There are many types of cough, and whooping cough, as a destroyer of the respiratory system in babies, is common and most serious in children. So what are the symptoms of whooping cough?
【Symptoms of Whooping Cough】
1. From the onset of the disease to the appearance of the spasmodic cough, it generally takes about 1-2 weeks. The initial symptoms are similar to a cold, with nasal congestion, sneezing, mild fever, and sometimes only a dry cough, which may not attract attention. As other symptoms gradually disappear, the cough worsens, becoming more severe at night and light during the day, and eventually develops into spasmodic coughing.
2. The second to sixth week is the period of spasmodic coughing, with paroxysmal and spasmodic coughing being the main symptoms. During an attack, there are frequent and uninterrupted short coughs, followed by a deep inhalation, which produces a high-pitched wheezing sound due to the spasmodic state of the throat. This is followed by another episode of spasmodic coughing, and this cycle repeats several times until thick sticky sputum is expelled. During severe coughing, there may be urinary and fecal incontinence, facial redness, tears, and cyanosis of the lips. The symptoms end after vomiting.
3. During the intermittent period of spasmodic coughing, there may be signs of congestion, such as facial and eyelid swelling, nosebleeds, blood in sputum, and subconjunctival hemorrhage. In severe cases, there may be intracranial hemorrhage. Frequent spasmodic coughing can affect sleep, causing fatigue, reduced activity, decreased appetite, and combined with vomiting and secondary infections, can lead to nutritional disorders.
【How Traditional Chinese Medicine Treats Whooping Cough】
1. Initial Cough Stage
Symptoms: Low-grade fever, sneezing, gradual worsening of cough, worse at night than during the day. For those with a tendency towards wind-cold, there may be chills, thin and white sputum, thin white tongue coating, and a floating and tight pulse; for those with a tendency towards wind-heat, there may be redness in the throat, thick and difficult-to-cough-up sputum, thin yellow tongue coating, and a rapid pulse.
Treatment: Expelling wind and promoting lung function.
Prescription: Sangju Yin or Xing Su San. Main ingredients: Mulberry leaf, chrysanthemum flower, platycodon root, apricot kernel, forsythia fruit, peppermint, licorice root, reed rhizome.
For those with a mild wind-cold pattern, Xing Su San is used with modifications to expel wind, warm the body, promote lung function, and transform phlegm. For those with a heavier heat pathogen, with more severe coughing, Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang with modifications is used to promote lung function, clear heat, transform phlegm, and stop coughing. For those with thick and difficult-to-cough-up sputum, Tian Zhu Huang, fresh bamboo juice, and bitter melon seeds are added to clear and transform phlegm heat.
2. Spasmodic Cough Stage
Symptoms: Paroxysmal coughing, worse at night than during the day, when coughing, the face becomes red, tears flow, and after vomiting up milky sputum, the spasmodic cough stops temporarily. Blood streaks may be seen in the sputum during severe coughing, and in severe cases, nosebleeds or subconjunctival hemorrhages may occur. Ulcers may be seen on the tongue tie. The tongue coating is yellow, and the pulse is rapid and strong.
Treatment: Clearing the lung and suppressing coughing.
Prescription: Sang Bai Pi Tang. Main ingredients: Mulberry root bark, pinellia tuber, perilla seed, apricot kernel, fritillaria bulb, scutellaria root, coptis root, and gardenia fruit.
If spasmodic coughing occurs frequently, white bombyx and centipede can be added to relieve spasms and suppress coughing. For those with severe vomiting, calcined oyster shell, loquat leaf, and bamboo shavings can be added to descend rebellious qi and stop vomiting. For those with thick and sticky sputum, clam shell and Tian Zhu Huang can be added to clear heat and transform phlegm. For those with constipation, rhubarb and xuanming powder can be added to clear heat, move the bowels, and promote bowel movements. For those with hemoptysis or bleeding, white bletilla root, cyperus leaf, and notoginseng can be added to cool the blood and stop bleeding. For those with red and swollen eyes, gentian root can be added to clear and purge liver fire. For those with side pain, bupleurum, curcuma, and peach kernel can be added to soothe the liver and activate blood circulation. For those with coma or convulsions, Zixue Dan or Angong Niuhuang Wan can be added to stop spasms and open the orifices.
3. Recovery Stage
(1) Spleen Qi Deficiency
Symptoms: Weak physique, weak cough, excessive thin and white sputum, poor appetite, loose stools, fatigue. The tongue is pale, the coating is thin and white, and the pulse is deep and strong.
Treatment: Tonifying the spleen and replenishing Qi.
Prescription: Ren Shen Wu Wei Zi Tang. Main ingredients: Codonopsis root, white atractylodes rhizome, poria, schisandra fruit, dwarf lilyturf root, fresh ginger, jujube, and licorice root.
If there is easy sweating and repeated colds, astragalus root and ledebouriella root can be added to tonify Qi and consolidate the exterior. If there are loose stools, almond can be removed and roasted cardamom and roasted coix seed can be added to tonify the spleen and promote dampness permeation.
(2) Lung Yin Deficiency
Symptoms: Weak physique, dry cough with little sputum, redness in both cheeks, hot hands and feet, night sweats. The tongue is red, with little coating, and the pulse is thin, rapid, and weak.
Treatment: Nourishing Yin and moistening the lungs.
Prescription: Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang. Main ingredients: Glehnia root, ophiopogon root, polygonatum rhizome, licorice root, mulberry leaf, white hyacinth bean, and pollen typhae.
If there is excessive sweating, mother-of-pearl and floating wheat can be added to stop sweating and protect Yin. If there is constipation, hemp seed and bitter melon seed can be added to moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements.
