Cough is one of the most common symptoms presented and can be caused by numerous disorders.
In the Western Tradition, Cough is broadly differentiated into Hot, Cold, Dry or Moist:

• Heat-type Cough
• Cold-type Cough
• Dry-type Cough
• Moist-type Cough

These are dealt with in detail below.

Cough should firstly be classed as acute or chronic.

Acute Cough:

Acute cases are said to be initiated by Wind, and can come with Heat, Cold or Toxin:

• Acute Wind-Heat: itchy throat, irritable dry cough, yellow phlegm, red face, sweating, fever, fast pulse
• Acute Wind-Cold: feels cold, pale face, cough with white or clear mucus
• Acute Wind-Heat-Toxin: sore throat, feels unwell, harsh cough, yellow mucus, dirty yellow tongue coat

In these cases, Cough medicines (Anti-tussives) are combined with Diaphoretics (medicines to promote Sweat):

Examples:

Acute Wind-Heat:

• Plantain with Licorice
• Maidenhair, Hyssop and Licorice

Acute Wind-Cold:

• Thyme, Aniseed and Licorice; 
• Cinnamon twig, Almond, Licorice
• Ephedra Ma Huang, Cinnamon twig, Licorice

Acute Heat-Toxin:

• Violet with Licorice
• Forsythia Lian Qiao, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Licorice
• Thyme, Plantain, Violet, Licorice

Chronic Cough

Chronic Cases can come from various causes. Firstly, it can be differentiated into excess and deficient.

• Excess cases present with strong Cough, still with good energy, and the pulse is not weak
• Deficient cases the person is weak, the Cough is weak and voice usually low. There is a lack of energy, pale face, weak pulse

In excess conditions, Purging, Fasting, Bloodletting and cleansing medicines are used.
In Deficient cases, a nourishing diet along with a mix of Lung tonics and medicines to stop Cough are used.

Excess Cough

• Wind: spasmodic or erratic dry Cough, nervous disposition, anxious
  • Thyme, Aniseed
  • Poppy seed, Almond, Licorice
  • Valerian, Peony root, Licorice
  • Cowlsip root, Peony
  • Chebulic Myrobalan, Clove, Tabasheer
  • Ephedra Ma Huang, Almond, Licorice
• Cold: Cough with thick white Phlegm, pale tongue with a thick white Coat
  • Ginger, Licorice
  • Cinnamon, Almond, Licorice
  • Atractylodes Bai Zhu, Cinnamon, Ginger, Licorice
  • Pinellia Ban Xia, Citrus Chen Pi, Ginger, Licorice
  • Ephedra Ma Huang, Schisandra Wu Wei Zi, Ginger, Licorice
• Heat: Cough with yellow Phlegm, red tongue
  • Plantain leaf, Violet
  • Scutellaria Huang Qin, Platycodon Jie Geng, Licorice
  • Tabasheer, Almond, Licorice

Deficient Cough

Deficient cases are caused by deficient Qi, Yin or Yang:

• Qi Deficient Cough: deficient or weak Cough, low energy, breathless, fatigue and poor digestion
  • Coltsfoot, Date, Raisin, Almond, Licorice
  • Elecampane, Raisin, Licorice
  • Astragalus Huang Qi, Licorice
• Yin Deficient Cough: chronic dry Cough, no sputum, dry mouth and throat with a cracked tongue
  • Marshmallow root, Asparagus root, Raisin
  • Comfrey root, Plantain
  • Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong, Lillium Bai He, Licorice
• Yang Deficient Cough: chronic Cough with white Phlegm, feels the Cold, copious pale urine, lower back pain
  • Cinnamon, Walnut, Licorice
  • Elecampane, Licorice, Cinnamon, Ginger
  • Almond, Fennel seed, Cinnamon
  • Walnut, Juniper
  • Ginseng, Cinnamon, Licorice

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Differential Diagnosis based on Humoral System

Heat-type Cough

Heat-type Cough typically comes with irritable Cough with yellow phlegm, burning sensation, sore throat, red tongue, thirst, and a fast or strong pulse, often with Fever. There maybe flushing of the cheeks, flaring of the nostrils, with high colored Urine. It is alleviated by Cool air but aggravated by Hot air.

Useful Foods include:

• Pumpkin, Amaranth, Purslane
• Poached Egg Yolk, Cow Trotters

Simples

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Cold-type Cough

Cold-type Cough is associated with excess clear or white phlegm (sometimes green), a pale face, feeling of cold, a slow pulse. There is no desire to drink and the person fears the Cold.

Useful food includes:

• Raisin, Figs, Dates, Pine nuts, Pitsachio, Almond
• Chicken broth, Meat Soups, Lamb, flesh of Young Birds
• Hydromel, Aged Aromatic Wine

Simples

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Dry-type Cough

Cough with no sputum, dry mouth and throat, increases with hunger and movement but is alleviated by bathing, drinking moist drinks and rest. May come with or without Fever.

Useful Food includes:
Honey; Milk (as long as there is no Fever)
Barley Water (if there is Fever); Almond Soup, Pear soup

Simples

Compounds

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Moist-type Cough

Moist or wet cough has excess clear or whitish Phlegm, maybe runny nose and the sound of phlegm in the throat, more common in Moist constitutions, pale and wet or damp tongue coat, and a low, slippery pulse.

Simples

1. Almond, Pistachio, Sugar. Mix and eat
2. Armenian Earth, Tragacanth, Gum Arabic, Peppermint, Hyssop, Thyme, Cinnamon, Maidenhair (Avicenna)

Decoction for Cough and Asthma
Decoction of Thyme (Mesue)Electuarium Acahristum (Nicholas)
Diathamaron Magna (Nicholas)
Pectoral Powder
Powder for the Lungs
Pills for Difficulty Breathing and Asthma

Eight-Limbed Electuary (Ayurveda)
Pomegranate 9 Decoction (Se bru dgu thang) (Tibetan)
Rhododendron 16 (Dwa lis bcu drug) (Tibetan)
Settle the Lungs 8 (Glo man brgyad pa) (Tibetan)

Thin Phlegm
Syrup of Poppy
Mucilaginous Electuary

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Other Causes of Cough

Avicenna mentioned various other cause of Cough including:

• Cough from the Stomach–Cough worsens during digestion or while filling the Stomach with digestive disturbance.
• Cough due to Liver disease–symptoms of Liver diseases in addition to Cough
• Cough caused by Suppuration–dryness (but maybe with a wet cough), pain, expectoration of foul sputum
• Cough from Abscess of the Chest–Cough with Chest pain; symptoms of Pleurisy or Pneumonia

Medicines for Cough

There are a number of different medicines that may be indicated in Cough:

• Medicines that directly Stop Cough (Anti-tussives): Coltsfoot, Bitter Almond, Poppy seed
• Medicines that Clears Phlegm (Expectorants): Agaric, Gum Ammoniac
• Open the Airways (Bronchodilators and Antispasmodics)
• Clear Heat and Inflammation (Anti-inflammatories)
• Clear Heat and Poison (Anti-bacterial)
• Relieve Heat and Spasms (Antihistamine)
• Stop Wheezing (Anti-asthmatic)
• Emetics (in low doses clear Phelgm)
• Soothe and nourish Yin (Emollient or Mucilaginous)

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Special Formulas