Wen Xiao Shu says Making Traditional Chinese Medicine more beautiful, interesting, and closer to life
It’s flu season again, and many friends have caught a cold, asking what medicine to take. Faced with a dizzying array of cold medications in the pharmacy, they don’t know how to choose. Wen Xiao Shu has summarized the confusion of friends, with the biggest question being: Am I suffering from a Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat cold? I feel like it’s Wind-Cold, but I also have symptoms of fever.
Alright, today, Wen Xiao Shu will clarify colds thoroughly, hoping that after reading, friends will remember it and no longer need to consult Wen Xiao Shu when they catch a cold.
Whether it’s the flu or a common cold, although they are quite different, they are essentially both colds and should be treated as such.
Generally speaking, Traditional Chinese Medicine categorizes colds into three types: Wind-Cold, Wind-Heat, and Gastrointestinal Cold (also known as Summer-Damp Cold).
These three types of colds are the most common, with over 80% being Wind-Cold.
1 What exactly is Wind-Cold?
Wind-Cold is quite cunning; the Wind and Cold pathogens collude and invade your body unexpectedly, leading to the following symptoms:
Initially, you will feel cold; Cold causes stagnation, and stagnation leads to pain, so Wind-Cold colds will cause body aches.
Due to the stagnation, your nose may become blocked, and the mucus that flows out is clear and thin, almost like water. This is the result of the battle between the body’s righteous Qi and the evil Qi.
At this time, you may also cough and sneeze, and if you cough, the phlegm will be white.
You may experience dizziness, headaches, overall weakness, and loss of appetite.
However, you will not sweat, and your throat will not hurt, at most it may feel slightly itchy.
These are the symptoms presented in the early stage of a Wind-Cold cold. This one or two days is crucial because the Wind-Cold has not yet fully penetrated your body, most of it is still concentrated on the surface. Friends must seize this critical moment to eliminate the Wind-Cold in its budding state.
What should be done at this time?
At the onset of a cold, you can use the sneezing method. Roll a tissue into a thin stick and poke your nostrils to induce sneezing until you can’t sneeze anymore. This method is very effective; even when not sick, it can be used to expel cold and unblock the meridians, preventing colds. After sneezing a few times, soak your feet in hot water, and the cold will quickly resolve without deepening.
Next, boil a bowl of ginger and scallion white with red sugar water. Note that the ginger should be peeled, as the skin is astringent; we want to utilize the dispersing nature of the ginger. Don’t boil it for too long; ten minutes after the water boils is sufficient, as boiling too long will greatly reduce the ginger’s ability to release the exterior. This dietary remedy is very effective; generally, drinking it for a day is enough.
If you find it troublesome and prefer to take medicine, the first choice is the Chinese patent medicine Wind-Cold Cold Granules, which is effective in just one day.
This stage is extremely crucial, in short, you must find ways to warm your body. Various methods to dispel cold can be used: brewing Perilla Leaves tea, moxibustion on the Da Zhui (Dazhui) point, using heat packs, soaking feet, boiling some Huai Yam (Chinese Yam) water to drink, or even having some hot and sour soup. There are many methods; you must act decisively and not procrastinate.
Seeing this, do friends think that dealing with Wind-Cold colds is too simple?
Don’t rush; the key point is coming. If Wind-Cold colds are not handled in time, they will enter the second stage, where Wind-Cold transforms into Heat. At this time, there will be symptoms of surface cold, such as fear of cold, along with internal heat symptoms, such as yellow nasal discharge, inflammation of the tonsils, and a sore throat.
However, at this time, the surface cold is more than the internal heat. What should be done then? Just buy some Fang Feng Tong Sheng Wan or Wind-Heat Cold Granules to take.
Then, if you still do not handle it in time, the Wind-Cold cold will enter the third stage, where internal heat becomes very severe, and surface cold can be ignored, such as a swollen and painful throat, fever, and dry stools. What should be done then?
Quickly buy Lianhua Qingwen Capsules! If constipation is severe, take it with Fang Feng Tong Sheng Wan. These two medicines have both heat-clearing and exterior-releasing effects, with a focus on clearing heat.
A friend scratched their head and asked, “Uncle, I really don’t understand, how can Wind-Cold transform into Heat? How can cold turn into heat?”
This is a good question. Many friends probably have the same doubt.
To clarify this question, Wen Xiao Shu must make an analogy. Everyone has air conditioning at home, right? In winter, we use heating. When the air conditioning is on, do the doors and windows at home need to be closed? Otherwise, the heat will escape.
This door and window correspond to what in the human body? Yes, they correspond to the pores of the body. Remember, the pores are the largest heat dissipation channels of the human body. When Wind-Cold arrives, the pores will close, which is equivalent to closing the doors and windows at home. However, our internal organs are constantly generating heat; gradually, the heat accumulates, and symptoms appear, such as fever or throat pain. Thus, fever and throat pain are late-stage symptoms of Wind-Cold colds.
It’s not that Wind-Cold turns into heat, but that Wind-Cold binds the surface, preventing the heat from escaping from the body, leading to the transformation into heat. Therefore, we need to release the exterior and open the pores, which is like opening the doors and windows at home. Once the exterior is released, the body’s heat will naturally dissipate.
Does this explanation make sense to friends?
2 What is Wind-Heat Cold?
The difference between Wind-Heat and Wind-Cold lies in the word heat; Heat pathogens injure Yin and deplete body fluids, so it often presents with high fever, especially in children, who may have a fever of 40 degrees. Heat causes sweating, so Wind-Heat colds will cause sweating, and since the meridians are not blocked, there will be no body aches.
Wind-Heat colds will also cause nasal discharge, which is yellow and sticky, and phlegm will be the same. The most important distinction is that Wind-Heat colds will definitely cause throat pain, which can be severe enough to make it difficult to swallow saliva. Friends should remember, if your cold starts with a sore throat, it is undoubtedly a Wind-Heat cold.
What should be done if you catch a Wind-Heat cold? Drink water brewed with Honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua), Chrysanthemum (Ju Hua), and Mulberry Leaves (Sang Ye). Honeysuckle is particularly effective for throat pain caused by Wind-Heat colds. Moreover, Honeysuckle is effective for any throat issues caused by any reason. For example, if you have a sore throat after eating lamb, you can use it, adding some honey for better taste. Traditional Chinese Medicine says Honeysuckle is specifically for throat issues.
Therefore, Wen Xiao Shu often keeps Honeysuckle on hand to clear heat and detoxify. What if you have a fever from a Wind-Heat cold? Use Silkworm Excrement (Can Sha), Dried Tangerine Peel (Chen Pi), and Bamboo Shavings (Zhu Ru) water for conditioning! Use 30 grams of each material, boil them in a pot, and after the water boils, it’s ready in three to five minutes. For children under six, use 10 grams each. This remedy is particularly effective for reducing fever, and many people have used it successfully. Mothers can keep these materials handy.
If you want to take medicine, for Wind-Heat colds, you can choose Yin Qiao Jie Du Wan or Lianhua Qingwen Capsules.
3 What is Gastrointestinal Cold?
Gastrointestinal Cold is a term used in Western medicine; in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is usually referred to as Summer-Damp Cold.
Summer-Damp Cold, as the name suggests, usually occurs in summer when our spleen and stomach are weakest; this type of cold typically occurs in individuals with weak spleen and stomach, especially those with damp-heat in the gastrointestinal tract and frequent diarrhea; the biggest pathogenic factor for this cold is the dreaded dampness!
What is the biggest symptom of this cold? Remember these four words: vomiting and diarrhea.
What is the nemesis of this cold? Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Water, without exception.
No matter if you have a cold or not, as long as you have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, you can use Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Water; it works very well, and you will see results with just one bottle! For example, if you have food poisoning, boldly drink this medicine! Food poisoning is essentially an acute Summer-Damp Cold; the body is in a state of damp-heat accumulation. At this time, using Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Water to dispel dampness will also eliminate heat, and the so-called bacteria and viruses will have no place to hide.
Alright, that’s it for today’s article, friends. Now, do you thoroughly understand whether you have a Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat cold?
Special reminder: A beautiful day begins! I hope Uncle’s article brings you a good mood for the day. If you like the article, don’t forget to click the “Like” button at the bottom right of the article or share it with your friends! The remedies shared in Uncle’s articles should be taken under the guidance of a doctor. Taking them without permission is at your own risk. Due to limited energy and ability, I cannot reply to all messages; please forgive me. May you become your own divine doctor.
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