Acupuncture & Phlegm in the Lungs

It's common this time of year for people to get sick with phlegm in their lungs. Chinese Medicine uses acupuncture, herbs, food therapy, and other treatments (like Gua Sha and Cupping) to knock the phlegm out, and help accelerate recovery. Having a chest cold is no picnic, as it can linger on for weeks if not treated properly.

Metal and Food Therapy

In Chinese Medicine, each organ of the body has a corresponding element. The Five Elements are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. The lungs are associated with the Metal element. The Metal element is also associated with the color white and the spicy (or acrid) flavor. Many foods that benefit the lungs are white and/or spicy!

At the onset of a cold, a typical strategy would be to sweat it out. There are many Chinese herbs that are effective at causing this sweat, but if you can't get to an herbalist, you may be able to find foods in your kitchen that will get the job done.

When you first feel like you're getting sick, try this home remedy:

Add 3 slices of fresh ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, and 3 green onions (scallions) to a small pot of water and boil for 10-15 minutes. Pour off the liquid and stir in a small spoonful of miso paste. You may sprinkle with ground pepper if you'd like. Drink it warm, bundle up, and rest.

You may also find this spicy broth helpful if you feel phlegm in your chest.

You can also make it a point to include pears in your diet. They are very nourishing to the lungs, not to mention tasty!

What Not to Eat

Many foods can aggravate phlegm conditions. Some foods you may want to avoid when you have phlegm include: Orange Juice, heavy/greasy/fried foods, ice cream, sugar (that includes high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, evaporated cane juice, etc), milk, processed foods, candy, etc.

When we are feeling sick, it is especially important to treat the body well. That means cutting the "junk food" out of our diets, and taking time to rest.

Antibiotics and Collateral Damage

Some people may take antibiotics to clear out their lungs, especially if the phlegm is infected. This is one of the most common treatments in the United States for this condition. The antibiotics may help clear up the phlegm, but they tend to come with a drawback.

Our relationship with bacteria is very complex and dynamic. Some bacteria are "bad" and harmful to us. For example, the bacteria that turns phlegm green are typically unwelcome. On the other side, though, are the "good" bacteria. These bacteria live in our intestines, symbiotically. They help us break down our food, produce vitamins, and take up space so "bad" bacteria can not flourish. When we take antibiotics, though, bacteria system wide is killed, which means that the "bad" bacteria in the lungs gets taken out, but there is also collateral damage to the "good" bacteria in the intestines. This can lead to digestive problems, low energy, and more "bad" bacteria taking over in the intestines after the phlegm is resolved.

It is because of all this collateral damage, that any time you finish taking antibiotics, you should supplement your "good" bacteria. This means taking a good quality probiotic supplement, and eating more foods that naturally promote or contain "good" bacteria, such as Yogurt, Keifer, miso, kim chee, etc.

Herbs and Acupuncture

Antibiotics are powerful, but their power is also a drawback. Overuse of antibiotics has been blamed for the creation of "super-bugs" that are very strong and dangerous, since they evolve to be resistant to antibiotic treatment. This is a relatively recent phenomenon, due to our increasing reliance on antibiotics as a sort of cure-all. It then becomes a race to make stronger antibiotics faster than the bacteria can evolve.

Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture have been in use for thousands of years, and have no history of causing "super-bugs" to develop. Chinese Medicine is a safe, gentle, and effective treatment for common cold and phlegm, with very few side effects. Many people have turned to Chinese Medicine as their first option when getting sick.

No matter what strategy you use to treat your phlegm, the sooner you address it the better. Timing is key for a quick recovery! If we take care of these problems as soon as they develop, they are resolved more quickly, and the sooner you can get back to your healthy, happy, phlegm-free life.