Thick and Sticky Nasal Discharge

It is accompanied by nasal obstruction and loss of the sense of smell.

Etiology and Pathogenesis

Occurrence of thick sticky nasal discharge is related to the attack of pathogenic factors on the hmg which has its specific body opening in the nose. Exogenous wind cold may transform into heat. Sometimes, the lung is directly attacked by wind heat. Both may lead to dysfunction of the lung and invasion of the pathogenic factors upon the nose through the upper respiratory tract.

Differentiation

Main manifestations: Nasal obstruction, loss of the sense of smell, yellow fetid nasal discharge, thick and sticky, accompanied by cough, dull pain in the forehead, rapid pulse, reddened tongue with thin, white and sticky coating.

Analysis: Pathogenic heat accumulated in the lung impedes the descending of the lung qi, then pathogenic heat rushes up to the nose, causing nasal obstruction. Pathogenic heat consumes the body fluid and changes it into phlegm and mucus, so there is turbid and fetid nasal discharge. Cough results from adverse flow of the lung qi. When extreme heat in the lung and stomach further disturbs the upper orifices, pain with distension occurs in the forehead. Reddened tongue and rapid pulse are signs of pathogenic heat in the lung.

Treatment

Method: Points of the Hand - Taiyin and Hand - Yangming Meridians are selected as the principal points to smooth the flow of the lung qi and expel pathogenic wind heat by applying the reducing method.

Prescription: [LU7 - LI4  - LI20 - bitong- yintang]

Explanation: LU7 smoothes the flow of the lung qi and eliminates the pathogenic wind. The Hand - Yangming Meridian is exteriorly - interioriy related to the Hand - Taiyin Meridian, and travels by the sides of nose. So LI4 and LI20 are selected to regulate the qi circulation in the Hand - Yangming Meridian and to clear away the heat from the lung. Yintang (Extra) is close to the nose, and bitong (Extra) is located at the sides of the nose. Both have the action of removing the obstruction and eliminating heat from the nose.

Remarks

This condition corresponds to chronic rhinitis and chronic nasosinusitis in modern medicine.