The commonly-seen syndromes of chronic rhinitis include stagnated heat of lung meridian, asthenic cold of the lung qi, excessive dampness due to asthenia of the spleen and blood stasis due to qi stagnation. Of these syndromes, the syndrome of stagnated heat of lung meridian is the most commonly-seen one and is characterized by marked nasal obstruction, thicker nasal discharge and red swelling of nasal conchae. Treatment should be dispelling wind and clearing away heat.
The syndrome of asthenic cold of the lung qi is marked by nasal obstruction in the case of cold as well as pale nasal conchae. Treatment should lie in warming the lung to dispel cold. Profuse nasal discharge is the feature of the syndrome of excessive dampness due to asthenia of the spleen. Treatment should lie in strengthening the spleen to remove dampness. The characteristics of the syndrome of blood stasis due to qi stagnation are prolonged nasal obstruction, dark reddish and harder nasal conchae. Treatment should be promoting qi flow to activate blood circulation.
Four therapeutic methods for chronic rhinitis in TCM
Stagnated heat of lung meridian
Therapeutic methods: Dispelling wind and dispersing the lung, clearing away heat and removing obstruction of the orifice.
Asthenic cold of the lung qi
Therapeutic methods: Tonifying the lung and invigorating qi, dispelling cold and removing obstruction of the orifice.
Excessive dampness due to asthenia of spleen
Therapeutic methods: Strengthening the spleen to remove dampness, eliminating turbidity to dredge orifice.
Blood stasis due to qi stagnation
Therapeutic methods: Regulating qi and blood, removing stagnation to eliminate blood stasis.