Unstuffing the Stuffy Nose

^{This is post #1 in the WPC blog.  Click here to visit the blog homepage.}

I recently presented a class on The Power of the Breath in which I strongly advocated for nasal breathing. Some patients have difficulty or find it impossible to breathe through their noses because their noses are stuffed. They are unable to use the method of taping their mouths at night because of this. Often stuffy nose is caused by mouth-breathing and yet, the patients find it impossible to stop breathing through their mouths because that would mean stopping breathing altogether! Though there are various methods for unstuffing the nose, Huáng Yuán-Yù wrote that he followed the formulas from the famous Jiang Xi doctor, Lín Hè-Hé:

“I studied them and dared not take credit for another’s work. An old doctor has a lifetime of effective formulas containing sparkling essence. It is such a pity that we do not study and summarize these! Many doctors are at their wit’s end when treating cough patients. They don’t realize that there are earlier doctors who have consolidated and expressed their treatment methods. I have used this formula for many years and effectively treated countless cases of chronic cough. Many patients were coughing for two or three months or even longer. The hospital had no methods, yet after four or five doses, there was a cure with no need to take more.”

From this we can see that this formula will also treat some kinds of cough.

Since being introduced to the writings of Huáng Yuán-Yù by my friend Eran Even, I have been inspired by his prolific writings. Master Huáng is well known for his insightful analysis of the classics. He wrote treatises on the Shang Han Lun, Jin Gui Yao Lue, Nei Jing Su Wen, Nei Jing Ling Shu, Nan Jing, and the Four Sages. His work often sees these texts through the paradigm of the circular dynamics of life processes. However, I recently found some writings about Huáng Yuán-Yù’s methods and experience in treating rhinitis. This discussion on rhinitis explicitly deviates from the more in-depth circular dynamics type of analysis, favoring experiential formulas and clinical experience. Though it is rare for Master Huáng to offer symptomatic cures, he has done so here. The rarity of this kind of deviation led me to trust his words all the more. The author of the article writes “Though this does not address issues regarding the One Qi Circulation of the Circular Motions, the results are still excellent.”

His case study discussion is quite enjoyable as he discusses how rhinitis affected 79% of his family. I have tried his method in my own clinic and found it effective for unstuffing the stuffy nose.

Here is the primary formula for this sticky issue:

Jie Geng Yuan Shen Tang¹:
 

Huáng Yuán-Yù used Jie Geng Yuan Shen Tang to restore the health of rhinitis patients for forty years.

For heat type stuffy nose with turbid, glue-like, yellow mucous, Master Huáng removes Sheng Jiang and Gan Cao, adding 9 gm Shi Gao and 3 gm Wu Wei Zi.  This formula treats heat generated by a Yangming chest block.

He also suggests replacing Fu Ling, Sheng Jiang and Gan Cao with 9 gm of Chai Hu, Huang Qin, Zhi Mu and Bai Shao, and 3 gm Wu Wei Zi, when the heat is stagnant enough to generate nasal sores.  This formula treats stasis heat due to a Shaoyang pivot block.

Below is his entertaining discussion about treating his family’s stuffy noses. Many of us have experienced the humiliation of family members not believing in us. Here, the author of this article reveals that he struggles with the same issue, and yet, his father came around, mostly.

Case 1: Rhinitis

Mid-February, 2011
My father came to my home to do me a favor and care for my child, who had severe rhinitis. 
Question: Can rhinitis be hereditary?
This question has perplexed me for many years because my records show that 70% of my family suffered from rhinitis, including my grandfather, uncles, aunts, and cousins. In the main, the people from my father’s generation all had this for many years. I was lucky and did not have this misfortune. 
At age 80, my father underwent surgery for a deviated septum. According to him, the following year, his nose was unobstructed. After that, the issue increased. He used all sorts of dripping nose herbs, which were all ineffective. At the time of this case, he could not breathe through his nose during the day or at night and could only breathe through his mouth. This was accompanied by phlegm in his throat. He had frequent colds, stomach cold, and an aversion to wind. He was seriously considering laser surgery. Around that time, I had several colleagues who had undergone laser surgery, and it had not been very effective, with a rapid relapse of symptoms. My father had blind faith in the surgery and thought I was just trying to save money. 
I gave my father five packages of Jie Geng Yuan Shen Tang. I asked him to try some. Each package cost 5 Yuan, 2 Mao. Then, a miracle happened! 
The morning after drinking the first package, he told me that one side of his nose had opened the previous night, and he did not have to breathe through his mouth. 
The following day, he told me that his entire nose had opened the previous night, he had not mouth breathed, and his sleep was peaceful. 
He continued to drink the same formula after I gave him five more packages. Then, he took a break for two weeks and then again took ten packages. It was winter when he finished, and during the following summer, he had no nasal symptoms. He was delighted with the result. This was after 30-40 years of rhinitis. 
After this, my uncle took fifteen packages. He also had rhinitis for over 30 years, and the results were very good. 
The following year, my younger cousin came to visit my home. He mentioned that after laser surgery, his uncle was only good for a year and a month. Furthermore, the surgery was very painful. He took the above formula, and the results were very good. My father then gave up the idea of surgery. 
In diagnosing my father, I told him the results would be even better if he added herbs to warm and open the Spleen and Kidney Yang. However, at that time, he still did not trust me. Ha ha! 
Going through this case, I came to believe that rhinitis is not hereditary.

Case 2: Chronic Cough

After a common cold, a charlatan treated my wife’s mother carelessly. After this, she had a continuous cough for many months without getting better. The following year, I asked her on the telephone how she was being treated. She told me she had the following symptoms: clear nasal discharge and a cough that was worse at night. Additionally, her lung function was not particularly strong (deficient). Upon taking three packages of Jie Geng Yuan Shen Tang, modified only with the addition of 10 grams of Huang Qi and Dang Shen.

This is not to be taken at the beginning of a common cold, or there will be trouble.   
 

 ¹From Huáng Yuán-Yù’s Sì Shèng Xīn Yuán Four Sacred Heart Sources