Qu Tan Fa (祛痰法): TCM Concept Guide

It is a therapy to eliminate the pathogenic factors. Causes of phlegm can be either exogenous or internal. Diseases caused by phlegm then vary, and should be treated differently.

1.Zao shi hua tan method(Removing dampness and resolving phlegm)

It is for treatment of damp phlegm. Causes of damp and phlegm are deficiency of spleen yang, disorder of regulating functions, lead to damp phlegm.

Common manifestations are white phlegm, obstruction of qi in the chest, nausea, sleepy head, dizziness, palpitation, satiny tongue coating. This method is to use the bitter drug to control warmness and the dry property drug to cure dampness. Common drugs such as ban xia, chen pi, fu ling. The Prescription of Erchen Tang is the representative. .

2.Run zao hua tan method(Moistening dryness and eliminating phlegm)

Causes of Dry phlegm is yin deficiency of lung, inner heat turned fluids into phlegm. Manifestations like shortness of breath, cough, dense sputum, dry throat with painness, hoarseness, and so on. Moistening dryness for removing phlegm is combined with application of moisturizing and phlegm-reducing drugs, such as bei mu, gua lou, tian hua fen, jie geng, fu ling, etc. The Prescription of Beimu Gualou San is representative of its party.

3.Qing Re Hua Tan method(The method of clearing heat and eliminating phlegm)

Manifestations like yellow and thick phlegm, flushed face, rapid pulse, thirst, or pavor, or madness. Common prescriptions have huang qi, huang lian, da huang, zhi shi, gua lou, zhu li, etc. The Prescription of Qing Qi Huatan Wan, The Prescription of Xiao Xianxiong Tang and The Prescription of Guntan Wan.

4.Qu Han Hua Tan method(dispelling cold and eliminating phlegm)

It is used for treating Yang deficiency of spleen and stomach. Cold sense in mouth, cold body and limbs, loose stool are common. Dispelling cold and eliminating phlegm is based on Xin Re application of warming Yang and resolving phlegm usually apply gan jiang, rou gui, ban xia, fu ling. The Prescription of Qing Qi Huatan Wan is the representative.