| Phlegm is the name given to the excess mucus | | | | combination contains triterpenes as its active ingredient. |
| occurring in and secreted from the respiratory | | | | These clear phlegm and reduce inflammation. |
| passages, mainly lungs, throat and sinuses. The sticky | | | | Bamboo sap (the liquid form is called Zhuli and the |
| fluid of the nasal passages is not phlegm. Differing | | | | dried form tianzhuhuang) has also got similar properties. |
| from this scientific view of the Westerners, the | | | | It is used in a medicine called Baoying Dan, which is |
| Chinese consider it as "congealed moisture" opposing | | | | effective for fever and breathing problems in infants. |
| the body's Qi (or Chi). According to them while Qi, | | | | Bulbifera is rhizome, used as a component of Jia Kang |
| which is "vital energy", is 'light and flowing', phlegm is | | | | Wan a medicine in several herbs useful for resolving |
| just the opposite, 'substantive and stagnating'. From the | | | | phlegm by removing thyroid mass (phlegm mass). |
| time of Hippocrates to the nineteenth century, phlegm | | | | Cynanchum, a rhizome of a plant with white leaves, is |
| was one of the four bodily humours (the others being | | | | an important ingredient in the medicine Platycodon and |
| black bile, yellow bile and blood). It was thought that | | | | Schizonepeta Formula (Zhi Sou San). It is useful in the |
| phlegm caused sluggishness and laziness. | | | | treatment of cough. It helps remove sputum. |
| The color of phlegm, except when it is white may be | | | | Fritillaria refers to two important species of the Lily |
| indicative of some ailment or the other. Yellow, brown | | | | family, Fritillaria cirrosa and Fritillaria thunbergii. The latter |
| or greenish appearance implies there may be infection. | | | | is good for clearing phlegm masses and tumors. |
| Yellow means also that you may be suffering from | | | | Fritillaria is used in the medicine Platycodon and Fritillaria |
| the common cold. During the initial period of a flu | | | | Combination. |
| attack, the phlegm may be colorless, when it is | | | | Some other herbs and the medicines (put, along with |
| considered highly infectious. Later, it may turn yellow. In | | | | Chinese names, between brackets), in which they are |
| some cases, smoking renders the phlegm brown or | | | | used as ingredients, include the following:- |
| brownish gray. In some instances, tuberculosis and, on | | | | FOR HOT PHLEGM: |
| a minor scale, bronchitis may make you cough up | | | | Epicedium (Perilla Fruit Combination: Suzi Jiangqi Tang); |
| phlegm tinged with blood. | | | | Sterculia (Yanhou Tang); |
| It is therefore important that you clear phlegm before it | | | | Trichosanthes (Ophiopogon and Trichosanthes |
| bothers you with minor infections or major illnesses. | | | | Combination: |
| For this, you may choose to look for suitable herbs | | | | Maimendong Yin Zi); |
| rather than take the usual prescription drugs. In that | | | | Trichosanthes seed (Anemarrhena and Fritillaria |
| case, you will find quite a few herbal solutions to the | | | | Formula: Ermu Ningsou Wan); |
| problem of phlegm clogging your respiratory passages | | | | Trichosanthes fruit (Trichosanthes, Bakeri, and Pinellia |
| and making you acutely uncomfortable or even ill. | | | | Combination: |
| The Oriental Materia Medica along with the Thousand | | | | Gualou Xiebai Banxia Tang); |
| Formulas and the Thousand Herbs of Traditional | | | | FOR COLD PHLEGM: |
| Chinese Medicine provides a long list of herbs for | | | | Arisaema (Pinellia and Arisaema Combination: Qingshi |
| clearing, according to the Chinese concept, both the | | | | Huatan Tang); |
| types of phlegm, the 'cold-phlegm' and the 'hot-phlegm'. | | | | Centipeda (Xanthium 12: Kang Xieqi Pian); |
| Cold-phlegm is supposed to be 'moist, thin and clear' | | | | Galitsis (Angelica and Mastic Combination: Xianfang |
| and the hot one 'drier, thick and sometimes discolored'. | | | | Huoming Yin); |
| Warming herbs clear cold-phlegm and cooling herbs | | | | Inula (Schizonepeta and Pinellia Formula: Qingfei Cao |
| hot-phlegm, as per the thinking of the practitioners of | | | | San); |
| Chinese medicine. | | | | Pinellia (Pinellia Combination: Banxia Xiexin Tang); |
| The following are only some of those herbs found to | | | | Platycodon (Fritillaria and Platycodon Formula: Ning Sou |
| be effective in clearing phlegm: | | | | Wan); |
| Bamboo: The Chinese call it Zhu. The edible shavings | | | | The list is by no means exhaustive. Before choosing |
| of the stem, which is called Zhuru, have a sweet taste | | | | one or more of the herbs for clearing phlegm, it is |
| and are used as an ingredient in a combination of | | | | advisable to obtain the expert opinion of the |
| Aurantium and Bamboo, an herbal remedy to stop | | | | practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, |
| nausea and vomiting resulting from phlegm. The | | | | specializing in phlegm-resolving herbs. |