5. Winter Cough in Children

Question: My son is four years old and tends to cough easily every winter. He’s been coughing for two or three days now, and the medication hasn’t helped. I’m worried he might develop a fever after the cough. How should I treat this?

Answer: Frequent coughing in children is often caused by tonsillitis or chronic rhinitis. The key to solving the problem is to focus on treating these two conditions, which addresses the root cause.

6. Xue Wu Yingfen

My baby is now two months old. Yesterday morning, he started coughing and sneezing, with phlegm that’s hard to see the color of, a white tongue coating, and refusal to feed. The village doctor prescribed pediatric Sanjiu granules, snake bile and chuanbei, and cefaclor. But tonight, he’s still coughing, and his breathing sounds noticeably snoring while sleeping. Could it be tracheitis? Should we take him to the children’s hospital?

Answer: Upper respiratory infections are quite common in two-month-old infants. For babies like this, it’s best not to self-medicate; instead, seek prompt medical attention at a hospital.

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7. Facing the Sea, Spring Blossoms

My spouse often catches colds and has very poor immunity, plus frequent headaches and excessive night sweats. Are there any traditional Chinese medicines that can help?

Answer: I recommend injecting thymosin peptide, which is currently the top choice for boosting the body’s immune function. Those who have tried it say the effect is excellent—essentially, it helps prevent colds.

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8. Li Min

My friend has upper airway cough syndrome. What are some good traditional Chinese medicines for treating this condition?

Answer: The best way to treat this condition is through TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment. Two proprietary TCM formulas are also effective: Baihe Gujin Wan and Yangyin Qingfei Wan.

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9. Liang Hongli

Why does my stomach rumble at night and my stomach feel uncomfortable? What could be the cause?

Answer: Rumbling stomach at night indicates hyperactive bowel sounds. You likely have chronic gastritis combined with gastrointestinal syndrome, so you should go to the hospital’s gastroenterology department for systematic treatment.

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10. Hanbing

My father is 57 years old. He was recently hospitalized for acute cholecystitis, and subsequent examinations revealed gallstones. At the time, surgery wasn’t performed promptly, and now he wants to have surgery but continues to suffer from inflammation. He’s been hospitalized for another half month, receiving daily anti-inflammatory treatment. Last weekend, an ultrasound showed thickening of the gallbladder wall, making surgery still impossible. He’s still in the hospital—what’s the best way to treat this situation?

Answer: I suggest consulting a TCM practitioner. Cholecystitis and gallstones don’t necessarily require surgery. TCM treatment for these conditions is highly effective, with quick recovery, convenience, and cost-effectiveness. Stones smaller than 1.5cm can often be eliminated, though the treatment may take longer.

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11. Bingbing

I’m 27 years old, female. Whenever I’m exposed to cold wind, I develop red, blister-like rashes around my eyes and neck. Sometimes, if I wear thin clothing, I get similar rashes on my legs, which are very itchy. When I warm up, the rashes naturally subside. What could this be? How should I treat it?

Answer: The rashes you’re describing are likely urticaria, a common allergic skin condition. I recommend starting with antihistamines and catecholamine antagonists, such as chlorpheniramine maleate and cyproheptadine.

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January 17, 2014

1. Leiwu

I’m 28 years old, female, and constantly feel pain in my chest bones, sometimes mild, sometimes severe. The pain is worst when I bend over and then stand up again. I also have lumbar disc herniation, and my child is still breastfeeding. What could be the cause? Which department should I visit at the hospital?

Answer: Possible causes include cervical spondylosis, intercostal neuralgia, and myocardial ischemia caused by low blood pressure. First, you should visit the rheumatology department to rule out the first two possibilities, then go to the cardiovascular department to exclude the third.

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January 20, 2014

1. OZJ

When calculating gestational age, should we count from the last menstrual period or from the day of intercourse? Also, I’m currently pregnant and often feel hungry and bloated, with stomach discomfort. I don’t eat much but still get hungry easily—overall, it’s very uncomfortable. I didn’t feel this way during my first pregnancy. What could be the reason?

Answer: Pregnancy is generally calculated from the last menstrual period. At 45 days, the urine test shows positive for HCG, and at 50 days, an ultrasound can confirm the pregnancy. This is known as “pregnancy reaction,” or “fetal qi.” In fact, it refers to autonomic nervous dysfunction, primarily involving gastrointestinal autonomic nerve disorders.

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2. Yiyi

A 28-year-old unmarried woman has noticeable facial hair growing around her mouth. What consequences might occur if I shave it off or pluck it out? How can I make it less noticeable?

Answer: Don’t shave or pluck it. If your menstrual cycle is regular, the facial hair will naturally decrease after marriage as estrogen levels rise.

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3. You’re a Bit Slow

I’m 23 years old, male, and often suffer from lower back pain. Recent examinations revealed a lumbar disc herniation. What are some good treatment methods?

Answer: Lumbar disc herniation can cause lower back pain. If there’s no radiating pain down the leg, it means there’s no accompanying sciatica. Your herniation is mild, so you can recover by sleeping on a wooden board bed—remove your clothes and lie flat for at least 16 hours every 24 hours. If you persist for more than three months, you’ll see results.

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4. Gradual Distance

After a miscarriage due to polycystic ovary syndrome, will a second pregnancy also result in miscarriage? What should be done?

Answer: Polycystic ovary syndrome can be cured with Traditional Chinese Medicine. As long as you consistently take the prescribed herbs and the ultrasound shows negative results, you can become pregnant. However, such patients are prone to miscarriage, so during pregnancy, they should receive TCM-based fetal protection, such as Baoyan Wuyou Fang and Taishan Pan Shi San.

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5. Fading Youth

My friend has developed thick calluses at the tips of both thumbs. No matter how much I scrape them off, they keep growing thicker and thicker. Initially, they weren’t itchy, but later both thumbs became affected, with itching that worsens the more I scrape. The scraped areas turn red, and despite visiting many hospitals, they’ve been told it’s either a fungal infection or eczema. I’ve tried halometasone cream and now use flumetasone ointment, which provides slight relief from the itching. What should I do?

Answer: Your friend has hand fungus, known in TCM as “goose palm wind.” I recommend oral administration of Spiramycin 100mg, twice daily for five days as one course of treatment.

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6. Jia Junqiang

I’m 25 years old and constantly feel a foreign body sensation in my throat, along with persistent dry cough. These symptoms have lasted for several years. A few years ago, a hospital diagnosed me with chronic pharyngitis, and I took Western medicine intermittently for a while, but it didn’t help, so I eventually stopped paying attention to it. Can Traditional Chinese Medicine treat this condition?

Answer: Chronic pharyngitis has three associated syndromes: first, upper airway cough syndrome; second, postnasal drip syndrome; third, cough variant asthma. All three can cause coughing, and Traditional Chinese Medicine is highly effective in treating these conditions, whereas Western medicine’s anti-inflammatory drugs are relatively ineffective.

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7. Wealthy Family

My sister is 40 years old and recently fell ill. When she gets sick, her jaw clenches tightly, she can’t speak, and she starts spinning around in bed or on the floor. Doctors at the TianShui City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital diagnosed her with depression, noting that her tongue coating is generally pale and there are red spots scattered across the entire tongue. What are some good treatment methods?

Answer: This isn’t depression—it’s epilepsy. Specifically, it’s a psychogenic seizure. First, we need to use CT or MRI to check for any organic lesions in the brain, then prescribe TCM treatment based on syndrome differentiation, adding a bit of sodium valproate or similar medications to enhance the effect.

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8. Feng Fenghua

Can Traditional Chinese Medicine treat large ureteral stones?

Answer: Western medicine uses lithotripsy to treat ureteral stones, while Traditional Chinese Medicine can expel small stones (less than 1cm in diameter). After lithotripsy, residual damage to the ureter can easily lead to stone recurrence. However, combining lithotripsy with TCM treatment can significantly reduce both the damage and the likelihood of stone recurrence.

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9. Piao Ye

My mother is 47 years old and has irregular periods, and she’s been suffering from insomnia for the past month. She sleeps only about an hour a day and feels anxious most of the time, with no other symptoms. She’s taken some proprietary TCM and Western medicines, but there’s been no improvement. Could taking powdered jujube seeds mixed with lily flowers and brewed as a bedtime drink help alleviate her symptoms?

Answer: Your mother is experiencing menopausal syndrome, caused by declining estrogen levels and endocrine imbalance. Simple sedatives like jujube seeds and platycladus seeds are ineffective. Instead, we need to activate blood circulation, regulate the Chong and Ren meridians, and add calming and nourishing ingredients. With consistent TCM treatment over a period of time, these symptoms can gradually ease.

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10. Kaixinlong

Can Traditional Chinese Medicine treat allergic cutaneous vasculitis?

Answer: TCM is effective. By activating blood circulation, dispelling wind and dampness, and relieving itching, combined with appropriate adjustments, good results can be achieved.

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11. zhaojunping

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I am a patient with hepatitis B e antigen positive, currently taking traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of this condition.

Q&A Summary