The common cold is a prevalent external disease across all seasons, particularly in winter and spring. Many families stock up on traditional Chinese patent medicines for treating colds, yet some individuals find that their symptoms do not improve despite taking various medications. The key lies in the lack of differential diagnosis and treatment.
Wind-Cold Common Cold
The wind-cold common cold is caused by the invasion of wind-cold evil and the failure of lung qi to disperse.
Symptoms include: severe chills, mild fever, no sweating, headache and body aches, nasal congestion with clear discharge, cough with thin white phlegm, no thirst or preference for hot drinks, and a thin white tongue coating.
The treatment principle should focus on warming and dispersing the exterior. Commonly used herbs include Ma Huang (Ephedra), Jing Jie (Schizonepeta), Fang Feng (Siler), and Su Ye (Perilla Leaf) as exterior-releasing and cold-dispelling medicines.
Representative formulas include Cong Chi Tang (Scallion and Soybean Decoction) and Jing Fang Bai Du San (Schizonepeta and Siler Powder). For patent medicines, options include Gan Mao Qing Re Chong Ji (Cold Relief Powder), Zheng Chai Hu Yin Chong Ji (Chai Hu Decoction), Gan Mao Soft Capsules, Chuan Xiong Cha Tiao San (Chuanxiong Tea Powder), and Tong Xuan Li Fei Wan (Disperse Wind and Regulate Lung Pill). After taking the medicine, drinking some hot porridge or soup and inducing slight sweating can help the medicinal effects disperse wind-cold.
For wind-cold common cold, a traditional remedy can be used: 5 sections of scallion white, 9 grams of Duan Dou Chi (Fermented Soybean), and 3 slices of ginger, decocted in water for daily use; or 30 grams of ginger and 30 grams of brown sugar, decocted and taken in three doses.
Wind-Heat Common Cold
The wind-heat common cold is caused by the invasion of wind-heat evil and the disharmony of lung qi.
Symptoms manifest as: high fever, slight aversion to wind, headache, sweating, sore and swollen throat, cough with sticky or yellow phlegm, nasal congestion with yellow discharge, thirst with a preference for drinking, red tongue tip and edges, and a thin white tongue coating with slight yellow.
The treatment principle should focus on cooling and dispersing the exterior. Commonly used herbs include Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum), Bo He (Mint), and Sang Ye (Mulberry Leaf).
Representative formulas include Yin Qiao San (Honeysuckle and Forsythia Powder) and Sang Ju Yin (Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Drink). For patent medicines, options include Yin Qiao Jie Du Wan (Honeysuckle Detox Pill), Ling Qiao Jie Du Wan (Forsythia Detox Pill), Sang Ju Gan Mao Pian (Mulberry Leaf Cold Tablets), and Ban Lan Gen Chong Ji (Isatis Root Powder).
If fever is severe and throat swelling is pronounced, it can be combined with Shuang Huang Lian Kou Fu Ye (Double Yellow Lian Oral Liquid) or Qing Re Jie Du Kou Fu Ye (Clear Heat and Detoxify Oral Liquid).
These medicines have good heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. For wind-heat common cold, it is important to drink plenty of water and maintain a light diet, such as consuming radish soup or pear soup.
For wind-heat common cold, a traditional remedy can be used: 3 grams of mint, 30 grams of reed root, 15 grams of Ban Lan Gen (Isatis Root), and 6 grams of licorice, taken daily; or 10 grams of bamboo leaves, 3 grams of mint, 9 grams of apricot kernel, and 9 grams of forsythia, taken daily.
Wind and heat are both classified as the six excesses, often invading the body through the skin or the mouth and nose. The wind-heat evil invades the body’s surface through the skin, where wind is characterized by its ability to disperse, while heat causes rapid qi movement and accelerated blood flow. The lungs govern the skin and hair, and through the skin, they affect the lung’s governing qi function, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath and coarse breathing.
Differences Between Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat Common Colds
1. Sweating
No sweating indicates wind-cold; sweating indicates wind-heat.
Wind-cold common cold: no sweating, high fever, headache, joint pain, and body aches.
Wind-heat common cold: sweating, mild fever, aversion to wind, and aversion to cold.
2. Phlegm
Clear and thin indicates wind-cold; thick and turbid indicates wind-heat.
Clear and thin phlegm generally indicates wind-cold, while thick and turbid phlegm generally indicates wind-heat.
3. Nasal Discharge
Clear discharge indicates wind-cold; yellow discharge indicates wind-heat.
4. Causes
Fatigue indicates wind-cold; constipation indicates wind-heat.
Wind-cold common cold is usually caused by fatigue, lack of rest, and exposure to wind or cold.
Wind-heat common cold is usually caused by constipation; typically, after two days of constipation, a sore throat develops for one or two days, followed by cold symptoms, which is wind-heat common cold (it can also be an external heat evil first attacking the lungs).
Why does constipation lead to a cold? Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the lungs and large intestine are interrelated; when bowel movements are obstructed, the large intestine affects the lungs, leading to cold symptoms.
Similarly, if wind-cold common cold is not treated promptly or appropriately, it can lead to internal issues such as constipation or diarrhea. In fact, diarrhea after a wind-cold common cold is considered a transformation in TCM, indicating that the disease has moved from the exterior to the interior, and one should avoid using anti-diarrheal medications indiscriminately.
Source: Family Doctor Online
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