By: Keren Zelicha
Children’s asthma isn’t similar to adult’s asthma due to the different aetiology.
Here are the main reasons for children’s asthma:
- Allergy
- Low constitution
- Like to play outside.
The disease is easy to be treated in early stage (age 3-4, 1-2) – if isn’t treated well it can cause adult asthma.
Asthma main points:
- Recurrent disease
- The acute stage is easy to be treated- stop cough transform phlegm, stop asthma and wheezing.
- In remission time, the treatment to avoid reoccurrence is difficult -we need to treat the root.
Acute – excess pathogen (phlegm, cold, heat) is causing stagnation – treat manifestation.
Remission – Lung, Spleen, Kidney qi are deficient – treat root.
There are basic formulas to treat children’s asthma:
1. Treating manifestation & root:
Xiao chuan yuan xiao fang –
sheng ma huang , xing ren , ban xia, wu wei zi, bai zhu, dang gui, fang feng, chen pi, fu ling, tai zi shen, shu di, zhi he che, dong chong xia cao.
标本兼顾 : biao ben jian gu – considering manifestation and root on the same time. There are herbs to stop cough clear phlegm and tonify Lung – spleen – kidney.
If cold is dominant – Xiao qing long tang
If cold & heat are together – Ding chuan tang
If heat is dominant – Ma xing shi gan tang
2. Tonify Lung qi and warm Kidney yang:
Tian fei wan fang –
Huang qi, dang shen, shan yao, rou cong rong, dang gui, chi shao, wei ling xian (expels wind), zhi gan cao.
Focusing on tonifying in the remission stage.
3. Tonify Lungs and Spleen qi warming the Kidneys:
Bu fei jian pi wen shen tang-
Dang shen, shu di, tu si zi, wu wei zi, kuan dong hua di long (to stop cough and release spasm), fu ling, shan yao, hu tao rou, zhi gan cao .
Focusing on prevention – treating root but with some herbs to treat manifestation.
4. prevention thearapy:
Chai gui tang jia wei –
Xiao chai hu tang + Gui zhi tang
Chai hu, huang qin, gui zhi, fa ban xia, tai zi shen, chi shao, zhi gan cao, tu si zi, chan tui, dan shen, da zao.
This disease has several causes – wind (allergy), Lung – Spleen – Kidney qi xu , phlegm causing wheezing, blood deficient or stagnates (chronic disease enter the Luo meridians 久病入络), therefore we choose this herbs.
In addition – the disease is coming and going – Chai hu here is for adjustment -balancing the body.
This is also the reason for choosing xiao chai hu tang as a basic formula with gui zhi tang . They are both considered as adjusting formulas. This formula is mild – not too hot or heavy so will not cause difficult digestion, heat or dry signs.
Three years of not reoccurring is considered a whole recovery.
Stage of treatment:
- Take over the acute signs
- Stable the situation – flue will not influence on recalling
- Strengthen the body when the situation is stabled for 2-4 months.
The course of treatment is at least 4 months, when the patient is developing a flue he has to come quickly for treatment.
Related articles:
Chinese Medicine Approach To Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infection In Children
