TCM types of chronic cough: Phlegm-dampness | Phlegm-heat | Liver-fire | Yin deficiency

This is shown by a dry cough, or coughing up blood. Other symptoms include hot flushes in the afternoon, red cheeks, warm palms and soles, insomnia, night sweats, fatigue and irritability. The tongue is red, and the pulse is thready and rapid.

The remedy should nourish the lungs, clear lung-heat, resolve phlegm and arrest coughing.

Sample prescription: Modified Glehnia Root and Dwarf Lily-turf Tuber Decoction

In the prescription, the glehnia root, Solomonseal rhizome, dwarf lily-turf tuber and snakegourd root nourish the lungs and promote the production of body fluids; the mulberry leaf dispels heat and dryness evils through the body surface; the liquorice root and hyacinth bean reinforce the spleen to produce more nutrient essence, so as to support lung functioning. Additional herbs are necessary when particular symptoms are obvious, for example:

Schisandra	bamboo shavings	snakegourd peel

In case if the cough has persisted for a long time, the lungs must have accumulated a lot of heat, therefore, more heat-clearing herbs are necessary. In the prescription, delete the mulberry leaf, and add:

Severe cough may need extra force to calm the lung qi, so add herbs like:

Coughing accompanied with breath shortness indicates that lung qi should be reconsolidated with the following herbs:

Coughing up yellow and thick mucus indicates that the lungs has generated their own heat, more herbs should be added to clear heat and resolve phlegm:

Coughing up blood, indicate that the blood is over-heated, suitable cooling herbs are:

Severe hot flashes or low-grade fever can be arrested by:

Excessive night sweats can be arrested by:

When coughing is accompanied with wheezing or breathing difficulties, kidney qi deficiency may also appear, and the depleted state can be reconsolidated with herbs like: