What is the most effective way to clear the lungs and resolve phlegm?
Generally speaking, there is no definitive statement regarding the most effective method for clearing the lungs and resolving phlegm. If one wishes to clear the lungs and expel phlegm, they may consume foods such as pears, loquats, pomelos, lily bulbs, and white radishes under a doctor's guidance, or use medications such as Feining Granules, Tongxuan Lifei Pills, Niuhuang Shedan Chuanbei Liquid, Suhuang Zhike Capsules, and Ambroxol Terbutaline Oral Solution. The details are as follows:
I. Foods
1. Pears
Pears are cool in nature and can clear heat from the lungs. They also contain abundant water, which helps moisturize the lungs and resolve phlegm.
2. Loquat
Loquats are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as minerals. They help moisturize the lungs, relieve coughing, and promote expectoration. Loquat leaves are also commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat coughs caused by lung heat.
3. Pomelo
Pomelos are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, which can enhance immunity, promote the repair of respiratory mucosa, and aid in the expulsion of phlegm.
4. Lily Bulb
Lily bulb can be used as a traditional Chinese medicine and has effects of relieving cough, resolving phlegm, and clearing the lungs. It also contains various bioactive components that help moisturize the lungs and alleviate symptoms of coughing and excessive phlegm.
5. White Radish
White radish contains substances such as sinigrin and amylase, which have effects of clearing heat, resolving phlegm, relieving cough, and alleviating asthma. It can stimulate the respiratory mucosa, promote phlegm expulsion, and thus help clear the lungs and resolve phlegm.
II. Medications
1. Feining Granules
The main ingredients of Feining Granules include Tussilago farfara (Kuan Dong Hua). Coltsfoot has a cough-suppressing effect and can promote secretion from respiratory glands, increasing the volume of phlegm expelled, helping to dilute and clear phlegm.
2. Tongxuan Lifei Pills
Tongxuan Lifei Pills mainly contain perilla and ephedra, along with other ingredients such as Peucedanum praeruptorum (Qian Hu), apricot seed (Xing Ren), Platycodon root (Jie Geng), tangerine peel (Chen Pi), Pinellia (Ban Xia), Poria (Fu Ling), and Astragalus (Huang Qi). They are highly effective in treating cough caused by external contraction of cold pathogens and can also promote lung function, aiding in phlegm expulsion.
3. Niuhuang Shedan Chuanbei Liquid
Niuhuang Shedan Chuanbei Liquid contains ingredients such as bezoar, snake gallbladder, and Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii (Chuan Bei Mu). It can suppress the cough center, reduce coughing symptoms, promote the expulsion of respiratory secretions, dilute phlegm, and make it easier to expel.
4. Suhuang Zhike Capsules
The main ingredients of Suhuang Zhike Capsules include perilla seeds and Phellodendron bark (Huang Bai). These capsules can clear heat and detoxify, reducing respiratory inflammation. Perilla seeds help regulate qi, widen the chest, and resolve phlegm to relieve coughing.
5. Ambroxol Terbutaline Oral Solution
Ambroxol Terbutaline Oral Solution mainly contains ambroxol hydrochloride and terbutaline. Ambroxol increases secretion from the serous glands of the respiratory mucosa while decreasing secretion from mucous glands, thereby reducing phlegm viscosity and making it easier to expel. Terbutaline relaxes bronchial smooth muscles, alleviates airway narrowing, improves ventilation, and aids in phlegm expulsion.
When using these medications in daily life, it is essential to follow medical instructions, take them on time and in the correct dosage, and pay attention to possible side effects and contraindications of the medications.