According to the TCM theory, the common cold is considered an exterior syndrome, which can be further divided into the wind-cold type (風寒型 fēng hán xíng) and the wind-heat type (風熱型 fēng rè xíng).
Some people take Over-The-Counter medicines when they suffer from colds, but the symptoms are not alleviated most of the time. The reason is that medication is taken before the root causes are found, something that TCM seeks to alleviate by identifying and treating the root cause directly. These two kinds of colds are very different. (1) Wind -cold is caused by the attack of wind cold and deficiency/weakness of lung energy. Symptoms can be seen as a severe aversion to cold, mild fever, no sweat, headache and body pain, nasal congestion, runny nose, stiff neck, and upper back. The treatment method should be warming the lung and relieving the exterior with warming herbs. Medicines for relieving the exterior and dispelling cold are often used. After taking the medication, you can drink some hot porridge or hot soup and sweat a little to help the medicine dispel the wind and cold. (2) Wind heat-cold is caused by stress, and lung weakness after a heat pathogen invades/rises. Symptoms include severe fever, head bloating, sweating, scratchy throat, cough, sticky or yellow phlegm, stuffy nose, thirst, and thin white, yellowish tongue coating.
The treatment method should be based on relieving the syndrome. and Herbal Medicine formulas can be prescribed depending on your diagnosis. These medicines have better wind, cold and heat-clearing and detoxifying effects. If you suffer from wind-heat or wind-cold colds, you should drink plenty of water and have a light diet and give us a visit at DK- Holistic Health Clinic.