus and blood.
Comparison: See table.
Treatment
Medicinal therapy: Clear and drain phlegm-heat. Use
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LU, LI, and ST. Select
Comparison
- Phlegm turbidity obstructing the lung: Phlegm-heat congesting the lung and phlegm turbidity obstructing the lung involve phlegm obstructing the network vessels of the lung and impaired depurative downbearing of lung qì that cause cough, panting, and rapid breathing. However, phlegm-heat is marked by thick yellow phlegm and vigorous heat [effusion], whereas phlegm turbidity obstructing the lung is characterized by copious white sticky phlegm that is easy to expectorate.
- Liver fire invading the lung: Phlegm-heat congesting the lung and liver fire invading the lung share signs of cough, panting, and generalized heat. However, phlegm-lung congesting the lung is marked by thick yellow phlegm that is not easy to expectorate, whereas liver fire invading the lung is characterized by distension and fullness in the chest and rib-side, vexation, agitation and irascibility, as well as red face and eyes.
See phlegm obstructing the network vessels of the lung.
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