Among the five organs, the lungs are the most delicate. The sudden changes in temperature and dryness in autumn are easy to affect the lungs, leading to coughing. This is why "autumn cough" is common. It is not only common for people with respiratory diseases and weak constitution to have disease recurrence in this season, but also healthy individuals are more prone to coughing compared to other times.
Reasons for External-induced Cough
External-induced cough is caused by the invasion of external pathogenic factors such as wind, cold, heat, dampness, and dryness into the lungs. It is generally accompanied by symptoms such as chills and fever, headache, and nasal congestion. The most common type of cough in autumn is dry cough due to dryness. A significant characteristic of dry cough is the absence of phlegm or only a small amount of sticky phlegm that is difficult to expectorate. When treating external-induced cough, it is important to focus on dispersing the pathogenic factors from the lungs, rather than prematurely using cough suppressants. Cough suppressants generally have astringent effects, which may lead to the retention of pathogenic factors, resulting in prolonged cough and the development of chronic conditions such as chronic bronchitis.
Reasons for Internal-induced Cough
Internal-induced cough is caused by the dysfunction of the organs affecting the lungs. It is mostly seen in individuals with chronic cough and asthma, or those who have persistent cough after external pathogenic factors invade and find it difficult to relieve. The most common reason in autumn is lung yin deficiency. Internal-induced cough usually has complex symptoms and requires treatment from experienced doctors. Of course, individuals with chronic cough often tend to be susceptible to external pathogenic factors, leading to a combination of internal-induced and external-induced cough, making the condition even more complicated.
Dietary Methods
In autumn, you can eat some fruits and vegetables that have the effect of moisturizing the lungs, relieving cough, and reducing phlegm, such as pear, water chestnut, lily, citrus, pomegranate, grapes, lotus root, and tremella. However, the choice should be based on the individual's condition, and excessive consumption should be avoided. Eating too many pears can harm the spleen and stomach. It is not suitable for pregnant women, those with spleen and stomach deficiency and loose stools, and those with excessive clear and thin phlegm. Pears have a high sugar content, so diabetics should consume them with caution. Lily is suitable for individuals with lung deficiency and dry cough without phlegm, but should not be eaten if there is excessive phlegm or cold-induced diarrhea. Oranges are suitable for individuals with cough and excessive phlegm, but should be avoided if there is yin deficiency and dry cough.
Dietary Recipe:
Pear and Water Chestnut Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 pear
- 1/2 water chestnut
Instructions:
1. Wash the pear and cut it into small pieces, including the skin and core.
2. Wash the water chestnut and put it in a pot.
3. Add an appropriate amount of water and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the residue and drink the soup.
4. Take it twice a day for 3 consecutive days to see results.
Effects:
Moisturizes the lungs, relieves cough, clears heat, and soothes the throat. It is also suitable for treating chronic pharyngitis.
