snoring

Xiao Chuan

“Xiao” in Chinese medicine indicates a wheezing sound which may resemble that of whistling, snoring, or sawing. “Chuan” means “to pant” in Chinese. This syndrome includes difficult or labored breath, shortness of breath, breathing with an open mouth, lifting of the shoulders while breathing, and inability to lie down. “Xiao” and “Chuan” are two different diseases, but in clinic they often manifest simultaneously, so we treat them as one condition. It often presents as bronchial asthma, asthmatic bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema or cardiac asthma.

Excess type: acute onset, deep and long breath, relieved by exhaling, harsh and loud volume, accompanied with a loud cough with phlegm.

Differentiation

Symptoms

Formula

E x c e s s

wind cold invading the Lungs

chills and fever without sweating; wheezing or breathlessness, cough with thin white sputum, a feeling of oppression of the chest, headache, runny nose, a floating and tight pulse

Ma Huang Tang

exterior cold with heat in the Lung, or wind heat in the Lung

wheezing or breathlessness, coughing, labored breathing, fever, thirst, hot sensation in the chest, maybe with slight chills; red tongue with thin yellow coating; rapid and forceful, or slightly floating pulse

Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang

excess heat accumulation in the Lung

high fever with profuse sweating, labored breathing, severe thirst, irritability, red face, rapid and forceful pulse

Bai Hu Tang

phlegm in the Lung

breathlessness, difficulty in exhaling, heavy and full sensation in the chest, cough with profuse thin white sputum, nausea or vomiting, a white thick tongue coating, slippery pulse

Er Chen Tang

wind cold in the exterior with phlegm heat in the interior

wheezing with loud sound, breathlessness; coughing with copious, thick, yellow sputum; labored breathing, may be accompanied by chills and fever; a red tongue with a yellow greasy coating, slippery and rapid pulse

Ding Chuan Tang

dry phlegm in the Lung

wheezing, dry and sore throat, cough with deep-seated sputum that is difficult to expectorate, dry lips and mouth, a dry thick tongue coating, slippery pulse

Bei Mu Gua Lou San

Liver attacking the Lung

wheezing or breathlessness which is induced or aggravated by emotional stress, a sensation of fullness or distention in the chest and hypochondriac region, wiry pulse

Si Ni San, or Xiao Chai Hu Tang, modified

Xiao Chuan, cont.

Deficiency type: chronic onset; short, shallow and difficult breathing; relieved by inhalation; low and weak volume, induced or worsened by exertion.

Differentiation

Symptoms

Formula

D e f

Lung Qi deficiency

chronic wheezing, short and shallow breath which is induced by exertion; spontaneous sweating, aversion to wind, recurrent colds, pale tongue with deficient pulse

Si Jun Zi Tang with Yu Ping Feng San

Lung Qi and Yin deficiency

wheezing, shortness of breath which is induced by exertion, spontaneous sweating or night sweating, thirst, dry mouth, malar flush; pink and dry tongue with scanty coating; deficiency pulse

Sheng Mai Yin

Kidney Yang deficiency

chronic wheezing and shortness of breath, worse with exertion, exhalation stronger than inhalation; shallow, difficult or irregular respiration; possibly so shallow as to become difficult to hear or feel; edema, cold limbs, pale tongue with moist white or black coating, deep weak pulse

Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan or Si Ni Tang

Excess with deficiency

Kidney Qi deficiency with phlegm

wheezing, shortness of breath which is more labored during the inhalation than the exhalation, coughing with watery, copious sputum, a stifling sensation in the chest, low back and knee weakness, deep and weak pulse

Su Zi Jiang Qi Tang

Kidney Yang deficiency with water accumulation

difficult breathing, especially when lying down, worse at night or during the winter, copious and water sputum, palpitations, a feeling of oppression in the chest, aversion to cold, edema, cold limbs; pale, swollen moist tongue; deep, weak, and slow pulse

Zhen Wu Tang or Si Ni Tang