Logout 📊 Admin
🏠 Home

← All Conditions

Hot Sensation When Breathing Through the Nose

How Chinese medicine differentiates a hot sensation when breathing through the nose into the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's Dry Nose, Sinusitis and Nasal Discharge pages. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. A hot nasal sensation with high fever, facial swelling, or spreading redness needs prompt medical assessment.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for a hot sensation when breathing through the nose — 3 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
L.I.-20Expels exterior Wind. Opens the nose. Removes obstructions from the channel.
L.I.-4Expels exterior Wind and releases the Exterior. Promotes the diffusing of Lung-Qi, regulates the Defensive Qi and sweating. Stops pain.
G.B.-20Expels exterior Wind. Extinguishes interior Wind. Subdues Liver-Yang.
The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Lung Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Hot, burning nasal breath; thick yellow or green nasal discharge; cough with yellow phlegm; thirst for cold drinks; fever; no sneezing.
Tongue: Red, yellow dry coat. Pulse: Rapid and forceful, possibly slippery or overflowing.
Treatment principle: Clears Lung Heat and opens the nasal passages.
L.I.-20 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ LU-10 ↓
Note: no moxa.

2. Wind-Heat Invading the Lungs View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: A sudden hot, burning sensation in the nose; yellow nasal discharge; sore throat; fever with mild chills; sneezing; thirst.
Tongue: Red tip, thin yellow coat. Pulse: Floating and rapid.
Treatment principle: Disperses Wind-Heat and releases the Exterior.
L.I.-20 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ LU-7 ↓
Note: no moxa.

3. Phlegm-Heat in the Lungs View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Thick, hard-to-cough yellow phlegm; breath that feels hot like a furnace; chest tightness; wheezing or gurgling sounds; intense thirst; restlessness; hot nasal discharge.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen front, yellow greasy coat with prickles. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.
Treatment principle: Clears Heat, transforms Phlegm and descends Lung Qi.
L.I.-20 ↓ LU-5 ↓ ST-40 ↓
Note: no moxa.

4. Damp-Heat in the Stomach and Spleen View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Bloating and upper-abdominal fullness; sticky or incomplete bowel movements; a bitter, sticky taste; thick yellow-green nasal discharge; heavy body and limbs.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen and tooth-marked, thick yellow greasy coat. Pulse: Soggy, rapid, often slippery.
Treatment principle: Clears Damp-Heat from the digestive system and eliminates rising turbidity.
L.I.-20 ⊥ REN-12 ⊥ ST-25 ↓
Note: no moxa. Linked to this site's own Damp-Heat-in-the-Stomach slide.

5. Empty-Heat from Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: A dry, burning nasal sensation with little to no discharge; worse in the evening and night; night sweats; heat in the palms, soles and chest; flushed cheeks; dry mouth with a desire to sip.
Tongue: Red, thin, dry, cracked, little or no coat. Pulse: Fine and rapid, weak at the left rear position.
Treatment principle: Nourishes Yin and clears deficiency Heat without damaging reserves.
KI-3 ↑ LU-9 ↑ L.I.-20 ⊥
Note: no moxa (Yin deficiency with heat signs).
Related conditions
Dry Nose Sinusitis Nasal Discharge

Spot an error, or have more to add? Send it to admin on WhatsApp and it'll be corrected/added here.

Acupuncture-only reference — structure adapted (not text) from how other condition-lookup sites organize this kind of content. Let us know what to add or change.