In winter, coughing becomes rife and everyone is at risk, especially children.

A cough can have many root causes such as bacterial or virus infections, asthma, diabetes, air pollution, dry air, temperature difference or loud speaking, just to name a few.

We also know that frequent coughing is a symptom of the presence of a disease. As the classification of a cough is diverse (acute, chronic, dry, productive, day or night cough), the identification of the root cause is often a real challenge to doctors.

In the Western world, coughing is mostly treated with medication that will stop the symptoms quickly without even looking at the underlying causes.

Traditional Chinese medicine, however, examines the body in more detail.

In general, coughing is caused by the imbalance of the body's energy and the abnormal qi activity inside the lungs.

What is helpful is that in most cases coughing is not the only symptom of the patient at that time. Accompanying symptoms help TCM practitioners identify the part of the body where the coughing originates.

For example, if coughing is accompanied by nausea, the root cause will often be found in the liver.

Rib pain is also an indicator of the disease being located in the liver area.

If the patient needs to urinate while coughing, the kidneys are the root area.

And the symptoms of a common cold indicate the origin of the coughing in the lungs.

According to this in-depth analysis, TCM doctors tailor a specific combination of treatments to cure coughing which can include: acupuncture, herbal formulas and specific beneficial nutrition, such as honey, pear, mushrooms and licorice.

Oranges, tangerines and any chicken-based products should be avoided.

Many root causes can be healed by using these TCM treatments so that the patient's cough will be cured permanently.

In the long run, a good diet and a balanced lifestyle will support a healthy throat as well.