Acupuncture treatment for dry cough

Abstract

A cough is a natural reflex that helps clear the airways of mucus and irritants like dust or smoke. In most cases, it is not a symptom of a serious condition. A cough that does not produce mucus is referred to as a dry or “unproductive” cough. Nighttime coughing can make it harder to fall asleep and may negatively impact overall quality of life. Most dry coughs are caused by infections, such as the common cold or flu. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, nighttime coughing occurs when the lung qi is disrupted or out of balance. In this framework, the lungs regulate the movement of qi throughout the body, guiding both its upward and downward flow. When this balance is disturbed, coughing arises as a response to help restore proper function. A cough that intensifies during the night may suggest a Yin deficiency, a condition in which the body lacks sufficient cooling and moistening energy, resulting in dryness and irritation. In this research paper is about 73 years old women who suffer from dry night cough around 2 years. She has used Operil nasal drops and antibiotics as therapy. She also has a blood pressure problem for which she takes pills in the morning Coprenesa and Lapranil at night. The patient also experiences chronic fatigue, poor sleep, and sweating around the neck and chest during sleep. She came to our TCM center on March 27, 2026 and immediately after consulting with the doctors, she began acupuncture treatment. Treatments were performed once a week, and the doctors recommended that she should have a series of 5 to 10. The cough problem began to reduce after the third acupuncture session, and with it, sleep improved and fatigue slowly disappeared. Acupuncture is a good choice for treating a dry cough and always gives positive results.

Keywords: dry cough, treatment, acupuncture, TCM