Hou Po You Liao | External Pathogenic Factors, If Not Treated, May Lead to Serious Issues
“Wind, Cold, Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire” are the six climatic changes in nature. However, when these six factors become excessive or insufficient, or occur at abnormal times, especially when the body’s vital energy (zheng qi) is deficient and resistance is lowered, they can invade the body and become pathogenic factors. At this point, these six factors are referred to as the six excesses (liu yin). External pathogenic factors are the primary cause of the common cold.
Unlike modern medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a profound understanding of the common cold. Both the “Shang Han Lun” and “Wen Bing Tiao Bian” are texts that address the treatment of colds, and the “Huang Di Nei Jing” provides a detailed description of the process by which external pathogens invade the body.
In the “Su Wen: Miao Ci Lun” it states: “When evil invades the body, it must first settle in the skin and hair, linger without leaving, then enter the sun vessels, linger without leaving, then enter the collaterals, linger without leaving, and finally enter the meridians, connecting internally to the five organs, dispersing in the intestines and stomach. Both yin and yang are affected, and the five organs are harmed. This is the path of evil entering from the skin and hair, ultimately affecting the five organs.”
This passage describes a pathway of external evil invading the body, from the surface skin and hair to the meridians, and then to the organs. If not detected and treated in time, the pathogenic qi can penetrate deeply, harming the organs. In reality, colds can directly lead to myocarditis, pneumonia, nephritis, hepatitis, and gastroenteritis; or the pathogenic qi can deeply hide in the organs, accumulating until it strikes back, turning minor ailments into serious diseases, settling all at once.
Therefore, when facing a cold, a passive attitude of waiting for self-recovery is not advisable. It is essential to apply the correct treatment as soon as problems are detected in the skin and muscles, which is the way to preserve health.
In today’s “You Liao” column, we will explore how the physicians and students at Hou Po treat the common cold.
| Editor / Da Shu Liu Bao
| Reviewer / Hou Po Academic Affairs
Physicians Know by Touching
“Cold and Cough? This Method Works Fast!”
Gua Sha (scraping therapy) is used to promote circulation and is very suitable for the phlegm-damp-stagnation constitution common in modern people. Let’s see how the handsome teacher Lv Huisheng from @Beijing Hou Po TCM Clinic skillfully wields the Gua Sha board to quickly treat colds and coughs.
“From Common Cold to Adenoid Hypertrophy”
This article shares a case of remote written consultation, where the physician’s explanation of the cold and practical advice for home treatment and care for the child are very realistic and representative. Here, we excerpt a small portion; readers interested can click the article link to read and save it.
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About Differentiating Cold and Heat:
The simplest way to distinguish between a cold caused by cold and one caused by heat is: Are you afraid of the cold? Do you want hot water or cold water?
If you are afraid of the cold, want hot water, and have clear nasal discharge and sneezing, it is an external cold evil. If you have a high fever, are not very afraid of the cold, and want cold water, it may be a wind-heat cold. If you are unsure, it is better not to use medication than to use the wrong one.
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About Coughing:
Coughing occurs due to food stagnation and external pathogens causing phlegm in the lungs and stomach; it is a natural response. Once the phlegm is expelled, the cough will naturally cease. Do not deliberately suppress the cough.
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Treatment Suggestions:
1. Pinch the Dazhui (大椎) and Fengfu (风府) points for 30 times until you hear a sound; you must pinch out purple bruises, and it is best to sweat slightly, do not hold back.
2. Massage the abdomen, as there should be phlegm accumulation in the abdominal area, focusing on Zhongwan (中脘) and Tianshu (天枢). If you feel phlegm accumulation in the abdomen, gently massage from light to heavy, the direction does not matter. During illness, eat less, and bowel movements may not occur daily, but they must happen.
3. Based on the current situation of the child, medication can be avoided; the most effective non-drug treatments are Gua Sha or moxibustion.
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Applying Knowledge to Treat Family Illnesses and Preserve Health
“TCM Thinking Helped Me Overcome Cold and Fever”
The author is a student of @Moxibustion Course, and the article shares their experience of catching a cold and fever after being exhausted from family affairs, and how they formulated a treatment plan based on what they learned in the online foundational course and offline study camp.
Specific strategies are detailed below; here they only used methods they had mastered, conservatively and effectively, which are worth referencing. For a more detailed treatment process, readers can click the article link to read.
I formulated the following strategies based on the offline study camp and my year of learning:
1. The key to healing is relying on my body’s self-healing ability; this is the core of the treatment approach;
2. I only know moxibustion and basic Gua Sha, and during the treatment process, I only used these two methods to solve the problem;
3. Since I am not very knowledgeable about the properties of food, I only consumed grains to replenish energy, to avoid mistakenly consuming foods that nourish external pathogens;
4. Regarding drinking water, I will drink according to my feelings, not randomly.
“Happiness is Sitting on the Toilet for Half an Hour to Cure a Cold”
At first glance, the title made me think this was a story about feeling better after a bowel movement. Upon opening it, I found out that the person has a partner skilled in moxibustion! Not only that, but they are also bold and meticulous, moxibusting the Dazhui for half an hour, achieving high efficiency!
The article is short, but the moxibustion process is recorded in detail; everyone might want to read it themselves. Here are two points to emphasize: First, do not advocate moxibustion in cold, damp, or humid spaces; if there are warm rooms and beds, do not imitate using the bathroom and toilet; second, moxibusting the Dazhui requires a high level of skill; do not operate blindly without full confidence, as it could turn a simple wind-cold cold into internal heat, which would be counterproductive.
“I Am Still a Child Loved by My Mother”
This is an article that has been underestimated due to its less straightforward title. At the end of 2023, the author’s mother fell ill (with a cold), and she quickly helped her mother through the difficulty and alleviated her suffering using the TCM thinking learned over three years in the Hou Po TCM online foundational course and the study camp where she learned moxibustion, Gua Sha, and massage techniques.
Why Does a Cold Persist Unresolved?
“Prolonged Cold, the Problem Lies in the Middle Jiao”
This is a typical case of gastrointestinal cold received at @Hou Po Health Management Center Xicheng Branch, where external pathogens and spleen-stomach discomfort intertwine, requiring a treatment approach that addresses both external pathogens and dampness obstructing the middle jiao; if only one direction is targeted, the effect may not be ideal.
“Is Your Cold Completely Resolved? You Need to Check Here”
A lump under the right rib suggests lung congestion. So how to resolve this? @Hou Po Health Camp Teacher Xingchen recommends trying these three methods first.
First, use abdominal massage and Gua Sha to relieve the lump you feel.
Second, perform Gua Sha on the projection areas of the lungs, the front chest, and back, focusing on the Mu point of the lung (Zhongfu, 中府) and the Shu point of the lung (Feishu, 肺腧) in that area.
Third, of course, pay attention to unblocking or warming the lung meridian, performing Gua Sha or acupoint massage along the lung meridian, focusing on relieving pain points.