Many people frequently describe this uncomfortable tightness, feeling as if something is stuck in the throat along with dryness and stinging. Donguibogam views these symptoms largely from two perspectives: stagnation of phlegm-fire and yin deficiency with effulgent fire. If it feels like a dry twig is caught in your throat and your throat stays scratchy throughout the night, you might suspect these two causes.
First, stagnation of phlegm-fire refers to a state where phlegm, a metabolic waste product in our bodies, meets fire and forms sticky clumps that adhere to the throat. Imagine mud and debris tangling together in a stream that should run clear and clean, obstructing the flow of water; it is quite similar. Fine dust and polluted air in modern society act as external wind-heat and dryness pathogens—harmful influences such as wind, heat, and dryness—that directly irritate our respiratory system. This external stimulation disrupts our body's defense mechanisms, upsets the balance of the five viscera and six bowels, causes heat to accumulate inside the body, and dries up body fluids, making the phlegm even stickier and creating the sensation of a lump caught in the throat. In particular, when combined with stress or irregular lifestyle habits, qi circulation becomes blocked, and this phlegm-fire hardens further, easily developing into a stubborn, chronic foreign body sensation.
Next, yin deficiency with effulgent fire means a state where our body fluids, the moisturizing yin qi, become deficient, causing fire qi to rise relatively upward. Put simply, it is like a tree that does not receive enough water, gradually drying out and catching fire. Body fluids easily dry up when you work late into the night, sleep poorly, or consume too much coffee or irritating foods. When body fluids dry up like this, the throat mucosa becomes dry, easily stings and itches even from minor irritation, and readily falls into a chronic inflammatory state. When external pollutants like fine dust enter, an already dry and weakened throat reacts even more sensitively, making you feel extreme dryness and a foreign body sensation as if you were in a desert. Ultimately, Donguibogam views chronic throat discomfort as arising from a combination of complex internal and external factors, emphasizing the importance of restoring bodily balance rather than simply eliminating symptoms alone.
