The global pandemic of pneumonia disease has made us realize the importance of lung care. In fact, traditional Chinese medicine has always regarded the lungs as “the official of the Sang Fu”, which is equivalent to the “prime minister” of our body and should not be underestimated. In addition, winter and spring are periods of the high incidence of influenza and respiratory diseases, personal protection needs to pay particular attention. So, how nurture the lungs in order to guard the body’s gateway, today we will introduce how to nurture the lungs specifically from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine.
1. Often do Chinese medicine “breathing exercises“
The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine says that “the lungs are the lid of the Chinese” and have a very high status among the five viscera and six internal organs. The lungs have three main functions: First, the lungs are the master of qi. If the lungs can not absorb fresh air, people will be sick. Second, the lungs are directed toward the hundred veins. According to Chinese medicine, the circulation of blood can only be completed with the assistance of the lungs. If the lungs do not function well, the qi and blood will not run well and stasis of blood will easily occur. Thirdly, the lungs are responsible for the skin and hair and are open to the nose. Through the cathartic action, they transmit the body’s water to the whole body, including the sweat holes for excretion, and their suction and descent process can make the body’s water be transmitted down to the kidneys and converted into urine for excretion. As the lungs are in the highest position in the internal organs and communicate with the external environment, so the external environment, such as respiratory infections, bacteria are from the mouth and nose, especially respiratory infections, it is easy to attack the lungs.
Right now, the weather is getting colder and colder, and lung diseases are circulating all over the world, so daily protection is important to nourish the lungs and protect the respiratory mucosa. According to Chinese medicine, the lungs like to moisten the evil dry, moisten the lungs of drugs such as lily, gorgonian, white foxglove, maitake, etc., these are the same source of medicine and food products. For different groups of people, we recommend several lung tea drinks: for the general population, you can take 2 grams of patchouli, 3 grams of white foxglove, 3 grams of burdock, 3 grams of peel, 3 grams of orris, half the amount of each of the above drugs, that is, 7 grams, made of a packet, a total of 2 packets per day, tea drink, can be taken for 5 to 7 days; history of respiratory diseases, the elderly and other susceptible groups, you can take 3 grams of yellow essence, sea buckthorn 2.5 grams, Luo Han Guo 2 grams, orange-red 2.5 Gram, fishy grass 3 grams, half the amount of each of the above drugs, made of 1 packet, a total of 2 packets per day, as a substitute for tea, for 5 to 7 days.
Smoking and haze can hurt the lungs, so quit smoking and wear a mask to protect the respiratory tract. Five Animal Play, Eight Duan Jin, Taijiquan is a Chinese medicine “breathing exercise”, that usually can do more to improve muscle strength, increase lung capacity, and improve immunity.
2. Warmth and cold are the keys
The respiratory system is a semi-open system that carries out the important physiological function of ventilation and air exchange. The lungs are the ones in charge of this function, regulating the movement of qi and blood in all the veins. Viral pneumonia is highly contagious and attacks the lungs first, therefore, warming the lungs and dispersing cold, clearing heat, and resolving phlegm are the guidelines of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of new crown pneumonia. The most important thing is to keep the lungs warm and avoid the cold in winter.
Winter outside the cold wind, cold frost, ice and snow, wind and cold of the evil, easy to invade the human body, the human pores closed, the heat is difficult to vent; evil multiplied by the lungs, causing fever, cough and wheezing and other diseases. Therefore, the residence should be protected and closed, the room temperature should be maintained at 18 ℃ ~ 25 ℃ if appropriate; clothes should be worn warm, and bedding should be thickened to adapt to the characteristics of the lungs like warm and cold. At the same time, pay attention to exercise, after the sun rises, you can play taijiquan, do eight duan jin and health exercises, or jog and walk, which is beneficial to strengthen the body to prevent disease.
For people whose lungs are susceptible to wind chill, fear of cold and runny nose, they can often eat astragalus ginger and date porridge. The specific method is: take 15 grams of astragalus, and 10 grams of ginger, add 300 ml of water, boil; add 5 red dates, and 30 grams of glutinous rice, cooked into a porridge, and drink once a day in the morning. For people with lung yin deficiency, dry nose, and mouth, it is recommended to use 15 grams of silver fungus, add 300 ml of water, boil, stew until dissolved, add two small spoons of honey, and eat once a day in the morning.
3. Clear dryness and nourish lung yin
The lung is a delicate organ and is connected to the outside world. The evil of the six external influences enters from the skin or the mouth and nose, so we can usually wear a mask to ward off the external influences from attacking the lung body. The lungs have the function of propagation and purification, and the coordination of these two depends on the balance of lung yin and lung yang. To nourish lung yin, you can eat an iced sugar-stewed pear and warm water with honey. A weak lung body usually can also be used to nourish the qi drugs such as ginseng, and astragalus in water, less smoking, and proper exercise. Introduce two auxiliary methods to nourish the lungs.
Nourishing Yin and clearing lung soup, composed of Xuan Shen, Licorice, Bai Shao, Mai Dong, Sheng Di Huang, Peppermint, Bei Mu, and Dan Pi. 2. Clearing dryness and saving lung soup, composed of Mulberry leaf, Mai Dong, Gypsum, Ginseng, Agaricus, Hu Ma Ren, Almond, Loquat leaf and Licorice, this formula clears dryness and moistens lung, benefits Qi and nourishes Yin from clearing lung, promoting lung, moistening lung, lowering lung and tonifying lung.
4. Both the spleen and lung should be tonified
Chinese medicine clearly points out that the first organ damaged by plague infections is the lung. The lung is the highest position in all the internal organs, so the evil must be injured first, showing symptoms such as bad chills and fever, cough, shortness of breath, and sputum. In addition to warmth, there is also dampness, which can injure the lungs as well as the spleen. Therefore, many patients also have symptoms such as frequent stools, not wanting to eat, and weakness, which means that “the lungs and spleen are injured together”. According to Chinese medicine, “the spleen is the mother of the lung”, meaning that people with a bad spleen will not have better lungs. Therefore, while strengthening the lung energy, attention should be paid to replenishing the spleen.
To strengthen both the lung and spleen, Six Jun Zi Tang (a decoction of six herbs, including ginseng, atractylodes, poria, licorice, peel, and sempervivum) is commonly used in clinical practice. During special periods, people with symptoms of lung qi deficiency, spleen qi deficiency, or those who are busy at work and often stay up late can take it in moderation. People with low immunity can also take Yu Ping Feng San, which can stabilize the body’s Wei Qi.
Suggestions: cough eat radish, bubble Luo Han Guo tea; dry mouth and throat, eat water chestnuts, duck pear; wind chill cold early eat some cilantro; winter cold and fear of cold, poor appetite, with some ginger soup; spleen qi weak people can be used barley, yam porridge.
5. Nourish the righteousness and calm the mind
How to protect the lungs against pneumonia? In his book “Treatise on warmth and fever”, the Qing Dynasty therapist Ye Tianshi pointed out that “the lungs are the first place to be attacked by warmth and fever”. In other words, the lungs are the most vulnerable to viral attack, and it is clinically found that most deaths are due to respiratory failure. During this special period, you can learn from the ancient way of nourishing the lungs.
Nourish the righteous energy to avoid poisonous energy. Under an epidemic, the righteous qi is stored in the body, and the disease is less likely to invade the body. To protect the body’s positive qi, eat some medicinal and food products that have the effect of nourishing yin and nourishing the lungs, such as Sichuan scallops stewed snow pear, silver fungus, yam and lotus seeds, etc. Do not consume too much spicy food. Here we recommend three clinical prevention of epidemic tea drinks: 100~150 grams of astragalus, a decoction of water and boil thin rice, beneficial for lung energy; ginseng beard 5~10 grams, wolfberry 15~30 grams of tea; dendrobium 15~30 grams, American ginseng 3~5 grams of tea. The second is to “avoid its poisonous gas”, and people to keep a distance, and wear a mask, will be some aromatic drugs, such as atractylodes, patchouli, lotus leaf, perilla leaf, mugwort, etc. made of incense sacs or smoked. 2. mind tranquility. Chinese medicine believes that the lungs hide prana, only with the heart and mind peace, the lungs will converge. It is important to moderate anger and have a calm mind.
Chinese medicine is profound and profound, the ancient prescriptions and methods of nourishing the lungs are still not outdated today, I hope the above methods of nourishing lungs can bring you some inspiration.