Syndrome of lung and spleen qi asthenia refers to the symptoms of asthenia due to asthenia of lung and spleen qi, failure of the lung to disperse and descend as well as failure of the lung to transform. This syndrome is usually caused by cough and consumption of pulmonary qi due to prolonged disease and disorder of the child-organ involving the mother-organ; or by improper diet, impairment of the spleen and stomach involving the lung.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Continuous cough, shortness of breath and dyspnea, profuse thin and clear sputum, poor appetite, abdominal distension and loose stool, low voice and no desire to speak, lack of energy, pale complexion, or edema of limbs, light-colored tongue with whitish and slippery fur as well as thin and weak pulse. Such symptoms can be seen at the remission stage in chronic bronchitis, chronic bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema as well as in immunological hypofunction due to various factors.
 
Analysis of the symptoms:
Continuous cough, shortness of breath and dyspnea are caused by asthenia of pulmonary qi, failure of the lung to disperse and descend as well as upward adverse flow of qi; poor appetite, abdominal distension and loose stool are caused by asthenia of spleen qi, failure of transformation and transportation; profuse thin and clear sputum is caused by asthenia of qi which fails to distribute fluid and leads to attack of fluid retention on the lung; edema of limbs is caused by failure of the spleen to transform dampness due to asthenia; low voice and no desire to speak, lack of energy, pale complexion, light-colored tongue with whitish and slippery fur as well as thin and weak pulse are the signs of qi asthenia and hypofunction of the body.
 
Key points for syndrome differentiation:
This syndrome is marked by cough, dyspnea, shortness of breath, poor appetite and loose stool accompanied by qi asthenia and hypofunction of the body.