Asthma and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Asthma and Western Medicine

Asthma is considered to be a life-long condition that has to be managed regularly. By working with an asthma specialist, most people with asthma can live a normal life with few restrictions. 

Asthma affects an estimated 26 million Americans, including 20 million adults and 6 million children. That’s approximately 1 in 12 people, or 8%. 

The causes of asthma are not clearly understood, but family genetics are believed to be a key factor. Environmental factors, such as exposure to secondhand smoke or air pollution, may also play a role.

According to Western Medicine, asthma is a chronic condition involving inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, the passageways that allow air to enter and leave your lungs. The symptoms of asthma, such as cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath, are triggered by a variety of circumstances. 

There are two main types of asthma based on what it is that triggers the asthma symptoms.

Allergic Asthma

This type of asthma is triggered by exposure to an allergen, such as mold or pet dander. Allergens are harmless substances that the body’s immune system mistakenly reacts to as though they are harmful. For more, see Alternative Treatments for Allergies and Asthma.¹

Non-Allergic Asthma

With this form of asthma, factors such as stress, exercise, illness, extreme weather, irritants in the air, and certain medications trigger the asthma symptoms.

Source: American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.²

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Asthma

Asthma is a Western diagnosis for a chronic condition involving inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes in response to certain triggers. Within TCM, wheezing (asthma) is just one symptom of a potentially more complex set of disease patterns in the body as a whole. 

There are several TCM diagnostic patterns that encompass asthma symptoms along with other aspects of the individual’s health. Not all those with asthma will receive identical TCM treatments. ^{3, 4}

Note: An organ name with a capital letter, for example “Lung,” refers to the TCM concept and channel (or energetic pathway) of that name. The same organ named in the lowercase, as in “lung,” refers to the physiological organ or physiological structure.

How TCM understands the causes of asthma

Overall, the factors that affect Lung vitality according to TCM are consistent with Western Medicine’s views of the likely causes of asthma.

The TCM perspective sees increasingly sedentary lifestyles – more time sitting and less time doing physical activity – combined with diets containing high amounts of Phlegm-inducing foods such as sugar, dairy, and grains – leading to reduced Lung capacity and vitality. Reduced Lung capacity and vitality makes people more susceptible to lung disorders.

TCM believes that at the moment of conception we receive all of the Jing (essence) that we will have for life. End of life happens when all the Jing is used up. If mom and dad are severely deficient in Jing, then their offspring will most likely not have strong Jing. One can also view Jing, in this context, as gametes – i.e. genetics.

Artificial Reproductive Technology, or ART – such as IVF –  is on the rise due to environmental and lifestyle factors affecting human sperm⁵ and egg⁶ quality. Research suggests⁷ that asthma and allergy risk may be higher for children conceived with ART. 

TCM treatments for asthma

The TCM energetics of the Lungs and lung health

The Lungs’ energetic pathway has a downward directionality. It is the responsibility of the Kidneys’ energetic pathway to reach up and grab the Lung Qi to allow for a complete breath. The mechanism of inhaling and exhaling can find dysfunction at multiple points: the Lungs’ Qi failing to descend due to deficiency, or due to phlegm (a form of excess), or the Kidneys’ failing to ascend due to deficiency, and more.

TCM diagnostic patterns lay the foundation for TCM treatments for asthma

The TCM energetics of the Lungs and lung health produce the diagnostic patterns and  treatment approaches for asthma, which are rarely based on a single diagnostic pattern and may be complex. Patterns for asthma are frequently correlated to the symptom of wheezing. 

There are many TCM diagnostic patterns involving asthma, as listed below, contributing to the complexities of TCM treatments for asthma. 

TCM encourages those with lung issues to correct the imbalances identified by the relevant Diagnostic Patterns with a multi-pronged approach involving dietary and lifestyle changes, in addition to acupuncture and herbal medicine. It is important to continue to maintain your regular asthma treatment regimen with your physician, until such time as you, your physician, and your TCM practitioner agree it is no longer needed.

Generally, TCM recommends that those with Lung disorders avoid damp-producing foods such as grains, sugar, dairy and soy. For more information see Dietary Recommendations for Lung Disorders.⁸

References

1. Alternative Treatments for Allergies and Asthma ↩︎
2. American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology ↩︎
3. Lyttleton, J., & Maclean, W. (1998). Clinical Handbook of Internal Medicine Volume 1: The Treatment of Disease with Traditional Chinese Medicine: Lung, Kidney, Liver, Heart. 2nd Edition. University of Western Sydney, Macarthur. pp 116-157. ↩︎
4. Maciocia, G., & Xin Ming, S. (2005). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine: A Comprehensive Text for Acupuncturists and Herbalists. London: Churchill Livingstone. ↩︎
5. Current Insights and Latest Updates in Sperm Motility and Associated Applications in Assisted Reproduction.  ↩︎
6. Oocyte quality and aging   ↩︎
7. Asthma, allergy risk may be higher for children conceived with infertility treatment ↩︎
8. Dietary Recommendations for Lung Disorders ↩︎