Chronic Cough - Wind-Cold Attacking the Lung Pattern

Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Chronic Cough · Wind-Cold Attacking the Lung Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Chest

Pattern Overview

Wind-Cold Attacking the Lung is a common pattern in chronic cough, characterized by cold air-induced cough, white thin sputum, aggravation by cold, and nasal congestion with clear discharge. The core pathogenesis is invasion of Wind-Cold pathogens into the Lung, causing Lung Qi to fail to descend, leading to cough and airway hyperresponsiveness.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

| :— | :— |

| Primary Symptoms | Cough with heavy voice, white thin sputum, aggravated by cold |

| Associated Symptoms | Nasal congestion with clear discharge, headache, body aches, no sweating |

| Tongue and Pulse | Pale red tongue with thin white coating, floating and tense pulse |

| Pathogenesis | Wind-Cold invading the Lung, Lung Qi failing to descend |

| Etiology | Exposure to cold, sudden weather changes, weak Lung Qi |

Acupuncture Point Prescription

| Point | Location | Function |

| :— | :— | :— |

| Lieque (LU7) | Above the wrist, on the radial side, in the depression between the tendons | Luo-Connecting point of Lung meridian; disperses Wind-Cold and diffuses the Lung |

| Fengmen (BL12) | On the upper back, 1.5 cun lateral to T2 | Disperses Wind and releases the exterior |

| Feishu (BL13) | On the upper back, 1.5 cun lateral to T3 | Back-Shu point of Lung meridian; regulates Lung Qi |

| Hegu (LI4) | Dorsum of the hand, between the 1st and 2nd metacarpals | Source point of Large Intestine meridian; disperses Wind and releases the exterior |

| Tiantu (RN22) | In the depression at the suprasternal fossa | Descends rebellious Qi and stops cough |

Clinical Recommendation: Filiform needle, reducing method; moxibustion may be added to warm and disperse Cold.

Herbal Formula

Base Formula: Zhi Sou San (止嗽散)

Composition:

Aster (Zi Wan), Stemona (Bai Bu), Platycodon (Jie Geng), Cynanchum (Bai Qian), Tangerine Peel (Ju Hong), Schizonepeta (Jing Jie), Licorice (Gan Cao)

Action: Disperses Wind-Cold, diffuses the Lung, and stops cough.

Modifications

| Associated Symptoms | Additions/Subtractions |

| :— | :— |

| Severe chills | Add Ma Huang, Gui Zhi to release the exterior and disperse Cold |

| Copious thin sputum | Add Gan Jiang, Xi Xin to warm the Lung and transform fluids |

| Nasal congestion | Add Cang Er Zi, Xin Yi to open the nasal passages |

| Severe cough | Add Xing Ren, Pi Pa Ye to descend Qi and stop cough |

Western Mechanism Reference

Cold air stimulation of airway mucosa activating C-fibers, cough reflex excitation, and airway mucosal edema. Wind-Cold Attacking the Lung corresponds to post-infectious cough or cough with airway hyperresponsiveness, where cold air stimulation and airway mucosal edema contribute to cough reflex sensitization.

References

  1. Internal Medicine of TCM - Cough with Wind-Cold Attacking the Lung.

  2. DB-TCMJB: Wind-Cold Binding the Lung.

  3. DB-XJB: Zhi Sou San.

  4. WHO. (2023). Respiratory health. World Health Organization.

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