1Overview
The Wind-Heat Common Cold (风热感冒, feng re gan mao) is caused by the invasion of wind-heat pathogens, leading to disharmony in the lung qi. Symptoms include 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, a red tip and edges of the tongue, and a thin white or slightly yellow coating. This condition is more common in summer and autumn, resulting from external wind-heat invasion. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers the Wind-Heat Common Cold as a manifestation of exterior syndrome due to the invasion of wind-heat pathogens.
According to the “Treatise on the Origins and Symptoms of Various Diseases – Wind-Heat Syndrome”: “In cases of wind-heat disease, the wind-heat qi first enters the lungs through the skin. The lungs are the upper cover of the five organs, and if the skin and pores are weak, the wind-heat qi first harms the skin and then enters the lungs. This condition causes aversion to wind and cold, a desire to escape, and nasal discharge.” The treatment should focus on dispersing wind-heat with cooling herbs. Formulas such as Yin Qiao San (银翘散), Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Drink (桑菊饮), Platycodon Decoction (桔梗汤), Shang Qing San (上清散), and Chrysanthemum Powder (菊花散) are commonly used. If the condition persists, the patient may be deficient and should not solely rely on dispersing methods. For yang deficiency, add Ren Shen (人参, Ginseng) and Bai Zhu (白术, Atractylodes); for yin deficiency, add Di Huang (地黄, Rehmannia), Wu Wei Zi (五味子, Schisandra), and increase Mai Dong (麦冬, Ophiopogon) and Bai Shao (白芍, White Peony).
2Etiology
The Wind-Heat Common Cold is caused by the invasion of wind-heat pathogens attacking the lung defense, leading to disharmony in the defensive layer and loss of the lung’s ability to clear and regulate.
3Clinical Manifestations
1. General Symptoms
(1) Sore throat, usually occurring before other cold symptoms, with phlegm that is typically yellow or black.
(2) Thick yellow nasal discharge.
(3) The tongue coating may be slightly yellow or white, with a generally red tongue body.
(4) Constipation.
(5) Fever, thirst, and irritability.
(6) The pulse is usually rapid or floating, indicating a faster heartbeat than normal.
2. Symptoms in Children
In children, the main symptoms include high fever, but aversion to cold and wind is not prominent. They may have nasal congestion with thick discharge, a heavy cough with sticky yellow phlegm, headache, thirst, a red and dry or itchy throat, dry stools, yellow urine, and examination may reveal red and swollen tonsils, congested throat, a thin yellow or thick yellow tongue coating, a red tongue, and a rapid pulse.
4Diagnosis
Wind-heat invasion is more common in spring and summer. In spring, the weather is windy and warm, making it easy for wind and warm pathogens to combine and cause illness; in summer, the outdoor heat and indoor coolness create unstable temperatures, increasing susceptibility to illness. The Wind-Heat Common Cold is characterized by the invasion of wind-heat pathogens attacking the lung defense, leading to disharmony in the defensive layer and loss of the lung’s ability to clear.
1. Main Symptoms
(1) Fever, slight aversion to wind and cold, sweating or little sweating, headache, and body aches;
(2) Nasal congestion, yellow thick nasal discharge, cough, and sore dry throat.
2. Secondary Symptoms
Slight sweating, dry mouth and thirst, yellow thick phlegm.
3. Tongue and Pulse Signs
Red tip of the tongue, thin yellow coating; pulse is floating and rapid.
If the patient presents with the main symptom (1) and secondary symptoms, or main symptom (2) and secondary symptoms, along with typical tongue and pulse signs, a diagnosis of Wind-Heat Common Cold can be made.
5Pattern Differentiation and Treatment
Pattern: Fever without sweating, or sweating that is not smooth, slight aversion to wind and cold, headache, thirst, cough, sore throat, red tip of the tongue, thin white or thin yellow coating, floating and rapid pulse. Treatment principle: The treatment of Wind-Heat Common Cold mainly focuses on dispersing wind-heat with cooling herbs and clearing heat and detoxifying.
1. Main Formula
Yin Qiao San. Ingredients: Lian Qiao (连翘, Forsythia), Jin Hua (金花, Honeysuckle), Platycodon (桔梗, Platycodon), Bo He (薄荷, Peppermint), Bamboo Leaves (竹叶), Gan Cao (生甘草, Licorice), Jing Jie (荆芥穗, Schizonepeta), Duan Dou Chi (淡豆豉, Fermented Soybean), Niubangzi (牛蒡子, Burdock Seed).
2. Three Decoctions for Treating Wind-Heat Common Cold
The Wind-Heat Common Cold manifests as increased fever, headache, sore and swollen dry throat, nasal congestion with yellow discharge, cough with sticky or yellow phlegm, and thirst with a preference for drinking, along with aversion to wind. The tongue may show a red tip and a thin white coating with slight yellow. It may also exacerbate facial acne and constipation. The treatment should primarily focus on dispersing wind-heat.
(1) Peppermint Congee (from “Song Yu Lu”): Boil peppermint to extract the juice and let it cool, then add polished rice and water to cook congee. When the congee is nearly done, add peppermint juice and an appropriate amount of rock sugar. Serve warm for best results. Peppermint is a key herb for dispersing wind-heat, and adding polished rice and rock sugar to make congee promotes sweating and protects the stomach. This drink is most suitable for those newly affected by wind-heat.
(2) Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Peppermint Drink: Combine mulberry leaves, chrysanthemum, peppermint, bitter bamboo leaves, and a little honey, add an appropriate amount of water, boil, and drink frequently as tea. Mulberry leaves clear lung heat; chrysanthemum disperses wind-heat, brightens the eyes, and calms the liver; peppermint is a key herb for dispersing wind-heat and can quickly relieve symptoms like fever and headache. This is also suitable for patients with hypertension or headache and blurred vision.
(3) Steamed Snow Pear with Fritillaria and Adenophora: Peel and core one snow pear, fill it with fritillaria, adenophora, peppermint, and rock sugar, then steam it in a bowl with water until cooked. Eat in the morning and evening for several days. This remedy moistens dryness, stops cough, and clears phlegm, especially suitable for elderly and children with post-cold heat injury leading to dry cough, lung heat with yellow phlegm, or fluid damage with thirst and dry stools.
3. Wind-Heat Common Cold Patent Medicines
(1) Antiviral Oral Liquid: Ingredients include Ban Lan Gen (板蓝根, Isatis), Shi Gao (石膏, Gypsum), Lu Gen (芦根, Reed), Sheng Di Huang (生地黄, Rehmannia), Yu Jin (郁金, Curcuma), Zhi Mu (知母, Anemarrhena), Shi Chang Pu (石菖蒲, Acorus), Guang Huo Xiang (广藿香, Patchouli), Lian Qiao (连翘, Forsythia). Function: Clears heat, dispels dampness, cools blood, and detoxifies. Used for Wind-Heat Common Cold, warm disease fever, upper respiratory tract infections, influenza, mumps, and other viral infections.
(2) Ban Lan Gen Granules: Ingredients: Ban Lan Gen (板蓝根, Isatis). Excipients: sucrose, dextrin. Function: Clears heat and detoxifies, cools blood, and benefits the throat. Used for sore throat and dry mouth caused by excess lung and stomach heat; acute tonsillitis and mumps with the above symptoms.
(3) Yin Qiao Detoxification Tablets: Ingredients: Jin Hua (金银花, Honeysuckle), Lian Qiao (连翘, Forsythia), Bo He (薄荷, Peppermint), Jing Jie (荆芥, Schizonepeta), Duan Dou Chi (淡豆豉, Fermented Soybean), Niubangzi (牛蒡子, Burdock Seed), Platycodon (桔梗, Platycodon), Duan Zhu Ye (淡竹叶, Lophatherum), Gan Cao (甘草, Licorice). Excipients: starch, sodium carboxymethyl starch, magnesium stearate, talcum powder, film coating premix. Function: Disperses wind-heat, clears heat, and detoxifies. Used for Wind-Heat Common Cold, fever, headache, cough, dry mouth, and sore throat.
(4) Niu Huang Detoxification Tablets: Ingredients: Niu Huang (牛黄, Bovine Bile), Xiong Huang (雄黄, Realgar), Shi Gao (石膏, Gypsum), Da Huang (大黄, Rhubarb), Huang Qin (黄芩, Scutellaria), Platycodon (桔梗, Platycodon), Bing Pian (冰片, Borneol), Gan Cao (甘草, Licorice). Function: Clears heat and detoxifies. Used for internal heat, sore throat, and gum swelling, mouth ulcers, and red and swollen eyes.
(5) Anti-Cold Baby: Ingredients: whey protein, lactoferrin. Function: Clears heat, dispels dampness, cools blood, and detoxifies. Used for Wind-Heat Common Cold, fever, headache, cough, dry mouth, sore throat, bronchitis, and other bacterial and viral infections.
6External Treatment Methods
1. Acupuncture Therapy
(1) Feng Chi (风池), Da Zhui (大椎), He Gu (合谷): First needle Feng Chi, with the sensation radiating to the back of the head and temples, then needle the other points with strong stimulation, leaving the needles for 20 minutes, once daily. For severe nasal congestion, add Ying Xiang (迎香) and Shang Xing (上星); for headache, add Tai Yang (太阳) and Yin Tang (印堂); for sore throat, add Shao Shang (少商) for bloodletting; for cough, add Feng Men (风门) and Fei Shu (肺俞).
(2) Shao Shang (少商), Zhong Shang (中商), Lao Shang (老商): Use a three-edged needle for micro-bleeding. For sore throat, add Tian Tu (天突) and He Gu; for headache, add Tai Yang; for cough, add Shen Zhu (身柱); for nasal congestion, add Ying Xiang.
(3) Shao Shang, Tai Yang, Fei Shu, Da Zhui, Hand Tai Yin Lung Meridian: Use a disinfected three-edged needle to prick for bleeding after disinfecting the local area. At Fei Shu and Da Zhui, use fire cupping for 15 minutes. Use plum blossom needles to prick along the Hand Tai Yin Lung Meridian.
(4) Da Zhui, Ran Gu (然谷): After disinfecting the local skin, use a disinfected large needle to prick at Da Zhui for bleeding, then apply cupping. Then use a disinfected three-edged needle to prick at Ran Gu for bleeding.
2. Finger Pressure Therapy
Points: Tai Yang, Zan Zhu (攒竹), Feng Chi, Feng Fu (风府), Fei Shu. Technique: Evenly supplement and drain, using the tip of the thumb to press 5 times, knead 5 times, then press again 5 times, and knead again 5 times. This method is applied to each point.
3. Plum Blossom Needle Therapy
Points: Feng Chi, Da Zhui, He Gu, Qu Chi (曲池), as well as the chest, back, and back of the neck. For headache, add Tai Yang; for nasal congestion, add Ying Xiang; for cough, add Tai Yuan (太渊) and He Xia (颌下). Technique: Use plum blossom needles with moderate to heavy stimulation, treating 2-3 times a day.
4. Massage Therapy
(1) Pushing and Pressing the Vertex Method: The patient sits or lies face down, and the practitioner stands opposite, placing both thumbs on the Yintang (印堂) point between the eyebrows, pushing straight up along the midline of the head to Baihui (百会), then pressing and tapping, and continuing to push back to Feng Fu (风府) at the occiput, pressing there. Repeat this process 3-5 times.
(2) Pushing the Side Vertex Method: The patient sits or lies down, and the practitioner first stabilizes the patient’s head with one hand, while the other hand moves from the outer end of the eyebrow (Tai Yang) over the ear to Feng Chi. Change to kneading and pressing at Feng Chi until local numbness occurs, then gently knead and press the point. Repeat this process 2-3 times.
(3) Pushing and Kneading the Back Method: The patient lies face down, arms bent and held to the chest, breathing naturally. The practitioner stands at the patient’s head, placing both thumbs on either side of the cervical vertebrae, treating the bladder meridian from the cervical vertebrae to the buttocks, pushing straight down from top to bottom, while also kneading in a clockwise direction. Repeat this process 2-3 times.
(4) Point Pressing on the Shoulder Blade Method: The patient lies on their side or stands, and the practitioner sits or stands behind, placing both thumbs in the gap of the shoulder blade, with the other four fingers holding the upper part of the shoulder and the lower edge of the shoulder blade. The thumbs press down from Da Zhui along the shoulder blade gap to the lower edge of the shoulder blade, instructing the patient to cough lightly during the process. Repeat this method 2-3 times, then switch to using the palm to push on the previously pressed area from top to bottom for 3-5 times.
5. Self-Massage Therapy
(1) Rub Yintang: Place the tip of the thumb on Yintang and rub for 20-30 times.
(2) Rub Tai Yang: Use both thumbs or the index and middle fingers to press the same side Tai Yang, rubbing inward for 10-20 times.
(3) Rub and Press Ying Xiang: Use the middle or index fingers of both hands to press the same side Ying Xiang, rubbing inward for 20-30 times, then pushing upward for 20-30 times.
(4) Press and Rub Feng Chi: Press both Feng Chi points with the thumbs, gradually increasing pressure outward for 20-30 times.
(5) Pinch He Gu: One thumb presses on the He Gu point of the other hand, while the index finger presses on the corresponding area of the palm, gradually increasing pressure for 20-30 times (not suitable for pregnant women).
(6) Point Pressing on Da Zhui: Use the middle finger to press Da Zhui for 20-30 times.
(7) Pinch Qu Chi: One thumb presses on the Qu Chi point of the opposite side, while the other four fingers are placed under the elbow, gradually increasing pressure for 30-40 times. The above points can be selected based on the severity of the condition and applied 2-3 times daily.
6. Fumigation and Washing Therapy
(1) Fumigation Method: Use Huang Bai (黄柏, Phellodendron) and Fang Feng (防风, Saposhnikovia). Place Huang Bai and Fang Feng in a sand pot, add 1500 ml of water, and boil down to 1000 ml. Use the medicinal vapor to fumigate both sides of the neck and the Tian Tu and Feng Chi points for 20 minutes. Inhale the vapor for 10 minutes, once daily.
(2) Rubbing and Washing Method: Use white scallion, peppermint leaves, and yellow wine. Place the scallion in a bowl, add half a teacup of warm water to extract the juice, then boil the yellow wine, pour it over the peppermint leaves, and after 1-2 minutes, pour out the yellow wine (discard the peppermint leaves) and mix with the scallion juice. Use a towel to apply the mixture to both Tai Yang points, both elbow creases, both palms, both armpits, both soles, around the tailbone, and between the front and back ribs. Apply with even pressure, moderate strength.
(3) Washing Method: Use a decoction of winter mulberry leaves, yellow chrysanthemum, black mountain gardenia, du huo, tian ma, and peppermint to wash the hair with 1000 ml of hot water.
7Prevention
Wind-heat common cold is more likely to occur in midsummer, so prevention is key. Here are some simple lifestyle tips that can help prevent it easily.
1. Ventilation
Open the windows promptly after getting up in the morning to breathe fresh air while ensuring indoor air circulation.
2. Washing
Wash your face with cold water in the morning and soak your feet in hot water at night; maintaining this routine can promote blood circulation and enhance the body’s resistance.
3. Exercise
After getting up every day, do a light jog for 15 minutes and perform morning exercises to strengthen the body and increase immunity.
4. Gargling
Gargle with diluted salt water and tea twice daily to kill cold viruses in the mouth and maintain oral hygiene.
5. Dressing
Dress according to the seasonal climate and weather forecasts, and do not overexert yourself.
6. Smelling
In summer, prepare a bottle of aged vinegar or white liquor, and frequently open the lid to smell it, which can refresh the mind and effectively prevent colds.
7. Fumigation
Heat the aged vinegar, close the doors and windows, and fumigate every two weeks to effectively kill cold viruses and microorganisms.