The Nose and the Lung: the Lung opening and the one airway

The nose in Chinese medicine

The qi of the Lung communicates with the nose. When the Lung is in harmony, the nose can tell fragrant from foul.Yellow Emperor Inner Classic, Lingshu, chapter 17 Maidu

The Lung governs qi and breathing, and the nose is where qi comes and goes, so every nasal complaint is referred to the Lung. A blocked nose with clear discharge at the start of a cold is wind cold invading the Lung. Thick yellow discharge is wind heat or Lung heat. A dry nose is Lung dryness. Lasting loss of smell is Lung qi too weak to lift qi to the opening. The Spleen makes phlegm and the Lung stores it, so persistent rhinitis also brings the Spleen into view.

The nose in Western medicine

The lining of the nose and the lining of the bronchi are the same ciliated epithelium and react to allergens with the same inflammatory cells. More than seven in ten people with asthma have allergic rhinitis, and treating the rhinitis well makes the asthma milder. The ARIA document, drawn up in collaboration with the World Health Organization since 2001, has called this one airway, one disease. The nose also warms and humidifies air, traps dust and houses smell, the first cranial nerve, which runs straight to the brain.

Where they meet and where they part

The nose compared
Area	Chinese medicine	Anatomy	Match
Nose and lung are one	The Lung opens into the nose	One continuous airway, one disease on two segments	Matches
Loss of smell	Lung qi weakness, turbid phlegm blocking the opening	Olfactory nerve, viruses, polyps, the brain	Close
Skin, body hair and nose all belong to the Lung	The Lung governs skin and body hair	Eczema and asthma travel together in the atopic march	Close

Governing organ: Lung Lung meridian

Questions and answers

Is allergic rhinitis treated through the Lung or the Spleen?

Chinese medicine usually treats both, the Lung to open the passage and the Spleen to reduce phlegm. Western medicine uses antihistamines, steroid sprays and allergen avoidance. Where asthma coexists it must be treated according to guidelines.

Explore the atlas

Sources

Yellow Emperor Inner Classic, Lingshu, chapter 17 Maidu.
Bousquet J. et al., Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA), Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2001. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11707753/
3D model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), built on BodyParts3D, The Database Center for Life Science. Meridian paths are drawn by the atlas on the skin of this model as an approximate illustration, not a measured atlas of points.

Compiled and reviewed by Master Ung Khiem

© 2026 Master Ung Khiem · UK MASTER CORP. The text of this library is protected by copyright. Reposting all or part of it without written permission is not allowed. Short quotations must credit the source and link back to the original page. The 3D model is from Z-Anatomy and BodyParts3D (The Database Center for Life Science) under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

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Cite this page

APA

Ung Khiem, Master. (2026). The Nose and the Lung: the Lung opening and the one airway. Body and Five Elements Atlas, UK Master Academy. https://thayungkhiem.vn/en/nhan-the-ngu-hanh/mui

BibTeX

@misc{ungkhiem_2026_mui,
  author = {Ung Khiem},
  title = {The Nose and the Lung: the Lung opening and the one airway},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Body and Five Elements Atlas, UK Master Academy},
  url = {https://thayungkhiem.vn/en/nhan-the-ngu-hanh/mui},
  note = {Accessed 2026-11-01}
}

Last updated November 1, 2026 · Revision history

The Nose and the Lung