Diffuse interstitial lung fibrosis is characterized by dyspnea, shortness of breath, dry cough, and wheezing. The causes are complex, and modern medicine believes that the causes are related to inhalation of various dusts, toxic gases and environmental pollutants, as well as secondary diseases of the immune system and overuse of certain drugs. The main causes include idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis and pulmonary interstitial fibrosis secondary to certain autoimmune system diseases. Based on the patient’s clinical symptoms and pathological changes, we treat this disease from the perspective of “pulmonary paralysis”.
Most diffuse interstitial lung fibrosis has a chronic progression, with clinical manifestations in remission and acute exacerbations. Infection is often the cause of acute attacks and a condition for exacerbation. The remission phase is characterized by Qi deficiency, blood stasis and loss of lung circulation; the acute exacerbation phase is characterized by phlegm-heat stasis and loss of lung circulation. The treatment of TCM is to benefit Qi, invigorate Blood and open paralysis. The formula selects the drugs with clear reversal of pulmonary fibrosis and immune modulating function in modern pharmacology.
The basic formula: raw astragalus, honeysuckle, angelica and salvia. Among them, raw Astragalus can “tonify all the deficiencies of the five organs”, and here it is also used to “regulate blood vessels and popularize meridians”. The combination of raw astragalus and honeysuckle is sweet and cool, with a calming odor, and the combination of the two can strengthen the effect of blood circulation. Qi is the handsome of blood, astragalus tonifies the blood; blood is the mother of qi, angelica nourishes the blood and moves the qi, the two used together not only tonify the qi and blood, but also open the lung channels.
Modern pharmacological research shows that raw astragalus and angelica can regulate immune function, and raw astragalus and salvia have the effect of reversing lung and liver fibrosis.
The common types of lung paralysis are: Qi deficiency lung paralysis, Yin deficiency lung paralysis, ligament blockage lung paralysis, phlegm-heat lung paralysis, and essence deficiency lung paralysis.
1.Qi deficiency pulmonary paralysis
Clinical symptoms: dyspnea, shortness of breath, aggravated by activity, choking cough, dry cough without sputum, spontaneous sweating, easy external sensation, mental lethargy, fatigue, dullness, poor sleep.
Tongue and pulse: light and dark tongue, may have teeth marks, thin white tongue coating, thin and weak pulse. Treatment is to tonify lung energy, invigorate blood and promote paralysis.
Astragalus membranaceus, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Salviae Miltiorrhiza, Radix et Rhizoma Polygonati
Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria, Yinhua, Shiwei.
2.Yin deficiency lung paralysis
Clinical symptoms: irritating dry cough, no sputum or a small amount of white foamy sputum, weakness and shortness of breath, dry mouth and drinking, not thinking about eating and drinking, emaciation. Tongue and pulse: dark red tongue, little or flaky coating, thin string or fine pulse.
Treatment: Tonify the lung and nourish yin, open the ligament and open paralysis.
Prescription: Astragalus membranaceus, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Gynostemma spp.
Huang Jing, Aconite, Xuan Shen, Sha Shen
Roasted asters, roasted winter flowers, red and white peony, etc.
3.Lung paralysis with obstruction
Clinical symptoms: shortness of breath, dry cough without phlegm, swollen joints, paralysis and pain, deformity, or dark, thickened, tightened and rough skin.
Tongue and pulse: light and dark tongue, white or yellow tongue coating, thin or slippery pulse.
Treatment: Benefiting Qi and invigorating Blood, promoting circulation and relieving pain.
Prescription: Radix Astragali, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Paeoniae Alba
Radix Astragali, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix et Rhizoma Gentianae, Radix Gentianae Sinensis, Radix Qiangwu
Douwu, Fangfeng, Gui Zhi, Weilingxian, etc.
4.Pulmonary paralysis with phlegm-heat
Clinical symptoms: Pulmonary infection caused by external evil or overexertion, with acute exacerbation, fever, cough, sputum, yellow or white sticky sputum, wheezing and chest tightness, poor bowel movement.
’ Tongue and pulse: dark red tongue, yellow or white greasy coating, slippery or smooth pulse.
Treatment: Clearing the lung and resolving phlegm, helping to dispel evil.
Prescription: Chai Hu, Artemisia annua, Scutellaria baicalensis, Radix Astragali
Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Salviae Miltiorrhiza, Radix et Rhizoma Forsythiae Sinensis, Radix et Rhizoma Suleae
Zhe Bei Mu, Quan Gua Lou, Qing Han Xia, Mentha piperita, etc.
5.Essence deficiency and lung paralysis
Clinical symptoms: shortness of breath, dry cough without sputum, difficulty in breathing, participation of auxiliary respiratory muscles in breathing, even sitting down and unable to lie down, opening the mouth and lifting the shoulders when moving, palpitations, tasteless eating, poor sleep and dreaminess, dryness of the mouth and throat, dull complexion, extreme emaciation.
Tongue and pulse: light and dark tongue, or fat with teeth marks, little or greasy tongue coating, thin and feeble pulse.
Treatment: Benefit Qi, tonify the lung, consolidate the kidney and nourish Qi.
Prescription: Astragalus membranaceus, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Ginkgo biloba
Radix Codonopsis pilosulae, Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum, Ganoderma lucidum, Fructus schisandrae
Ginkgo biloba, etc.
This disease requires long-term treatment, with attention to supporting the righteousness and enhancing immune function to improve the quality of survival. In the past 10 years, most of the patients’ clinical symptoms have improved significantly after 3-6 months of TCM treatment. High-resolution CT and lung function tests proved that the degree of interstitial lung fibrosis in some patients has improved compared with that before treatment. Lung paralysis requires adherence to long-term treatment, attention to supporting the righteousness to expel the evil, and benefiting the qi to promote paralysis and clear the ligaments. Clinical practice shows that Chinese medicine treatment can significantly delay the disease progression and improve the survival quality of patients.