The winter season can be very challenging for patients due to the seasonal occurrences of colds / flu, as well as the stress of the holidays and the "holiday blues." I have covered many such issues in past columns.
Mullein (Verbascum Thapsus)
Mullein is one of my favorite herbs for all issues related to the respiratory tract in general. It can easily be made into a tea or taken in tincture form as well. The common part used are the leaves however the root and flowers are also often used in many issues as well. For respiratory issues, the leaves are most commonly used in tea form.
The herbal energetics of Mullein are: cooling, demulcent, expectorant and astringent and target the lungs, stomach and intestines. The leaves have historically been smoked as a substitute for tobacco and for specific lung issues. Mullein makes an excellent diaphoretic hot tea for the common cold, and in Wind Heat presentations can ideally be combined with Gan Mao Ling, Chuan Xin Lian Wan, and Zhong Gan Ling. Mullein is also an excellent tea for irritating and recalcitrant dry coughs due to Lung Yin Vacuity and in such presentations should be combined with Bai He Gu Jin Tang. In the winter months, the use of interior heating units, although comforting, tends to dry out the respiratory tract and can aggravate Lung Yin Vacuity issues.
In such cases, Mullein tea combined with appropriate TCM patent medicines for Lung Yin can be highly effective for both protecting the Lung viscus as well as help clear any stubborn issues such as dry, hacking coughs. I especially use a tincture of Mullein leaves / flowers for dry coughs causing insomnia, adding the drops to warm infusions of Chamomile tea.
Patients can easily obtain Mullein leaves from a local herbal store and keep in sealed glass jars to have on hand during the winter months and use these in conjunction with appropriately prescribed TCM medicinals / patent medicines. I have all my patients keep Mullein leaves, Ginger root, and Chamomile flowers on hand during the winter months for making herbal teas to use for simple cold / flu / cough presentations.
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Fenugreek seeds or Hu Lu Ba in Chinese medicine are one of the oldest known medicinal herbs used throughout all cultures. Much like Mullein leaves, Fenugreek seeds are very cost effective and easy to have on hand during the winter months. Used often in cooking and in spice mixes, Fenugreek seeds are warming yet demulcent, expectorant and are considered Yang tonics in Chinese medicine.
Fenugreek is highly useful in cases of Wind Cold invasion coughs as well as chronic coughs which present with thick mucus. My favorite method for using the seeds for coughs and Wind Cold issues is to take 1 tablespoon of seed to 2 cups of cold water, infuse for 4-5 hours then heat and boil for one minute. You can easily make large batches of tea in this manner and use the tea with appropriately prescribed TCM patent medicines.
The combination of Mullein leaves and Fenugreek seeds makes an excellent two-herb tea for all respiratory issues. I use this combination as a type of Dui Yao therapy, whereby the combination of two herbs work together to accentuate healing actions. The cooling energy of Mulllein combined with the warming energy of Fenugreek makes an exquisite combination especially as both herbs are highly effective demulcent expectorants.
Patients can easily have both of these herbs on hand to create highly effective home remedies for a large array of respiratory complaints. Using these two herbs in conjunction with high quality local honey is also a highly effective combination. Honey exhibits demulcent and anti-tussive effects and according to Ayurveda functions as an anupana, a substance which enhances the actions and efficacy when taken with other substances.
Therefore adding honey to Fenugreek or Mullein tea great increases its effectiveness and palatability. Ayurveda also views honey ( Madhu) as a yogavahi meaning it has the quality to penetrate deeply into the tissues and can guide the herbs to the Lungs. Ayurveda view honey which is fresh and newly collected as cooling and nourishing and aged stored honey as heating and lekhana or "scraping / cleansing" in action / energetics.
This is why Ayurveda would often recommend aged honey with warm water on an empty stomach in the morning as a healing remedy for a wide range of issues. Therefore educating patients on the benefits of having quality honey on hand is very important, ideally locally sourced if possible.
Teaching patients how to have some herbal basics on hand is very important for clinicians as it allows patients to prevent acute respiratory issues to progress into deep seated recalcitrant issues with potentially serious complications.
Mullein, Fenugreek and high-quality honey are key home remedies which can easily be combined with effectively prescribed TCM medicinals / patent medicines. Once patients see the effectiveness of such time-honored herbs, they will also be much more compliant and confident in taking prescribed TCM medicines in the future as well. This is a win-win scenario for patients and clinicians.
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