Overview of TCM Etiology, Pathogenesis and TCM Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

The number of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in China is nearly 100 million, and it has become the fourth leading cause of death in the country. At present, Western medicine has a variety of treatment methods for COPD, including oxygen therapy, antibiotics, glucocorticoids, and smoking cessation. However, due to the long course of the disease, long-term use of drugs may lead to drug resistance and adverse reactions, resulting in limitations in application, which still cannot meet the needs of solving clinical problems of COPD. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has unique advantages in the treatment of COPD, and has formed a series of prevention and treatment measures including “preventing disease before its onset”, “holistic concept”, and “treating the symptoms in acute phase and the root cause in stable phase”. This article reviews the etiology, TCM pathogenesis, and TCM treatment of COPD to further improve the management of such patients.