In traditional Chinese medicine, throat diseases with symptoms such as redness, swelling, and pain in the throat, difficulty swallowing, sensation of foreign body obstruction, itching, dryness, and burning are referred to as "throat obstruction," which corresponds to pharyngitis in Western medicine. Based on different etiology and pathogenesis, there are distinctions between "wind-heat throat obstruction" and "deficiency-fire throat obstruction," which are equivalent to acute pharyngitis and chronic pharyngitis in Western medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has a complete theoretical system for understanding the causes and mechanisms of pharyngitis and has many effective prescriptions that have been passed down through generations. In the ancient text "Nei Jing," there are many discussions on the causes and mechanisms of throat obstruction. For example, in the chapter "Su Wen, Zhi Zhen Yao Da Lun," it states: "When the too yin is in the spring, the grass blooms early. If the dampness prevails, it will obscure the rocks and valleys, and the yellow color will turn black. When the extreme yin meets, people will suffer from throat obstruction." It points out that the dysfunction of the lung's sieving function and the imbalance of yin and yang, as well as influences from climate changes and external pathogenic factors, cause stagnation and obstruction of qi and blood, internal heat accumulation, and the invasion of wind-heat pathogenic factors, resulting in the onset of the disease in the throat.
The symptoms of various types of chronic pharyngitis are generally similar and diverse, such as discomfort in the throat, sensation of foreign body, difficulty coughing up pharyngeal secretions, itching sensation in the throat, burning sensation, dryness, or irritation, and there may also be slight pain. Due to the usually viscous secretions adhering to the posterior wall of the throat caused by chronic inflammation of the throat, as well as nocturnal mouth breathing due to nasal, sinus, and nasopharyngeal lesions, irritative cough and nausea often occur upon waking in the morning. The sensation of a foreign body in the throat can manifest as frequent swallowing.
Pressing the Lianquan acupoint until it produces a "sha" reaction can quickly prevent and treat pharyngitis, especially acute pharyngitis.
Lianquan acupoint is located above the Adam's apple, at the midpoint of the upper edge of the hyoid bone. It is an acupoint of the Ren meridian and has the functions of soothing the throat, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. It is mainly used to treat acute and chronic pharyngitis, oral ulcers, and sudden dumbness. According to the theory of "the location of the acupoint determines the treatment effect," pressing the Lianquan acupoint with the thumb and index finger until it produces a "sha" reaction can promote blood circulation, remove stasis, detoxify, and have a very good therapeutic effect. It is especially suitable for patients with throat pain caused by excessive consumption of spicy and greasy food.
Daily precautions
1. Pay attention to a balance between work and rest, prevent cold exposure, and rest in bed during the acute phase.
2. Those who frequently come into contact with dust or chemical gases should wear masks, face shields, and take other protective measures.
3. Drink plenty of lightly salted boiled water, eat easily digestible food, and maintain regular bowel movements.
4. Avoid smoking, alcohol, spicy, excessively cold or hot, and strongly flavored foods.
5. Pay attention to oral hygiene and develop the habit of rinsing the mouth after meals to prevent the growth of bacteria.
6. Foods such as winter amaranth, honey, tomatoes, starfruit, lemons, green fruits, kelp, radishes, sesame, pears, water chestnuts, white grass roots, sugarcane, etc. have the functions of clearing heat, reducing inflammation, nourishing the lungs and kidneys, and replenishing yin fluids. They can be consumed in moderation.
7. Apply Jin Xuan Shen ointment to the throat when it feels uncomfortable.
8. Keep indoor air flowing.
9. Avoid speaking for long periods of time, and especially avoid shouting loudly until hoarse.
