Diagnose and Treat Based on Sputum Color and Quantity
In TCM, sputum color, consistency, and quantity are used to differentiate syndromes and guide treatment, generally categorized into six types:
Sputum retention can not only promote growth of pathogens in the respiratory tract, worsening inflammation, but also obstruct bronchi, leading to hypoxia and breathing difficulties.
1. Lung Cold Cough:
Sputum is white and clear, patient feels cold with cold extremities, strong aversion to cold with mild fever, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, pale face.
2. Lung Heat Cough:
Sputum is yellow, sticky, clumpy, possibly mixed with blood, accompanied by fever, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, flushed face, red eyes, sore throat, thirst, dry lips, short red urine, constipation, red tongue with yellow coating.
3. Wind Pathogen Invading Lungs:
Sputum is clear and foamy, accompanied by fever, aversion to cold, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, dry throat, headache, body aches, red edges and tip of tongue, thin white coating.
4. Yin Deficiency with Dryness in Lungs:
Sputum is scanty, sticky, hard to expectorate, possibly with blood streaks. If due to dryness pathogen, symptoms include fever, aversion to cold, chest pain, dark lips, dry nose, dry mouth and throat. If due to yin deficiency, symptoms include restlessness, insomnia, night sweats, flushed cheeks, red tongue with little coating.
5. Dampness Pathogen Invading Lungs:
Abundant sputum, white and slippery, easily expectorated, heavy limbs, dizziness, lethargy, poor appetite.
6. Damp-Heat Accumulating in Lungs:
Thick, bloody, or foul-smelling sputum, high fever or tidal fever, chest tightness and pain, dyspnea, dry mouth and throat, irritability.