Dietary Remedies
The lungs are unique organs that thrive in moist environments and are sensitive to dryness. In autumn, people often experience dryness in the throat and nasal passages. Autumn dryness pathogens can more easily invade the lungs through the respiratory tract or skin pores. Combined with cooler mornings and evenings, the body's immunity weakens, reducing respiratory defenses and increasing susceptibility to coughing.Consequently, autumn coughs primarily manifest as dry coughs, commonly known as "autumn dry cough."
It is understood that autumn dry coughs can be categorized into warm dryness and cool dryness. These distinctions are also closely related to an individual's constitution. Those with a dry-heat constitution typically experience warm dryness, while those with a cold-deficient constitution exhibit cool dryness.Warm dry cough is characterized by dryness with a tendency toward heat. Common symptoms include dry coughing without phlegm, or with small amounts of sticky phlegm that is difficult to expel, and may even contain blood. It is accompanied by sore throat, dry skin and mucous membranes, thirst, irritability, redness at the edges and tip of the tongue, and a thin, yellow, dry coating on the tongue.During the initial phase, fever and mild chills may also occur. Cold dryness cough, on the other hand, is a dryness pattern with a cold tendency. Symptoms include aversion to cold, mild fever, headache, nasal congestion, itchy or dry sore throat, coughing, difficult expectoration, dry mouth and lips, and a thin, white, dry tongue coating.
For patients with either type of dry cough, incorporating the following dietary remedies alongside hospital treatment may enhance efficacy.
Ginger Tea: Wash and slice 10 pieces of ginger. Boil with 7 grams of tea leaves to make a decoction. This promotes sweating to expel pathogens, warms the lungs, and quenches thirst, proving effective against influenza and coughs.
Honey Radish Juice: Wash and peel 400g white radish, chop finely, wrap in clean gauze, and squeeze out juice. Take 60ml each time, mix with one spoonful of honey, stir well, and swallow. Take three times daily for 3-5 consecutive days. This remedy is especially effective for constipation.
Chuanbei Stewed Snow Pear: Take 1 snow pear, wash it, cut it horizontally in half, remove the core, and place 6g of ground chuanbei powder inside. Reassemble the halves, secure them with toothpicks, place in a bowl with 20g rock sugar and sufficient water, then steam over boiling water for 30 minutes. Eat the pear and drink the broth once daily for 3-5 consecutive days. This provides auxiliary relief for dry cough with scant phlegm.
Radish and Dried Tangerine Peel Decoction: Take 250g white radish and 3g dried tangerine peel (available at pharmacies). Chop the radish, boil it with the dried peel to make a decoction. Drink the liquid. Prepare one dose daily, divided into two servings. Effective for dry cough with scant phlegm.
Fritillary Bulb and Rock Sugar Juice: Grind 5g Sichuan fritillary bulb into powder. Place powder and 20g rock sugar in a bowl. Add 150ml water and simmer over water bath for 20 minutes. Take once in the morning and once in the evening for 3-5 consecutive days.
Aged Vinegar and Rock Sugar Juice: Crush 100g rock sugar into a container, pour in 450ml aged vinegar, and steep for 3 days until dissolved. Take 15ml before breakfast and after dinner. Suitable for long-term use, it provides optimal cough relief and phlegm reduction.
Sesame-Walnut Porridge: Take 30g each of sesame seeds and walnuts, roast until fragrant, then grind into powder. Combine with 100g japonica rice and cook into porridge. Suitable for dry skin/hair and persistent autumn dryness cough.
Raw Pear Porridge: Take 2 raw pears, wash, peel, and chop into small pieces. Add 100g japonica rice and cook into porridge. Prevents and treats dry mouth, parched tongue, and dry cough.
Silver Ear Porridge: Boil 10g silver ear fungus and 100g japonica rice with water into porridge. Suitable for lung deficiency cough, yin deficiency low-grade fever, dry mouth with scant fluids. Especially beneficial for children with persistent autumn cough and scant phlegm.
Sugar Cane Juice Porridge: Peel and juice 500g fresh sugar cane. Cook 50g japonica rice into porridge, then mix in 60ml sugar cane juice. Bring to a boil over low heat once more, add a small amount of honey, and consume 1-2 times daily. Beneficial for dry coughs without phlegm.