Chinese Medicine for Cough

In Chinese medicine, a cough is not just a problem of the lungs. It’s a sign that the body’s balance has been disturbed by different forces such as wind, heat, cold, dampness, or internal weakness. Each type of cough has its own pattern of symptoms, cause, and treatment.

Wind-Cold Cough

Common Signs

  • Breathing through the nose with clear discharge

  • Cough with clear sputum and a heavy sound

  • Headache, dizziness, or body pain that moves around

  • Dislike of cold

  • Stuffy nose, vomiting, or diarrhea

  • Hoarseness or early loss of voice

Treatment Principle
Disperse wind and cold, open the lungs, and stop the cough.

Herbal Formula: Xing-Su-San
Helpful Foods: Peppermint (or oil), spearmint, sweet basil, green pepper, fennel, star anise, prickly ash leaf

Wind-Heat Cough

Common Signs

  • Sticky or bloody sputum

  • Headache, dizziness, red eyes, or throat pain

  • Fever, thirst, or yellow mucus

  • Muddy nasal discharge and nosebleeds

  • Swelling or pain in the eyes

  • Ringing in ears, toothache, or yellow urine

Treatment Principle
Disperse wind and heat, expand the lungs, and stop the cough.

Herbal Formula: Sang-Ju-Yin
Helpful Foods: Banana, bitter gourd, watermelon, spinach, strawberry, bamboo leaf, beet leaf, mung bean, purslane, spearmint, sweet basil, celery, green onion

Dryness-Heat Cough

Common Signs

  • Dry cough with little or no sputum

  • Dry nose or throat

  • Constipation or thirst

  • Sometimes linked to diabetes

Treatment Principle
Clear heat, moisten dryness, create fluids, and regulate the lungs.

Herbal Formula: Sang-Xing-Tang or Qing-Zao-Jiu-Fei-Tang
Helpful Foods: Asparagus, soy milk, bird’s nest, egg, cheese, milk, pear, peach, lettuce, endive, black fungus, bamboo shoot, mung bean, mustard leaf, purslane

Dampness-Sputum Cough

Common Signs

  • Cough with lots of sticky white sputum

  • Feels better after spitting it out

  • Dizziness, hiccups, vomiting

  • Itchy chest or panting

  • Frequent coughing at night

  • Sleepiness or poor sleep

Treatment Principle
Strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, transform phlegm, and regulate the lungs.

Herbal Formula: Er-Chen-Tang
Helpful Foods: Adzuki bean, barley, cucumber, mung bean, seaweed, shepherd’s purse, star fruit, bamboo shoot, ginger, lily, mustard leaf, pepper, mustard seed, asparagus, pear

Liver-Fire Upsurging Cough

Common Signs

  • Sudden dizziness or headache in the temples

  • Irritability, anger, or heat sensations

  • Cough with a feeling of rising energy in the throat

  • Nosebleeds, red eyes, ringing in ears

  • Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

  • Yellow urine, sometimes stomach bleeding

Treatment Principle
Calm the liver, clear fire, clear the lungs, and stop the cough.

Herbal Formula: Ke-Xue-Fang
Helpful Foods: Spinach, chestnut, shepherd’s purse, rye, black fungus, vinegar, abalone, asparagus, egg, clam, white fungus, pork, royal jelly

Yin Deficiency Cough

Common Signs

  • Dry throat and mouth, little sputum

  • Fatigue, afternoon fever, or night sweats

  • Dizziness or nosebleeds

  • Hot palms and soles

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Toothache or swallowing pain

  • Underweight body type

Treatment Principle
Nourish yin, clear internal heat, and moisten the lungs.

Herbal Formula: Bai-He-Gu-Jin-Tang
Helpful Foods: Bird’s nest, cheese, kidney bean, abalone, asparagus, duck, duck egg, white fungus, oyster, pork, royal jelly

In Chinese medicine, treating a cough means understanding what’s happening inside the whole body—not just the lungs. By balancing the body’s elements with herbs, diet, and proper rest, the cough can be relieved and the root cause addressed naturally.