Throat

Throat

The throat is the gateway of the lungs and the door of the stomach, connected by the Shaoyin heart meridian and flanked by the Liver Meridian’s rushing pulse. All four of these meridians are governed by blood. Therefore, people with blood deficiency often experience throat pain. If throat pain is accompanied by hoarseness, it indicates lung fire. The lungs govern qi, and when the trachea hurts, the voice becomes hoarse; in such cases, Ganju Tang combined with Ma Douling, Huangqin, Apricot Kernel, Chuanbeimu, Huanglian, Mai Dong, Lily, and Peppermint is used for treatment. If throat pain is accompanied by difficulty eating, it indicates stomach fire. The upper opening of the stomach is the esophagus, and when the esophagus hurts, eating becomes difficult; in such cases, Baihu Tang combined with Honeysuckle, Dahuang, Jiegeng, and Citrus Aurantium is used for treatment. If throat pain is accompanied by red cheeks and upward rushing qi, it indicates fire from the Liver Meridian’s rushing pulse going upward; in such cases, Yunu Jian combined with Xuanfuhua and Shegan is recommended, followed by a pinch of salt-roasted cinnamon to guide the fire downward. If the throat is swollen and ulcerated, it indicates fire from the Shaoyin heart meridian; in such cases, Xie Xin Tang combined with Shandougen, Burdock Seed, Jiegeng, Licorice, Peppermint, Asarum, Dan Nanxing, and Ox Bile is recommended for treatment. For swelling, external remedies such as human fingernails, chicken gizzard, acute seeds, whole scorpions fried with Babu, then Babu removed, followed by nitric acid, borax, ice chips, copper sulfate, indigo, Huanglian, and dried alum blown onto the area can be used to stop bleeding and promote healing. For ulcers, external remedies such as realgar, Huanglian, pearls, mulberry silkworm cocoons, cold water stone, ox bile, borax, and musk can be used for treatment. There is also the “plum pit” syndrome, which can be observed in the phlegm-drinking category.

Furthermore, for throat pain in blood-related cases, it is often due to deficiency fire in the lungs and stomach, as well as reverse flow of the rushing pulse. I have already discussed this in detail in the sections on coughing. For tuberculosis worms eroding the throat and affecting the voice, refer to the relevant sections.

[Commentary] The throat is the gateway of the lungs and stomach, and a place where the heart and liver meridians circulate. The heart produces blood, the liver stores blood, the spleen controls blood, and the lungs also regulate blood flow, so blood-related cases are most prone to throat problems. For throat pain accompanied by hoarseness, treat the lungs with Ganju Tang combined with Ma Douling and Huangqin; for throat pain accompanied by difficulty eating, treat the stomach with Baihu Tang combined with Honeysuckle, Jiegeng, and Dahuang; for throat pain accompanied by red cheeks and upward rushing qi, treat the stomach’s rushing pulse with Yunu Jian to guide the fire downward. Additionally, for throat swelling and ulceration, it indicates fire from the heart rising upward, and Xie Xin Tang combined with Shandougen is recommended for treatment. Using human fingernails ground into powder and blown into the throat is also an effective therapy.