(Disclaimer: This article is for general use only, and the information in the following content has been processed to protect patient privacy)
Abstract: The patient, a 60-year-old male, developed a cough with a small amount of white sputum and shortness of breath with no obvious cause 1 year ago, and the cough worsened after activity. It was not until six months ago that the patient noticed shortness of breath even when going up two flights of stairs, and he had a violent cough. He went to the hospital for a lung CT, which suggested interstitial lung disease, which is classified as pulmonary fistula in Chinese medicine. After herbal treatment, the patient’s symptoms were reduced, his physical condition improved, and his condition stabilized.
[Basic information] Male, 60 years old
Disease Type】Interstitial Pulmonary Disease
Hospital】Xiyuan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Date of Consultation】August 2009
Treatment plan】Chinese herbal medicine treatment (Xianmao, Epimedium, Bupleurum, Pueraria Mirifica)
Treatment Period】3 months of outpatient treatment
Effect】Coughing and shortness of breath were significantly reduced and the condition was stable.
I. Initial consultation
The patient presented to the clinic in August 2009 and reported that she had a cough with white sputum with no obvious cause one year ago, but the amount was small and the shortness of breath worsened when she moved, and her condition was progressively worsening. Clinical diagnosis: interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. After questioning, the patient was told that he had taken hormone therapy, but his symptoms did not improve significantly, so he reduced the dosage on his own until he stopped using it, and he had been taking Cordyceps sinensis-type drugs for the past six months, but his symptoms did not improve significantly. Careful observation of the patient: purple lips, purple tongue, thin white coating, and sunken pulse. Physical examination: bursting sounds could be heard at the base of both lungs. The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease was confirmed, which is classified as pulmonary fistula in TCM.
(Tongue diagnosis)
II. Treatment history
Since the patient had been treated with western hormone drugs before and the symptoms did not improve, herbal identification therapy was considered, and the treatment was based on benefiting qi and nourishing yin, activating blood circulation, stopping cough and calming asthma. After communicating with the patient, the patient agreed to the method. The prescription was prepared with Chinese herbs such as Xianmao, Epimedium, Bupleurum and Pueraria Mirifica. The patient followed the doctor’s prescription for 1 week and then visited the doctor’s office. The patient’s symptoms were alleviated at the time of the visit, so the above prescription was adjusted according to the patient’s symptoms, and the patient insisted on taking the soup for more than 3 months.
III. Treatment effect
After taking the medicine for 1 week, the patient’s cough and shortness of breath was reduced, his face was more lustrous than before, his activity endurance was improved, but he still coughs sputum from time to time, the quantity is small and white, his lips are dark red, his tongue is purple and dark, there are petechiae and petechiae on the side, his moss is thin and white, his pulse is sunken. After 3 months of medication, it was obvious that the patient’s symptoms of cough, wheezing and shortness of breath had improved and his condition had stabilized, and no significant changes were seen in the physical and chemical indexes. When the patient described his condition to me at the follow-up consultation, I could feel the joy between his words.
IV. Notes
I am glad that the patient’s condition is stable after medication treatment. In addition to the necessary treatment, daily care is equally important. In terms of diet, care should be taken to avoid eating spicy and stimulating foods, which may easily cause violent coughing; also do not eat foods that are too sweet or salty, such as mooncakes and pickled vegetables, which can easily produce phlegm; cold and greasy foods should also be eaten sparingly, such as ice cream and fried chicken, which may damage the spleen and stomach and cause aggravation of cough and phlegm. In addition, keep your living environment airy and avoid exposure to irritating smells, such as the smell of paint, which can easily cause a recurring or even aggravated cough.
V. Personal insight
In addition to shortness of breath, interstitial lung disease may present with a cough, white, thin sputum, which may be laden with foam, and a cough that worsens with activity. Therefore, if the above-mentioned manifestations of coughing occur, attention must be paid to coughs other than those caused by interstitial lung disease. Since the prognosis of interstitial lung disease varies depending on the cause, if interstitial changes are found on high-resolution CT of the lungs, further tests should be performed under the guidance of a physician to help guide the next step of treatment. Some interstitial lung diseases are more effective with hormonal drugs, such as mechanized pneumonia and allergic pneumonia, but some are ineffective with hormonal drugs, such as idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. In this case, we can consider combining the Chinese medicine method to identify the evidence and give the Chinese medicine treatment to benefit the qi and nourish the yin, invigorate the blood, and stop the cough and calm the asthma, which can also reap better results.