I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 310 - 137: Chronic Allergic Rhinitis (2)

Hu Meiqiao was stunned for a moment, then beamed with joy, "Thank you, old leader."

Although Ma Shanjun said there wasn’t much hope, Hu Meiqiao knew that as long as Ma Shanjun took the materials, there was hope. Even a little hope was still hope. If they were taken back, then there would be no hope at all.

"Don’t thank me just yet. This will take some time. It’ll be at least a month or two before I can give you an answer."

"It’s okay, I can wait," Hu Meiqiao quickly replied.

At this moment, waiting was her only option.

Ma Shanjun nodded, placed the materials in the nearby cabinet, and glanced at the time, saying, "Why don’t you stay for lunch here and then head back? We can also have a chat about the young man you mentioned—I’m quite curious. What kind of charm has he used on you to make you, Dean Hu, come all this way to ask for help?"

"Alright, I’ll stay for lunch. I haven’t eaten at this cafeteria in a long time. I must say I do miss it,"

Hu Meiqiao responded.

However, when it came to Lu Xuan, she paused and, after thinking it over, said, "Well, he’s just a genuine young doctor committed to saving lives and helping the wounded."

"A genuine doctor committed to saving lives and helping the wounded, you say..."

Ma Shanjun pondered for a moment and asked, "In your view, what makes a true doctor who saves lives and helps the wounded?"

"A doctor who doesn’t make patients spend any unnecessary money, who can cure the hardest diseases with the least amount of money," Hu Meiqiao thought and replied.

Ma Shanjun didn’t say anything, suddenly recalling something a mentor once said at school.

"Making a patient spend a hundred bucks to get your consultation isn’t a skill—curing them for a hundred bucks is the real skill."

However, there aren’t many such doctors now.

...

Health Center.

"Continue calling the names."

Lu Xuan signaled.

When the announcement system’s voice echoed in everyone’s ears, even before anyone arrived, Lu Xuan heard a series of sneezes from outside the door. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Curious, Lu Xuan looked up to see two men in their fifties walking in.

Although they were about the same age, the sneezing man looked different.

From his appearance, even though they were around the same age, the man sneezing constantly was stooped, had short breath, and frequently raised his hand to wipe the running nose with his handkerchief—he looked nothing like someone in his fifties, more like someone in their seventies.

And this man was being helped into a seat in front of Lu Xuan by another man.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Guo Huaishu helped his friend settle into a seat before speaking, "Dr. Lu, this is a comrade of mine who happened to visit me. I noticed that his allergic rhinitis, which he contracted over thirty years ago, still hasn’t improved. Over these past thirty years, he’s told me about taking both Western and Chinese medicine, how much he’s taken he can’t even recall, yet he still hasn’t been cured.

This year has been particularly bad; his health has significantly deteriorated. Just take a look at his back. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. Previously, I’d heard about you from a friend, so I wanted to bring him over to see you."

Allergic rhinitis isn’t exactly a rare disease, but it is unusually difficult to treat.

This is a common nasal disease mainly caused by Type I hypersensitivity, distinguished by perennial and seasonal types, and has shown a marked increase over the past two decades.

It can occur at any age, though it’s more common amongst adolescents and often accompanies a history of respiratory allergic reactions. Those with long illness duration may develop nasal polyps, severely affecting their quality of life.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s known as biqiu, caused by a unique constitution compromised by evil invading the nasal passages, characterized by paroxysmal nasal itching and continuous sneezing.

The term biqiu comes from "Suwen·Pulse Analysis."

Ancient texts have rich discussions about this disease’s etiology and mechanism, with differing views across different medical eras—some emphasize cold, others heat, involving various concepts like lung cold, brain cold and kidney cold, lung cold sensitivity, and more.

The heat aspect involves pathogenic heart fire affecting Yangming, or pathogenic heat invading the lung.

Most medical practitioners advocated the former view.

The "Inner Canon" mentions it’s related to seasonal climate and kidneys, as noted in "Suwen·Discourse on the Five Qi": the five qi cause ailments, and kidneys are associated with sneezing.

The "Treatise on the Origin and Manifestation of Various Diseases" volume 29 claims lung coldness is the main cause of the disease, indicating: "The nose connects to lung qi, when lungs are cold, the cold qi enters the nose, so fluids can’t be collected."

"Suwen Secret Storage and Original Illness Format·Six Qi Illnesses" states: "Itching evolves from fire transformation, pathogenic heart fire affecting Yangming leads to itching and sneezing." It implies nasal itching and sneezing result from fire heat invading Yangming.

"Secret Transmission of Symptom Treatment Essentials and Related Prescriptions" volume ten suggests: "Clear nasal discharge results from brain cold lung cold, prescribing asari, evodia, aconite, dry ginger, etc."

Xu Chunfu’s "Ancient and Modern Medical Domination" theorizes: "Biqiu means heat invades Taiyin meridian."

Although ancient doctors understood this ailment differently, these views hold representative value.

With this knowledge swiftly passing through his mind, Lu Xuan, encountering an allergic rhinitis patient for the first time, pondered briefly and asked, "Are there any other symptoms you experience frequently?"

"Afraid of wind and cold, catching colds easily whenever aware of any chill. He’s been at my place for just about ten days and caught a cold two or three times already,"

Guo Huaishu recalled his comrade’s symptoms over this period, "And once he catches a cold, it’s a constant stream of clear nasal discharge—it might worsen his rhinitis which had just gotten a little better. He sneezes countless times a day, as you’ve probably heard."

After speaking, Guo Huaishu smiled sheepishly.

His comrade, with a weak voice, added, "I told him there’s no cure, but he insisted on bringing me here, saying your medical skills are superb and I can’t just give up. And if you can’t help, it’s truly time to give up.

Old Guo is a great friend. We were comrades for just a few years but he’s always had me in mind. Knowing my rhinitis hasn’t improved, he insisted on bringing me to hospitals to check, even scrambling online for your appointment every day.

I’m already regretting coming to Yong City, causing so much trouble for him, sigh!!!"

Saying so, he let out a long sigh.

"Old Zhou, what nonsense are you talking about? Even if it was only a year, we’re still comrades, besides you spent your own money, I just took you around, it’s not as big a deal as you say," Guo Huaishu said with slight annoyance.

Lu Xuan didn’t speak, but he did feel a deep sense of respect for both men.

Whether it was Guo Huaishu or Old Zhou with allergic rhinitis, both were truly admirable.

Guo Huaishu’s dedication to Old Zhou indicated that Old Zhou must have treated Guo Huaishu similarly, as the effort involved was mutual. If Old Zhou wasn’t worth it, Guo Huaishu probably wouldn’t have invited him to Yong City just for a half-month visit, let alone accompanying him around to seek medical advice and eventually finding him here.

"Uncle Zhou, do you have any other discomforts?" Considering the details of his condition might not be complete and concerned about his health status, Lu Xuan asked Old Zhou.

Old Zhou had difficulty with his health but his hearing was still intact. Upon hearing the question, he raised his head and said, "Besides what Old Guo mentioned, my nose feels itchy every day as if there are bugs crawling inside.

In recent years, I’ve had trouble with frequent urination; every time I cough, I end up leaking urine..."

At this point, Old Zhou thought carefully and added a line, "I haven’t shared a bed with my wife since turning fifty."

No bed-sharing?

Lu Xuan was momentarily stunned but soon realized, deciding not to probe deeper—knowing was enough. Although Old Zhou was over fifty, matters affecting male ego were often sensitive.

"Uncle Zhou, let me check your pulse. Also, please stick out your tongue."

Old Zhou placed his hand on the pulse pillow and stuck out his tongue.

Lu Xuan placed three fingers on the Cun, Guan, and Chi points while also taking a glance at Old Zhou’s tongue, "Alright, that’s fine."

At Lu Xuan’s signal, Old Zhou retracted his tongue.

After placing his fingers on Old Zhou’s pulse, Lu Xuan applied gentle pressure, feeling the feeble, thin, and weak pulse beneath.

The pulse was sunken and thin, the tongue pale and lacking luster.