bubble_chart Concept

Whooping cough is a paroxysmal, spasmodic cough, followed by a rooster-like echo after coughing, with recurrent episodes that are persistent and difficult to cure.

Whooping cough, also known as whooping cough, was referred to in ancient medical texts as "seasonal epidemic whooping cough," "pestilential cough," "whooping cough," "chicken cough," etc. The "Bencao Gangmu Shiyi" describes this condition as "wheezing rising from the lower abdomen and coughing upwards, with continuous coughing for dozens of times, pausing briefly and then recurring, sometimes even vomiting upon coughing, pulling on both flanks, with tears and nasal discharge, persisting for months without cure." This condition is an acute respiratory pestilence disease, commonly seen in winter and spring, mostly affecting children under five years old. Due to the internal accumulation of hidden phlegm that is difficult to expectorate, the course of the disease is prolonged and not easily cured quickly, which is distinctly different from a general cough.

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Wind-cold Phlegm Obstruction︰The cough is severe, with thin sputum. During coughing, tears and nasal discharge flow out, the face is red and the eyelids are swollen. The cough is continuous and is followed by a rooster-like echo. The lips are pale, the tongue coating is thin and moist, the pulse is floating and tight, and the finger veins are pale red. The sputum is thin, and the tongue coating is thin and slippery. The treatment should focus on warming the lung and resolving phlegm, moving qi and downbearing counterflow. The prescription selected is Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction with modifications.
2. Phlegm-heat Obstructing the Lung︰The play depicts coughing with a flushed face, clenched fists, bent back, reddened eyes, tears and mucus flowing out, thick phlegm, and a rooster-like echo after coughing. In severe cases, milk or food may be expelled along with phlegm-fluid retention, or there may be hemoptysis or epistaxis. The tongue coating is yellow and dry, the pulse is slippery and rapid, and the fingerprints appear purple and stagnant. The phlegm is thick, the tongue coating is yellow and dry, and in severe cases, hemoptysis or epistaxis may occur. Treatment should focus on clearing heat and resolving phlegm, purging the lungs to stop coughing. The recommended prescription is Mulberry Root Bark Decoction combined with Donkey-hide Gelatin for Lung Tonification, with modifications.
3. Deficiency of Both Lung and Spleen︰The cough is relatively mild, with weak coughing sounds, thin and scanty sputum, shortness of breath and timid voice, pale face and lips, poor appetite (anorexia), loose and thin stools, a pale tongue with scant coating, a thin and weak pulse, and faint finger venation. Prolonged coughing injures the qi of the lung and spleen; lung qi deficiency impairs its descending function, while spleen qi deficiency affects its transformative and transporting functions, thus manifesting as weak coughing sounds and poor appetite (anorexia). Other signs such as shortness of breath and timid voice, pale face and lips, loose and thin stools, and a thin and weak pulse are all indicative of lung-spleen qi deficiency. The treatment should focus on tonifying the lung and strengthening the spleen, and the formula Ginseng Schisandra Fruit Decoction may be selected. If prolonged coughing injures the yin of the lung and spleen, presenting as dry cough with scant sputum, feverish sensation in the palms and soles, flushed cheeks, night sweats, and a thin, rapid, and weak pulse, the method should aim at nourishing yin and moistening the lung. The formula Adenophora and Ophiopogon Decoction or Ophiopogon Decoction with modifications may be used.

In the differential analysis of whooping cough, it is essential to grasp the concepts of "deficiency" and "excess." Generally, initial illnesses are often excess, while prolonged illnesses tend to be deficiency; copious phlegm indicates excess, while scant phlegm suggests deficiency; a severe and forceful cough points to excess, whereas a mild and timid cough indicates deficiency. In terms of symptoms, an abundance of phlegm signifies a severe condition, while a scarcity of phlegm indicates a milder one. Additionally, whooping cough due to lung-spleen qi deficiency requires careful recuperation and often resolves naturally, which distinguishes whooping cough from a typical cough.