Dry Cough

乾咳 / 干咳

Non-productive cough without phlegm, often irritating or persistent.

Quick Facts

Health Topic	Respiratory Care
Also Known As	Non-productive cough, Tickly dry cough, Dry hacking cough, Cough without phlegm, Irritating dry cough
Common Symptoms	A cough that produces little or no phlegm, often dry, scratchy or irritating. The throat may feel tight or itchy, and the cough can be worse at night, in dry air, or after talking. Chest discomfort or a sense of incomplete relief after coughing may also appear.
Related TCM Patterns	Yin Deficiency · Wind-Heat · Lung Heat · Wind-Cold · Phlegm-Heat · Kidney Yin Deficiency
Related Classical Formulas	Ma Huang Tang · Sang Ju Yin · Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang · Sang Xing Tang · Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang · Bai He Gu Jin Tang · Yin Qiao San · Yi Wei Tang · Mai Men Dong Tang · Zeng Ye Tang · Yang Yin Qing Fei Tang · Zhi Sou San · Xie Bai San · Qing Jin Hua Tan Tang · Mai Wei Di Huang Wan

Dry Cough in Traditional Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a dry cough is not a single pattern. It may be associated with Wind-Heat, Yin deficiency, Lung Heat or Wind-Cold, depending on the accompanying features. Differentiation looks at whether there is fever and sore throat, night dryness and a red tongue with little coating, marked thirst, or chills without sweating. Classical formulas are matched to these pattern distinctions rather than to the dry quality of the cough alone.

TCM Patterns Associated With Dry Cough

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
Yin Deficiency陰虛證Deficiency Patterns	Dry mouth and throat, night sweats or warm palms and soles, a thin body frame, and restlessness that is worse in the afternoon or at night. Sleep may be light, and there is often a preference for cool drinks. Symptoms feel empty rather than forceful. Tongue red with scant coating; pulse thin and rapid.	Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang Bai He Gu Jin Tang Yi Wei Tang Mai Men Dong Tang Zeng Ye Tang Yang Yin Qing Fei Tang
Wind-Heat風熱證Exterior Patterns	Fever that is more noticeable than chills, mild sweating, sore throat, thirst, and a cough that may be dry or with yellow phlegm. The onset is often abrupt after exposure to wind or heat. Nasal discharge can turn yellow, and the face may look flushed. Tongue tip red with a thin yellow coating; pulse floating and rapid.	Sang Ju Yin Sang Xing Tang Yin Qiao 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.	Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang Xie Bai San
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.	Ma Huang Tang Zhi Sou San
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.	Qing Jin Hua Tan Tang
Kidney Yin Deficiency腎陰虛證Deficiency Patterns	Soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, tinnitus or dizziness, night sweats, warm palms and soles, and dry mouth or throat that is worse at night. Sleep may be light, and the person often prefers cool drinks. The frame may be thinner. Tongue red with little coating; pulse thin and rapid.	Mai Wei Di Huang Wan