2. Hongfu Wanjia

2. Hongfu Wanjia

My daughter is one and a half years old. Over the past ten days, she’s had persistent phlegm in her throat with very little coughing, and recently she’s also developed a runny nose. We’ve already administered seven doses of penicillin, but there’s no improvement. She lives in the countryside, and local clinics haven’t been able to help. What TCM remedies can I try? Last year, when she was seven months old, she suffered from intussusception and hand-foot-mouth disease, so her constitution is quite weak. How should I nourish her?

Answer: Your child has a very weak constitution and lower-than-average immune function, which explains why she contracted hand-foot-mouth disease and why she’s prone to intestinal intussusception due to autonomic dysfunction in the digestive system. Children like this often suffer from chronic pharyngitis and chronic rhinitis, leading to throat discomfort, excessive phlegm, and runny nose. Blindly using antibiotics only provides short-term relief. I recommend focusing on boosting immunity and, if necessary, seeking TCM treatment based on syndrome differentiation.

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