🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Spring is a peak season for many respiratory diseases, and the health of the nose—the body’s most delicate air conditioner—becomes particularly important. To this end, reporters interviewed experts and brought effective prevention and treatment methods for chronic rhinitis patients.
Chronic simple rhinitis often causes complaints such as nasal obstruction when lying on one side, which is typical of chronic simple rhinitis. Main symptoms include mucous nasal discharge, intermittent or alternating nasal congestion, worse during rest, fatigue, or exposure to dry, cold, or polluted air, but improved during activity.
Traditional Chinese medicine regards this condition as "bi zhi" meaning nasal obstruction. TCM generally classifies it into lung heat and qi deficiency, treating accordingly with formulas like Warm Lung and Stop Flow Decoction or Tonify Middle Energizer and Augment Qi Decoction. Western medicine emphasizes eliminating causes and improving nasal ventilation, such as using nasal drops. Additionally, treatments may include nasal drops, nasal blowing, physiotherapy, and acupuncture. Prevention and self-care:
Patients should actively exercise, regularly wash face with cold water, and prevent colds. Actively treat acute rhinitis, adjacent nasal diseases, and systemic conditions to avoid triggering this illness. Avoid prolonged exposure to toxic or irritating gases and dusty environments. Also, do not forcefully blow nose to prevent turbid mucus from entering the ear. Avoid long-term use of vasoconstrictive nasal drops such as ephedrine or Bingqiao Eye Drops, to prevent drug-dependent rhinitis.
Drug-induced Rhinitis
Drug-induced rhinitis results from overuse of nasal drops, with characteristics related to the drops themselves. Early stage is the drug dependence phase—must frequently use a certain medication, otherwise nasal congestion, runny nose, dizziness, and headache occur. In later stages, nasal mucosal fibrous tissue hyperplasia thickens, becoming insensitive to nasal drops; no medication can relieve nasal breathing. Prevention and self-care:
After having rhinitis, actively adopt appropriate treatments, minimize or avoid nasal decongestant use. If necessary, limit dosage to within 2–3 times per day, and continuous use must not exceed 10 days.
The primary measure for treating drug-induced rhinitis is discontinuing vasoconstrictive nasal drops, replacing them with saline or triamcinolone solution. The latter is a steroid drug and also should not be used long-term.
Chronic Sinusitis
Chronic sinusitis refers to chronic inflammation of the sinuses, primarily characterized by copious purulent nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, impaired sense of smell, and headache, with a typically long duration. It is common in children, with incidence much higher than commonly imagined, often becoming chronic due to lack of attention. Prevention and self-care:
Regular physical exercise to strengthen the body, pay attention to dental hygiene, all help prevent this disease. Chronic sinusitis patients should frequently clear purulent nasal discharge, maintain nasal patency, pay attention to proper nose-blowing technique to prevent nasal mucus from entering the middle ear and causing otitis media. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that although deficiency syndromes are common, excess syndromes are also frequent; treatment usually focuses on clearing heat and phlegm, and regulating the lungs, spleen, and kidneys. Western medicine typically uses nasal drops, nasal blowing, hot compresses, laser therapy, etc.
[Quick Therapy]
Winter melon seed 60g, lily root 30g, decoct in water, take twice daily.
Green tea 2g, steep in boiling water, add one spoon honey, drink frequently.
Prunella 15g, chrysanthemum 10g, steep in boiling water, drink as tea.
Allergic Rhinitis
Also known as allergic rhinitis, it is a nasal disease characterized by sudden and recurrent episodes of nasal itching, sneezing, clear nasal discharge, and nasal obstruction. In TCM, this condition is called "bi qiu." Before onset, patients may experience general discomfort, poor appetite; then develop cold sensitivity, fever, head fullness, headache, and mental fatigue. Prevention and self-care:
Seasonal allergic rhinitis patients should avoid contact with flowers and pollen at the start of the season, reduce outdoor activities. Year-round allergic rhinitis patients should improve living environment, avoid keeping cats, dogs, flowers, birds, refrain from using wool carpets and down quilts, maintain indoor and outdoor ventilation, reduce exposure to dust.
[Dietary Therapy]
Red date Lung Nourishing Paste: red dates 500g, apricot kernels 250g, honey 250ml, ginger juice 60ml. Boil into paste, take regularly. Suitable for patients with lung deficiency.
Dry Rhinitis
As the name suggests, dry rhinitis is a chronic nasal disease primarily characterized by dryness inside the nose. In TCM, it is called "bi zao." This condition commonly affects those with weak constitutions and those frequently inhaling impure air. Patients feel dryness and discomfort inside the nose, possibly with itching or foreign body sensation, often leading to sneezing and easy bleeding. Patients often rub or dig their noses to relieve symptoms. Prevention and self-care:
Improve living and working environments, avoid long-term inhalation of dry, dusty, or irritating gases. Maintain balanced diet, correct malnutrition, quit bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. Regularly apply or drip nourishing and moisturizing nasal preparations, avoid strong vasoconstrictive agents. Limit intake of spicy, fried, and stimulating foods.
[Dietary Therapy]
Stone斛 Porridge: fresh stone斛 20g, rice 30g, ice sugar as needed. First, decoct fresh stone斛 with water, remove residue and collect juice; use the juice to cook rice into porridge, add ice sugar, take twice daily.
Sesame Porridge: sesame 50g, rice 200g, honey 50g. First, stir-fry sesame until cooked, grind into fine powder; slowly cook rice until "blooming," then add sesame powder and honey, continue cooking until porridge is ready. Take twice daily.
Who says rhinitis isn’t a disease? When it flares up, it truly feels unbearable. Shenzhen Evening News
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