Deficiency of the qi of the lung and kidney

Clinical manifestations : Asthmatic breathing, shortness of breath, and more exhalation than inhalation, all of which become worse on exertion ; low voice, cold limbs, blue complexion, spontaneous sweating, incontinence of urine due to severe cough ; a pale tongue with thin coating and a weak pulse of deficiency type.

Etiology and pathology : This syndrome is often due to prolonged cough which affects the lung and kidney in succession, resulting in deficiency of qi of both organs. It may also be due to overstrain and stress which injures the kidney qi and impairs the kidney ' s function of receiving qi. The lung controls respiration and the kidney dominates the reception of qi. " The lung is the commander of qi and the kidney is the root of qi. " With deficiency of the qi of the lung and kidney, there may be asthmatic breathing, shortness of breath, and more exhalation than inhalation, all of which become worse on exertion. Deficiency of the lung leads to weakness of zong ( pectoral ) qi, causing low voice. Yang qi, being deficient, fails to warm up the exterior, resulting in cold limbs and a blue complexion. Deficiency of qi may cause weakness of wei ( defensive ) yang, which explains spontaneous sweating. Weakness of the kidney qi may impair the function of the bladder in controlling urine, incontinence of urine in coughing appears. A pale tongue with thin coating and a weak pulse of deficiency type are both signs of deficiency of yang qi.