Asthma & Wheezing

哮喘氣喘 / 哮喘气喘

Labored breathing with whistling sounds, often linked to lung or phlegm patterns.

Quick Facts

Health Topic	Respiratory Care
Also Known As	Wheezing, Asthmatic breathing, Laboured breathing, Wheezy chest, Breathing with whistle
Common Symptoms	Laboured breathing with a whistling or rattling sound in the chest. Episodes may be triggered by cold air, exertion or seasonal change, and can come with cough and a tight chest. Between episodes breathing may feel normal or still slightly restricted.
Related TCM Patterns	Wind-Cold · Lung Heat · Phlegm-Heat · Phlegm-Dampness
Related Classical Formulas	Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang · Da Qing Long Tang · Xiao Qing Long Tang · She Gan Ma Huang Tang · Gui Zhi Jia Hou Po Xing Zi Tang · Hua Gai San · Ding Chuan Tang · San Zi Yang Qin Tang · Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang · Jin Fei Cao San

Asthma & Wheezing in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, asthma and wheezing in the current set are associated with Lung Heat. Differentiation looks at whether there is thirst, yellow sputum and a rapid pulse, and whether heat signs predominate over cold. Classical formulas are matched to this pattern context rather than to wheezing alone. Accompanying signs such as tongue appearance, pulse quality and the presence of heat or cold help distinguish one presentation from another.

TCM Patterns Associated With Asthma & Wheezing

The same presentation may be understood through more than one pattern. Pattern differentiation weighs the accompanying signs, not the symptom on its own.

Pattern	Common Features	Related Formulas
Wind-Cold風寒證Exterior Patterns	Chills that outweigh the fever, no sweating, a stuffy or runny nose with clear discharge, an itchy or scratchy throat rather than a sore one, body aches, and a cough with thin white phlegm. Symptoms often start abruptly after exposure to cold or wind. Tongue with a thin white coating; pulse floating and tight.	Da Qing Long Tang Xiao Qing Long Tang She Gan Ma Huang Tang Gui Zhi Jia Hou Po Xing Zi Tang Hua Gai San Jin Fei Cao San
Lung Heat肺熱證Heat Patterns	Cough with yellow or sticky phlegm, thirst, a feeling of heat in the chest, and possible shortness of breath or flaring of the nostrils in stronger presentations. Fever may be present without marked chills, and the throat can feel sore or dry. Tongue red with a yellow coating; pulse rapid, possibly slippery.	Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang
Phlegm-Heat痰熱證Phlegm Patterns	Yellow or sticky phlegm that is hard to expectorate, chest tightness, and a sense of heat or restlessness. There may be a bitter taste, thirst, and constipation or dark urine when heat is marked. Cough can be forceful with a rattling sound. Tongue red with a yellow greasy coating; pulse slippery and rapid.	Ding Chuan Tang
Phlegm-Dampness痰濕證Phlegm Patterns	Copious white or sticky phlegm, a heavy chest or head, and a greasy tongue coating. There may be nausea, poor appetite, and a foggy or heavy mental feeling that worsens in damp weather or after rich food. Coughing brings up phlegm that is hard to clear completely. Tongue pale with a thick greasy white coating; pulse slippery.	San Zi Yang Qin Tang Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang