I had a client who came to see me the other day with a lingering cold. Her chest and sinuses were filled with mucus, and the poor, little woman was drained of energy and vitality for a good reason.
She wasn’t getting sufficient oxygen into her body. Her body was filled with mucus, and phlegm was blocking the channels. Phlegm can be the cause of many diseases in Chinese medicine, some of them very serious. So sad, but phlegm is easy to get and hard to clear.
The ‘gunk’ you hawk up is most likely always phlegm and is the reason for the heaviness in the chest that you may be feeling, with heaviness in the body as well and, sometimes, dizziness. When phlegm builds up, things don’t move smoothly, and everything becomes an effort like wading through mud. Phlegm in the lungs disturbs and blocks the lung Qi resulting in coughing with lots of mucus.
It’s good to be able to expectorate mucus from the lungs, but you may find it hard to get it out. When the mucus is in the head and the upper body, a person may experience symptoms of dizziness, headaches, huge amounts of clear or white mucus, coldness in the arms and legs, and low tolerance to cold.
A good way to clear the phlegm is to eat slowly by taking small mouthfuls and chewing everything well.
Also, drinking lots of warm liquids will help. Always start and finish meals with something warm. I like to make a cup of hot ginger tea.
Get the root, not the dried powder. Cut it into pieces about the size of a quarter, boil for 5 minutes, and drink. You can add honey if it’s too strong for you.
For the cold and flu season, always have fresh ginger in the house and plenty of non-alcoholic liquids. If you are close to my office, come on in and I can help you clear up a cold or flu in record time.
I wish you the best in your Health, Wealth, and Happiness!
Dr. Wu Dhi
P.S. To make an appointment, call 305-407-0120 and
I’ll help to keep you healthy all winter.
