Dealing with a dry cough. Especially the kind that lingers.
By mchern • Jan 5th, 2008 • Category: CoughDry coughs.
Before anything else, confirm again by asking about the phlegm. There should be little or none, and it’s usually sticky.
The first thing you want to consider is whether or not there are exterior signs i.e. 恶寒发热、头身痛、无汗. That will usually omit the 风燥 variety, leaving us with what is considered 内伤 coughs.
The next thing would be to consider whether the cough is expressed strongly (实) or weakly (虚). Take a look at the tongue, and you’ll be able to judge whether it’s more fire (肝火) or dryness (阴虚).