As people's living standards continue to rise, so does their awareness of health. The demand for health knowledge among Qingpu residents is becoming increasingly urgent.
Is chronic pharyngitis common in our daily lives?
Chronic pharyngitis is a common upper respiratory tract disease. Its main clinical manifestations include discomfort or a sensation of a foreign body in the throat (such as feeling something stuck in the throat that won't go down or come out), severe cases may present with sore throat or a burning sensation. Most patients exhibit frequent swallowing or throat clearing. Many patients experience nausea and dry heaving when brushing their teeth in the morning. Chronic pharyngitis has a long course and is prone to recurrent episodes. It is a common and difficult-to-treat condition in clinical settings. Studies show that the incidence of chronic pharyngitis is on the rise globally due to changes in lifestyle and environment. Statistically, about 20% of adults worldwide suffer from chronic pharyngitis. In China, chronic pharyngitis is also a common disease. According to the 2019 China Health Big Data Annual Report, the prevalence rate of chronic pharyngitis among the Chinese population is approximately 14.4%. The incidence of chronic pharyngitis is widespread in the general population, especially more common in those who smoke regularly, drink alcohol, or use their voice frequently for their profession, such as hosts, teachers, singers, and front-desk service staff. Due to the demands of their jobs, they often speak a lot, leading to chronic fatigue and congestion in the throat, which can result in symptoms like dryness, pain, and hoarseness in the throat.
What are the characteristics of TCM treatment?
In traditional Chinese medicine, chronic pharyngitis falls under the category of “throat obstruction.” This term first appeared in ancient Chinese medical texts from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, specifically in the “Huangdi Neijing,” where it is mentioned in the “Plain Questions – Discussion on Yin and Yang” as “when yin and yang are blocked, it is called throat obstruction.” “Throat” refers to the pharynx, and “obstruction” means blockage or numbness.
Speaking of the characteristics of TCM, we must mention “syndrome differentiation and treatment based on syndrome differentiation,” which is the core content of TCM theory and a distinctive feature of TCM clinical practice. It is the basic principle for recognizing and treating diseases in TCM. TCM believes that different syndromes can occur at different stages of the same disease. At this point, a qualified TCM practitioner needs to conduct a detailed interview, take the pulse, observe the tongue coating, and other comprehensive diagnostic methods before formulating a personalized treatment plan tailored to the patient's specific needs, much like a tailor making custom clothing.
Regarding chronic pharyngitis, many patients simply believe it is due to excess heat in the body after the onset of symptoms. However, excess heat can be divided into real fire and false fire. Real fire is usually caused by external factors, such as exposure to hot pathogens, consuming large amounts of heat-producing foods, smoking, and drinking alcohol, all of which can trigger real fire. Patients with real fire tend to have robust or obese physiques, speak loudly and clearly, and exhibit signs of excessive yang heat. Symptoms of real fire include mouth ulcers, bleeding gums, red and swollen eyes, constipation, yellow tongue coating, and more. If these symptoms apply, I would recommend a herbal tea made from four ingredients: one Lo Han Guo fruit, two Fat Hai seeds, three grams of Jin Yin Hua flowers, and three grams of Gan Cao. Place these herbs in a teacup, pour boiling water over them, and steep for ten minutes before drinking. Lo Han Guo, with its sweet and cool nature, benefits the lungs and large intestine meridians, and has effects of moistening the lungs to stop coughing, promoting saliva production to quench thirst, and lubricating the bowels to relieve constipation. When preparing the tea, break the Lo Han Guo fruit into pieces before steeping. Fat Hai, with its sweet and cool nature, benefits the lung and large intestine meridians, and is suitable for alleviating itching and discomfort in the throat. It can effectively prevent symptoms of throat discomfort by nourishing yin and moistening the lungs, reducing phlegm and stopping coughs. Jin Yin Hua, with its sweet and cold nature, benefits the lung and stomach meridians, and has effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling blood, and benefiting the throat. Gan Cao, commonly used in clinical settings, has a sweet and neutral nature and benefits the heart, lung, spleen, and stomach meridians. When combined with the other three herbs, it enhances the detoxifying and throat-benefiting effects.
False fire is caused by insufficient yin fluids in the body, such as from staying up late, excessive sexual activity, or excessive sweating. Over time, this can lead to a deficiency of yin fluids, resulting in false fire. Patients with false fire tend to be thin and prone to yin fluid deficiency due to their constitution, which can lead to false fire. False fire is typically manifested by symptoms such as heat in the palms, soles, chest, and back, thirst and dryness in the throat, a red tongue or lack of coating, and no tongue coating. If these symptoms apply, I would recommend a herbal tea for false fire conditions: “Xuan Mai Gan Ji Tea,” consisting of six grams each of Xuan Shen, Mai Dong, and Ji Geng, and three grams of Gan Cao. Place these herbs in a teacup, pour boiling water over them, and steep for ten minutes before drinking. Xuan Shen, with its bitter and cold nature, benefits the lung and large intestine meridians. According to the “Compendium of Materia Medica,” Xuan Shen nourishes yin and clears heat, benefits the throat, and promotes urination. Mai Dong is familiar to most, with its sweet and cold nature, benefiting the lung, stomach, and kidney meridians, and having effects of nourishing yin and reducing fire, clearing heat and benefiting the throat. Gan Cao, as previously mentioned, plays a role in harmonizing the effects of the other herbs. Ji Geng, with its bitter and neutral nature, benefits the lung meridian. Ji Geng is often used in Chinese herbal formulas as a “carrier” to deliver the effective components of the other three herbs to the throat, directly targeting the affected area and enhancing the overall therapeutic effect.
Aside from herbal teas, are there other TCM methods for treating chronic pharyngitis?
Certainly, let me introduce a simple acupressure technique that you can do anytime, anywhere. First, locate the acupoint accurately. The name of this acupoint is “Tiantu,” located in the neck, on the anterior midline, in the center of the depression above the sternum (locate it by moving your index finger downward from the larynx to the indentation between the clavicles; the center of the indentation is the Tiantu acupoint).
After locating the acupoint, use the pads of your index and middle fingers to press, hold, and rub the Tiantu acupoint with moderate force until you feel a slight tingling, numbness, fullness, and heaviness at the acupoint. Perform this three times a day, for 10-15 minutes each time. Tiantu is an acupoint on the Ren meridian and has the function of facilitating lung qi, benefiting the throat, and improving voice. Literally, “tian” means sky and implies upward movement, while “tu” means a breakthrough and conveys the sense of upward surging qi. As the first acupoint of the Ren meridian below the head and face, it has a feeling of qi breaking out and surging upward. The throat, anatomically, is like the gateway to the lungs, and the Tiantu acupoint acts like a chimney vent. Hotness and fire from the lungs and stomach can easily accumulate near the Tiantu acupoint, leading to symptoms like difficulty speaking and sudden swelling and pain. Massaging the Tiantu acupoint can significantly improve symptoms of pharyngitis.