Coughing Out Blood

Coughing out blood can be a scary and concerning symptom, and it is important to seek medical attention immediately. In Chinese medicine, coughing out blood can be caused by a variety of factors, including wind-dryness, liver-fire upsurging, and yin deficiency.

Wind-dryness is a common cause of coughing out blood in Chinese medicine. Symptoms of wind-dryness include chest pain, dry nose, dry skin with wrinkles, dry throat, fever, headache, itch in the throat, and no perspiration. To treat wind-dryness, Chinese medicine practitioners may recommend Sang-Xing-Tang or Si-Sheng-Wan, which contains herbs such as peppermint, spearmint, sweet basil, celery, coconut meat, green onion, asparagus, egg, honey, pear, sesame oil, yellow soybean, spinach, and tofu. These herbs help to disperse wind and heat and lubricate the lungs.

Liver-fire upsurging is another cause of coughing out blood in Chinese medicine. Symptoms of liver-fire upsurging include acute dizziness, bleeding from the stomach, coughing out sputum with blood or fresh blood, deafness, dim vision, dry sensations in the mouth, getting angry easily, headache on both sides of the head and in the corners of the eyes, nosebleed, pain in the lower abdomen with desire for massage, pain in the upper abdomen, pink eyes with swelling, reddish-yellow urine, red eyes, ringing in the ears, and sleeplessness or sleeping a lot. To treat liver-fire upsurging, Chinese medicine practitioners may recommend Ke-Xue-Fang, which contains spinach, chestnut, shepherd's purse, rye, black fungus, vinegar, abalone, asparagus, chicken egg, white fungus, pork, and royal jelly. These herbs help to sedate the liver, lubricate the lungs, and stop bleeding.

Yin deficiency is another cause of coughing out blood in Chinese medicine. Symptoms of yin deficiency include bleeding from gums, constipation, coughing out abundant blood in light color, dizziness, dry and scant stools, dry sensations in the mouth or the throat, fatigue, headache in the afternoon, night sweats, pain in the throat, also red and swollen, palms of hands and soles of feet are both hot, short and reddish streams of urine, sleeplessness, swallowing difficulty, toothache, and underweight. To treat yin deficiency, Chinese medicine practitioners may recommend Bai-He-Gu-Jin-Tang, which contains bird's nest, cheese, kidney bean, abalone, asparagus, chicken egg, cuttlefish, duck, duck egg, white fungus, oyster, pork, and royal jelly. These herbs help to water the yin, clear heat, lubricate dryness, and stop bleeding.

In addition to Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture and dietary changes may also be recommended to help treat coughing out blood. It is important to work with a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner to determine the best course of treatment for your specific needs. It is also important to continue to work with your medical doctor to ensure that you receive appropriate medical care for your condition.