Patient's question:
My son is eight months old. When he was three months old, he contracted bronchiolitis, and after recovery, he sometimes experiences some wheezing. A few days ago, a cold triggered asthma bronchitis. How can I avoid getting asthma? How should I take care of him in daily life? Thank you～～Doctor's answer:
Acute bronchitis often follows upper respiratory tract infections or tracheitis, characterized by congestion, edema of the bronchial mucosa, ciliary cell damage, hypertrophy and increased secretion of mucous glands, and is associated with the invasion of pathogens in the lung and spleen meridians. Acute bronchitis occurs when the lung and spleen meridians are affected by cold or heat, and its treatment is divided into two categories: wind-cold cough and wind-heat cough.Wind-cold cough is characterized by frequent, heavy, and urgent coughing, with or without thin, white phlegm; stuffy nose with clear nasal discharge; sore throat and heavy voice, or accompanied by fever, chills, and general discomfort. The condition is classified as wind-cold closing the lung, with impaired lung Qi ventilation. Treatment should involve dispersing wind and expelling cold, ventilating the lung, and stopping cough. The modified Xingsu San formula is recommended:
- Apricot kernel, perilla leaves, prepared pinellia, and Poria each 6g
- Peucedanum, platycodon root, and licorice each 5g
- Fructus aurantii and tangerine peel each 3g
- Fresh ginger 2 slices
- Jujubes 3 pieces
Boil in water and drink. Add Ophiopogon japonicus 5g if cough is severe. Add Ephedra 3g if no sweating in winter. Add Gypsum 10g if fever is severe with sweating; all ingredients are boiled together.
Wind-heat cough is often seen when upper respiratory infections turn into internal heat, forcing the lung to cough with difficult expectoration of yellow phlegm. The throat is congested and flushed, or accompanied by fever and sweating. The condition is classified as wind-heat invading the lung, with impaired lung clarity. Treatment should involve dispersing wind and resolving heat, clearing the lung, and stopping cough. The formula includes:
- Mulberry flower 15g
- Forsythia, mulberry leaves, and chrysanthemum each 10g
- Peucedanum, Ophiopogon japonicus, platycodon root, and bupleurum each 6g
- Apricot kernel, mint, and licorice each 5g
- Coix seed 12g
Boil in water and drink. Add Scutellaria and Anemarrhena 5g each, and Gypsum 10g if fever is severe. Add Trichosanthes kirilowii 10g and Fritillaria cirrhosa 5g if cough is severe with abundant phlegm; all ingredients are boiled together.