People often say, "meat makes a fire, fish produces phlegm, and tofu and cabbage keep safe." In fact, Chinese and western medicine have different views on phlegm. Phlegm in western medicine mainly refers to the secretion of human respiratory tract, which is one of the common symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection. Phlegm in traditional Chinese medicine has a wider connotation. In essence, TCM divides phlegm into tangible and intangible. Tangible phlegm can be seen, touched and heard. In addition to the familiar expectoration, thyroid nodules, lipomas that can be touched by hands, and abdominal "phlegm drinking" caused by acute gastroenteritis are also tangible sputum. Invisible phlegm lurks in the body, invisible and intangible, but the existence of phlegm can be judged by looking, smelling, asking and feeling. Hope. Mainly depends on the body, look at the tongue coating. Chinese medicine says that "obese people have more phlegm and dampness", which means that obese people have more "invisible phlegm". Fat has the characteristics of "phlegm", which is dirty, sticky and thick, and is formed by the condensation of dirty parts in water and moisture in the body. Greasy skin and fat figure are the manifestations of phlegm and turbid internal resistance. Thick and greasy tongue coating is the most intuitive manifestation of wet and dirty water. Smell. Mainly smell. People with severe phlegm in their bodies generally have a greater body odor and a heavier breath. Ask. Phlegm is wet with drinking water and deposited in the body, just like a sponge absorbs water. Such people often feel heavy and tired. Questioning the medical history, there are many problems such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and hyperuricemia. Stop. Cut open the skin and take your pulse. People with phlegm-dampness constitution can often feel lumps on the skin surface, such as lipoma, tendon sheath cyst, thyroid nodule, lymphadenopathy and so on. These are all manifestations of phlegm. The pulse is mostly slippery, just like beads rolling on a smooth plate. Where did the phlegm come from? Traditional Chinese medicine believes that phlegm is related to the five internal organs, but it is most closely related to the spleen. Spleen is mainly responsible for transporting water and dampness, so it is the source of phlegm. Simply put, if the function of the spleen is abnormal, there will be problems in the metabolism of water and liquid in the human body, and abnormal accumulation will produce phlegm and dampness. Once phlegm-dampness is formed, it will become a pathogenic factor, and it will cause trouble wherever it goes: in the head, it will lead to dizziness and even unconsciousness; It will be sticky and sweet when it reaches the mouth; Stopping in the throat will cause foreign bodies in the throat; On the skin, it is fat, sweaty and sticky; If you stop at the chest diaphragm, you will cough up phlegm, chest tightness and asthma; Stacked in the abdomen, you can see a fat and soft belly; It will be heavy, stiff and swollen at the joints. This is the truth that "strange diseases are full of phlegm" and "all diseases are caused by phlegm". To prevent the formation of phlegm, we must first pay attention to conditioning our constitution. People with phlegm-dampness constitution should have a light diet, less oil and salt, less ice and less sugar, and control the speed and quantity of eating; Eat more foods that strengthen the spleen and promote diuresis, eliminate phlegm and eliminate dampness, such as kelp, wax gourd, white radish, lentil, onion, coix seed, adzuki bean, laver, ginkgo, etc. Take part in more physical exercise at ordinary times, mobilize your healthy qi and get rid of "garbage in your body". For the phlegm that has already formed, it is necessary to "give evil a way out": "phlegm is on the top, leading it wherever it goes; Phlegm is divided into two parts; The sputum is next, and it is light and beneficial. " Taking the expectoration of tangible phlegm as an example, the most important thing to eliminate phlegm is to distinguish between cold and heat. If it is yellow phlegm, it is difficult to cough up a small amount, which is hot; White and thin, easy to measure, cold in nature. The former should clear away heat and resolve phlegm, and Chuanbei loquat dew can be used, while the latter should warm the lungs and resolve phlegm, and use orange-red phlegm cough liquid. For intangible phlegm, it is necessary to strengthen the spleen, eliminate phlegm and promote diuresis. Traditional Chinese medicines mainly include Radix Codonopsis, Atractylodis Rhizoma, Poria, Rhizoma Atractylodis, Lotus Leaf, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Lentils, Coicis Semen, Fructus Amomi, Lotus Seed Meat, Semen Sinapis Albae, Raphani Seed and Perilla. Patients can also apply some classic prescriptions under the guidance of Chinese medicine, such as Huatan Qushi Fang, Yueju Pill, Shen Ling Baizhu Powder and Sanzi Yangqin Decoction. (Professor of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Dr. Liao Yan Wang Qi)