Chronic bronchitis is an inflammatory condition of the airways. Your airway consists of tubes that connect your windpipe with your lungs. When the airway becomes inflamed by pollution, fumes, cigarette smoke, or other irritants, it swells in an effort to close itself and protect the lungs from the irritant. As a result, less air is able to flow to and from the lungs. The lungs work to protect themselves too. While your airways are tightening to fend off the irritants, the lungs produce mucus or sputum to clear away the irritation. This causes you to cough and bring up some of the mucus. It can also make breathing very labored and uncomfortable.
Four therapeutic methods for chronic bronchitis in TCM
Wind-cold invading the lung
Therapeutic methods: Expelling wind and removing cold, ventilating the lung and resolving phlegm
Wind-heat invading the lung
Therapeutic methods: Dispersing wind, clearing away heat, ventilating the lung and resolving phlegm
Dry-heat damaging the lung
Therapeutic methods: Clearing away lung heat, moistening dryness and resolving phlegm
Phlegm-damp obstructing the lung
Therapeutic methods: Moistening dryness and resolving phlegm, open the inhibited lung-energy and relieve cough