Every year in this season, an increasing number of asthma patients come to my clinics, most of whom are children and teenagers.
Asthma is an old allergic disease, which was recorded in ancient books of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).
There are two types of asthma. The first is caused by allergic agents from the outside environment, including dust, pollen, banana oil and chloroform. Such allergic agents are from flowers, air conditioners, blanket, plants and other sources.
The second type is internally caused, which means the disease is due to patients' allergic body condition. Some patients may have a relapse of asthma after the intake of shrimp, yellow croaker, hairtail and other food containing heterologous protein.
Through abundant clinic experience, doctors realize that stimulating the focus point will trigger chronic rhinitis or secondary nasal sinusitis, which in turn may result in asthma. Quite a lot of my asthma patients have suffered from allergic rhinitis.
Practice shows that if patients are suffering from both rhinitis and asthma, they should get treatments for rhinitis at the same time, which may prevent the outbreak of asthma or completely cure the disease. The therapy is also in accordance with some TCM theories, such as "inducing resuscitation of lungs starts in the nose" and "the nose is the key to health in the lungs."
The following case may prove the connection of nose disease and asthma.
Rongrong, aged 14, is one of my patients, with a seven-year history of asthma. He also suffered from serious rhinitis. When the asthma recurred every spring and autumn, he had symptoms of frequent running nose and sneezing.
He used to take western medicines for asthma, but the unobvious nose disease was neglected. Thus, his asthma recurred year after year until treatments (including western medicines and traditional Chinese therapy) were adapted for his nose disease. Now his asthma is completely cured, which I believe is attributable to the treatment for his rhinitis.
Remember to check your nose if you're an asthma victim - it may be the cause of your nightmare disease. Patients with chronic or acute nose diseases should get treatment immediately, because there is danger for asthma infection.
Cai Guanqiu is the doctor of integrated TCMs and western medicines in Shanghai Shuguang Hospital.
(Shanghai Star 04/05/2001)
