Friends, do you also experience this: always feeling something stuck in your throat that you can't completely cough up or swallow down - how uncomfortable!

Many people immediately think of "spleen deficiency producing phlegm" when they hear "phlegm" and rush to use formulas like Erchen Wan to strengthen the spleen and resolve phlegm. This approach isn't wrong. As TCM often says, "the spleen is the source of phlegm production." When spleen and stomach function poorly, what we consume cannot be properly transformed, easily turning into dampness that accumulates into phlegm.

However, we must understand one thing clearly: the spleen is the "production plant," while the lungs are the "transfer station" and "exit point." Once phlegm is produced, it gets stored in the lungs and is expelled through the respiratory function of the lungs. If the lung passages are blocked or there's excessive heat in the lungs that "bakes" the phlegm dry and sticky, even if the spleen functions perfectly, the phlegm still won't be expelled and will get stuck in the throat, causing distress.

This is especially true for yellowish phlegm, sticky phlegm, or the thick, clumpy old phlegm that gets coughed up—nine times out of ten, this indicates heat in the lungs. In this case, focusing solely on the spleen is like "trying to put out a nearby fire with water fetched from afar"—it won’t help in time.

The renowned Qing Dynasty physician Zhang Xichun saw right through this issue. He created a formula with an ingenious approach—instead of first addressing the "production plant," he directly targets the "exit point" to unblock the critical pathway in the lungs.

How did he do it? Just four steps:

Pathfinder - Platycodon Root (Jie Geng): First opens up the pulmonary pathways. This herb promotes lung qi diffusion, acting like a "dredging team" for blocked airways—clearing obstructions to create a passage for phlegm expulsion. With pathways unobstructed, coughing up phlegm becomes effortless.

Heat-Clearing & Viscosity-Resolving - Trichosanthes Seed (Gua Lou Ren): Once pathways are cleared, the "stubborn posters" (tenacious phlegm) clinging to the walls must be removed. Lung heat bakes phlegm into a sticky state. Trichosanthes seed simultaneously clears lung heat and moistens dryness, transforming thick, dry phlegm into thinner consistency for smooth expulsion.

Fortress Breaker - Zhejiang Fritillaria (Zhe Bei Mu): To tackle longstanding, congealed "stubborn residues" (tenacious phlegm), Zhejiang fritillaria takes the stage. It excels at "softening hardness and dissipating nodules"—whether breaking down hardened old phlegm or thick yellow mucus, it fragments large masses into smaller, expellable pieces.

Root-Treatment - Gypsum (Sheng Shi Gao): Merely removing phlegm isn’t enough—address the root cause. Lung heat acts like a boiling pot, continuously evaporating fluids into "scale" (phlegm). Gypsum serves as a potent "fire extinguisher," drastically purging lung heat to quench the flames. With the fire subdued, new phlegm formation is naturally inhibited.

Finally, a touch of licorice root serves as the "peacemaker" to harmonize these medicinal properties, allowing each ingredient to perform its unique function while working in concerted effort toward a common goal.

You see how clear Zhang Xichun's approach is: first use platycodon root to clear the pathway, then let trichosanthes seed and fritillaria thunbergii dissolve the phlegm, and finally use raw gypsum to eliminate the root cause by "removing the firewood from under the cauldron." The entire process seamlessly clears away all the "waste" from the lungs.

So, when it comes to regulating the body, you must identify the root of the problem. Next time you encounter yellow sticky phlegm or stubborn phlegm, don’t just think about strengthening the spleen—perhaps starting with the "lungs" is the real shortcut!