Mongb nais jid (Chronic Nasal Discomfort)
Overview
In Miao medicine, Mongb nais jid refers to nasal congestion and discharge caused by the invasion of wind, heat, or cold toxins, which damage the nasal passage and body fluids.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this condition is associated with turbid nasal discharge due to pathogenic invasion, damp-heat accumulation, and phlegm stagnation.
From a Western perspective, this correlates with purulent inflammation of the sinus mucosa, such as acute or chronic sinus conditions.
Miao-Medicine Classification
This is considered a minor disorder and can be divided into two types:
Cold-pattern with qi deficiency and nasal discomfort
Heat-pattern nasal pain
Causes
When external heat toxins invade the body, or internal cold fails to control heat, heat-related symptoms occur. If cold toxins invade a constitutionally weak body, cold-related conditions arise.
Wind, being a dynamic environmental force, is highly mobile and erratic. It often interacts with other pathogenic factors, enhancing their ability to cause discomfort. This condition typically results from the invasion of wind, heat, and cold toxins into the nasal cavity, leading to internal heat damaging fluids, or wind and cold stagnating in the nasal passage.
Pathogenesis
Wind and heat toxins invade the nasal cavity, causing heat to damage fluids, resulting in turbid nasal discharge. Cold and wind toxins linger, leading to nasal obstruction and clear discharge.
Diagnostic Criteria
1. Clinical Diagnosis
History of common cold with nasal obstruction
Main symptom: large volume of thick nasal discharge
May be unilateral or bilateral
Possible reduced sense of smell
Some may experience frontal or facial pressure, localized headache in the forehead, nasal root, or vertex, with recurring patterns
2. Physical Examination
Redness and swelling of nasal mucosa, especially around the middle turbinate and middle meatus
Enlarged turbinate, possible polyp-like changes
Pus visible in the olfactory groove, lower meatus, or posterior nasal cavity
Facial tenderness or swelling in frontal or maxillary regions
Imaging (X-ray or CT): sinus cavity opacity, increased density, or fluid levels
Nasal endoscopy shows turbinate enlargement and purulent discharge
Sinus puncture may reveal pus characteristics (conducted only when patient is stable)
Differential Diagnosis
Nosebleed Syndrome (Ghab hgox hmid)
This condition results from heat toxins damaging the lungs and stomach, causing blood vessel rupture.
Mongb nais jid results from wind, cold, or heat toxins damaging the nasal cavity, leading to fluid loss and discharge.
Nosebleed syndrome presents with fresh red bleeding, often due to heat rising from improper diet or external dryness.
Mongb nais jid, by contrast, features continuous nasal discharge, sometimes clear, sometimes turbid.
Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment
1. Cold-pattern with Qi Deficiency
Symptoms:
Profuse clear nasal discharge
Diminished sense of smell
Sensation of foul odor (subjective)
Symptoms worsen in cold or windy environments
Accompanied by fatigue, spontaneous sweating, and shortness of breath
Meridian Affiliation:
Cold meridian condition
Treatment Principles:
Nourish yin and strengthen qi
Regulate and warm nasal pathways
Herbal Formula:
Shedaotui (jiagouwanlang) 20g
Gypsophila (mantianxing) 15g
Codonopsis Root (dangshen) 15g
Equisetum (baimagu) 20g
Goosegrass (ebushicao) 10g
Functions:
Shedaotui (jiagouwanlang): Warm, slightly sour and astringent; promotes urination and reduces swelling
Gypsophila (mantianxing): Neutral and mildly sweet; detoxifies and removes dampness
Codonopsis Root (dangshen): Warm and sweet; strengthens spleen and lungs, nourishes qi and fluids
Equisetum (baimagu): Cold and bitter; clears heat, removes dampness, reduces swelling
Goosegrass (ebushicao): Warm and pungent; disperses cold, opens nasal passages, removes wind-dampness
2. Heat-pattern Nasal Pain
Symptoms:
Nasal obstruction
Loss of smell
Headache or pressure
Thick, yellow, foul-smelling nasal discharge
Red, swollen nasal cavity
Bitter taste, dry throat, restlessness, vivid dreams, constipation
Meridian Affiliation:
Heat meridian condition
Treatment Principles:
Cool the blood and open the nasal passages
Clear heat and remove toxins
Herbal Formula:
Arrowhead Root (guijianyu) 10g
Burdock Seed (niubangzi) 10g
Peppermint (bohe) 8g
Isatis Root (daqingmu) 10g
Mulberry Leaf (sangye) 10g
Honeysuckle Flower (jinyinhua) 12g
Functions:
Arrowhead Root (guijianyu): Cold and bitter; unblocks meridians
Burdock Seed (niubangzi): Cold and bitter; disperses wind-heat
Peppermint (bohe): Cold and pungent; disperses wind-heat and promotes detoxification
Isatis Root (daqingmu): Cold and bitter; clears heat, cools blood, detoxifies
Mulberry Leaf (sangye): Cold and bitter; clears wind-heat, moistens the lungs
Honeysuckle Flower (jinyinhua): Cold and sweet; clears heat, detoxifies, and cools blood
Preventive Measures
Keep nasal passages clear to allow proper drainage
Avoid forceful blowing to （helps maintain） toxin backflow into the ear
Treat colds and nasal congestion early
Engage in regular physical activity to build immunity
Avoid spicy and irritating foods
Maintain oral hygiene to （helps maintain） dental-related sinus issues
Commentary
As humans live in natural environments, climatic or environmental changes can directly impact physiology. When these changes exceed the body’s capacity to adapt, imbalance and discomfort may result.
Heat tends to rise, disperse, and excite; cold tends to contract, condense, and weaken. Under certain conditions, they may transform into one another.
For example:
If heat fails to control cold, internal cold toxins arise
If cold cannot suppress heat, internal heat toxins develop
When the balance between cold and heat is lost, they give rise to internal wind or secondary transformations.
This condition is mostly caused by external wind, heat, or cold toxins entering the nasal cavity. Treatment focuses on:
Regulating qi
Nourishing yin and strengthening qi
Clearing heat
Detoxifying
Cooling the blood
Unblocking nasal passages
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