Cough variant is a common disease of the respiratory system and can lead to a unique type of asthma. The disease has no obvious symptoms such as wheezing nor shortness of breath. Coughing is the main clinical symptom, as it causes airway hyper-responsiveness. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a unique understanding of this disease, and the effect is obvious after treatment, as it’s based on symptom differentiation. This article takes the concept of “mild fluid retention” from “The Synopsis of the Golden Chamber” as an entry point, briefly describes the relationship between cough variant and mild fluid retention, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of Chinese medicine.
Dai ZY, 2010, The Concept of “Phlegm” and the Differential Diagnosis of Phlegm-Fluid Retention and Water-Dampness: Research Inspiration from Japan. Proceedings of the Symposium on Diagnostics of Chinese Medicine in Japan and China, 6.
Zhao D, Lv CX, 2017, Discussion on “Patients with Phlegm-fluid Retention Should be Treated with Warm Medicine.” Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2017, 32(5): 2229-2232.
Zhang LS, Zhou SZ, Li C, 2017, Mild fluid retention and Chronic Cough. Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 32(7): 2998-3000.
Li XY, Zhang H, 2015, Professor Wang Lie’s Academic Experience in Treating Children with Asthma. Journal of Pediatrics of Chinese Medicine, 11(4): 1-3.
Gao LX, Yan Y, Bao HP, et al., 2019, Modern Research Progress on Cough Variant Asthma. Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 34(9): 4171-4174.
Wu ZX, Lian JW, Jiang YN, 2014, A Detailed Analysis of the Meaning of the Article: “One’s Mild Fluid Retention due to Coughing Should be Discharged by Urinating.” in “The Synopsis of the Golden Chamber.” Journal of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 38(4):376- 378.