Cough in Chinese medicine is mainly divided into two types: exogenous cough and internal cough.
1. Exogenous cough: specifically can be divided into wind-cold attack on the lungs, wind-heat offending lungs, wind-dry lung injury.
(1) wind-cold attacking the lungs: symptoms such as itchy throat, cough, cough sputum thin and white, nasal congestion and runny nose, headache, limb soreness and so on.
(2) Wind-heat attacking the lungs: manifested by frequent coughing, or coughing hoarseness, sputum, sputum sticky or thick yellow, and yellow nasal discharge and so on.
(3) Wind-dryness injuring the lungs: manifested as dry cough, continuous choking, dry and sore throat, dry lips and nose, as well as a slight cold, and so on.
2. Cough due to internal injuries: it can be categorized into phlegm-dampness in the lungs, phlegm-heat in the lungs, liver-fire in the lungs, and lung-yin depletion.
(1) Phlegm-dampness impregnation of the lungs: manifested as recurrent coughs, heavy cough, sticky phlegm, phlegm and easy to cough, chest tightness and epigastric plumpness, and loose stools.
(2) phlegm and heat in the lungs evidence: manifested as coughing and breath, phlegm, thick phlegm, yellow, or fishy smell, vomiting and spitting blood sputum, and so on.
(3) Liver fire in the lungs: manifested as coughing in the upper air, coughing with a red face, bitter mouth and dry throat, sputum is small and sticky, swelling and pain in the chest and ribs.
(4) Lung yin deficiency: manifested as dry cough, short cough, sputum less sticky white, dry mouth and throat, hot hands and feet.
It is recommended that patients with cough should go to the hospital in time, and the Chinese medicine practitioner should identify the type of cough and follow the doctor’s instructions.