Bronchial Asthma
General
Introduction
Bronchial asthma is an episodic allergic pulmonary
disease. The attack is mostly induced by the inhalation of or contact with
allergens, such as pollens, dusts, insects (such as mite), germs, etc. During
the attack, patients have severe dyspnea which is due to spasm of bronchial
smooth muscles, swelling of the bronchial mucosa, and hypersecretion of the
mucus, leading to bronchial obstruction. When the attack can not be relieved
for a long time, it is called “status asthmaticus”. The disease isoftenseen
in children and teenagers. In TCM, it is attributable to the categories of
“xiao” (bronchial wheezing) and “chuan”(dyspnea).
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MAIN
POINTS OF DIAGNOSIS
- Notice whether there is an allergic history of the patient and his family.
For patients with histories of allergic rhinitis and urticaria, the disease
is easy to be diagnosed.
- The onset is abrupt, frequently occurring at night. Usually the patients
suddenly have a sense of suffocation and of constriction in the chest, and
orthopnea. The attack lasts from several minutes to several hours. On auscultation,
typical wheezes can be heard over the lung fields. Moist ralcs may bc present
if pulmonary infection coexists. Termination of the episode is frequently
accompanied by a cough with profuse mucoid sdutum.
- The status asthmaticus: In some cases the acute attack may persist for
a long time (over 24 hours), or the episode can not be relieved by various
drugs. The patients have severe dyspnea, accompanied with profuse sweating,
pallor, cyanosis, tachycardia and coldness of limbs. Respiratory failure
may occur in critical cases, and death may ensue if timely treatment is
not given.
- Laboratory examinations: The cosinophilic leukocyte count may increase
markedly during the attack, up to 5-15 percent or more in differential count.
Sputum examination may reveal more eosinopilic leukocytes and rhomboid crystals
in the sputum. Serum concentration of IgE may be increased. Skin test for
specific antigens is helpful to find the allergic agent, but the provocative
allergic test may have potential danger of inducing asthmatic attack. Therefore,
it should be performed with caution.
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Therapeutic Principle
Lowering
adverse flow of Qi to relieve ashma and expelling phlegm to stop cough, replenish
Qi to invigorate the spleen, warming and tonifying the Kidney-yang.
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Recipe
Ginseng, Gecko, Chinese cassia bark, perilla seed,, pinellia tube, Chinese
angelica root, Ginger, Dowgoods fruit, Chinese yam, Poria, Prepared aconite
root, Schisandra fruit, Aster root, Coltsfoot tuber & etc.
This
herbal Drink is suitable for the Asthma of Deficiency type at remission stage.
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