Cause
- chronic Lung disease
- acute Lung disease that is not properly addressed
- Spleen Qi deficiency
- Kidney Qi deficiency
- grief and sadness
Note: To understand the term "Qi", thus to get a better grasp of the following disharmony, we encourage our readers to review the short material "What is Qi" in the Vitality chapter.
In traditional Chinese medicine there are several causes that lead to deficiency of Lung Qi.
The first cause is destructive chronic Lung disease, which in long run consumes the Qi and Yin of the Lung. Acute diseases, which are not properly addressed, or are treated with improper methods, also lead to Lung Qi deficiency. In both cases the pathogenic factor is not sufficiently removed and remains in the Lung consuming its Qi.
The second cause for Lung Qi deficiency is general Qi deficiency. General Qi deficiency is often rooted in the Spleen.
The Spleen has the difficult and very complicated task to transform our food into "food essence", Qi and blood. This process takes a lot of energy on its own to take place. Improper diet, late night eating, overwork, and overthinking consume the Qi and make the Spleen deficient. A deficient Spleen then cannot properly carry out its functions to transform and transport, thus cannot sufficiently nourish the remaining organs. Eventually the overall Qi in the body becomes deficient.
General Qi deficiency may be also rooted in the Kidney. In traditional Chinese medicine the Kidney is viewed as the “root organ”, which sends energy and nourishment to the remaining organs. A chronic deficiency of Kidney Qi will eventually lead to Qi deficiency in one or more other organs.
Grief and sadness, especially if they are chronic, can also cause the Qi of the Lung to become deficient.
If you want to learn more about the Lung and its functions from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine go to "The Lung in Traditional Chinese Medicine" in the Physiology chapter.
Symptoms
- shortness of breath
- cough
- prone to common colds and flu
- spontaneous sweating
- weakness
- fatigue
- dislike to speak
The Lung governs the respiration thus the main symptom of Lung Qi deficiency is shortness of breath. The breathing is shallow and short especially on exertion. Cough may also be present.
The Lung governs “the protective Qi”. Weak “protective Qi” will lead to weak immunity and one may become prone to common colds and flu.
The “protective Qi” is also responsible for the opening and closing of the pores (the Lung governs the skin). (1) Therefore another typical symptom for weak Lung Qi, i.e. weak protective Qi, is spontaneous sweating.
Overall weakness, fatigue and dislike to speak are the other symptoms of Lung Qi deficiency (1) as there is not enough Qi to stimulate the vitality and the desire to speak.
Treatment
To treat Qi deficiency of any kind it is useful to select warm and slightly sweet foods as warm temperature and sweet taste tonify the Qi.
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Food therapy is the most economical and non-toxic biochemical approach to health and disease. Food is something we continuously use to sustain our lives. Learning what foods are healing (and what disruptive) for each condition has the potential to convert every meal into a form of therapy.
YS
1) Maciocia, Giovanni (1989). The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Nanjing: Harcourt Publishers Limited
(2) Pitchford, Paul (2002). Healing with Whole Foods. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books
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