Chinese Herbal Therapy for Asthma and Bronchitis

Shortness of breath and wheezing are common symptoms of patients with asthma, acute bronchitis, and chronic bronchitis. From a Western medicine perspective, it is an immune-system-related disorder of the respiratory system in which the breathing passages are inflamed, narrowed or blocked. Reasons for asthma can be extrinsic such as an allergic reaction to pollen, animals, dust, mold or food additives. Intrinsic asthma can be caused by emotional stress and often occurs after a severe respiratory infection.

The reasons for an outbreak of asthma or bronchitis from a Chinese medicine perspective can be one or more of the following:

• Too much phlegm stored in the lungs due to spleen dysfunction
• External pathogens attacking the lungs creating a lung dysfunction
• Diet with too much grease, sugar, or alcohol
• Too much stress
• Deficiency in lung, spleen or kidney
• Seasonal – mostly occurring in the fall season

Herbal medicine uses a mix of Chinese herbs to strengthen the lungs and immune system. Herbal treatment is efficient in reducing the likelihood of a return of an asthma attack. Every patient is different, so it is important to meet with an experienced practitioner that can prescribe a specific herbal formula to meet your needs.

Common herbs used in the treatment of asthma and bronchitis are:

• apricot seed (xing ren), lepidium (ting li zi), and pinelliae (ban xia), to eliminate phlegm and reduce wheezing
• mustard seed (bai jie zi), ginger (gan jiang), and asarum (xi xin), for restoring lung function and warming the lungs
• licorice (zhi gan cao), to improve the supply of qi, reduce coughing, and eliminate pain
• schizandra (wu wei zi), to prevent loss of qi from the lungs
• ephedrae (ma huang) and cinnamon twigs (gui zhi), to improve the flow of qi through the lungs and dispel the cold
• lumbricus (di long), to dilate the bronchioles and relieve wheezing
• magnolia bark (hou po), for improving lung function

If you are interested in learning more about Chinese herbal therapy or you would like to seek natural treatment for asthma or bronchitis, please contact us today or schedule an appointment.