The site of pathological changes of chronic pharyngitis lies in the pharynx and is related to the three zang organs of the lung, spleen and kidney. Due to prolonged diseases, the asthenic lung and kidney will cause deficiency of body fluid, resulting in the pharyngolaryngeal loss of moisturization and nourishment; because of the failure of the spleen in transportation, it is difficult for food to be transformed into food essence and for body fluid to be ascended, leading to pharyngolaryngeal dryness and loss of nourishment; on account of yin insufficiency, the surplus yang will scorch body fluid and make it into phlegm to accumulate and stagnate in the pharyngolarynx with heat.

In all the above cases, chronic pharyngitis will occur. The commonly-seen syndromes of chronic pharyngitis include yin deficiency of the lung and kidney, qi deficiency of the lung and spleen and internal accumulation of phlegm and heat. In the case of clinical treatment, clearing away heat and resolving phlegm are mainly for sthenic syndromes; nourishing yin and promoting body fluid generation, strengthening the spleen and invigorating qi mainly for asthenic syndromes; therapeutic methods for both sthenic and asthenic syndromes may be taken into consideration for asthenic syndromes intermingled with sthenic syndromes.