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In a person's life, it is inevitable to experience a cold a few times. A cold may seem like a minor illness, but if the wrong treatment is chosen, it could potentially sow the seeds for future major illnesses. This is something that cannot be taken lightly, and those who value health maintenance must delve deeply into understanding cold-like illnesses.

In the general public's perception, a common cold is associated with symptoms such as fever, coughing, runny nose, headache, and so on. In modern medicine, viral infections affecting the respiratory tract are referred to as acute upper respiratory infections, commonly known as the common cold. This is the narrow definition of a cold. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), beyond viral infections, symptoms caused by excessive climatic or environmental factors—such as exposure to wind-cold, summer heat, or body aches due to excessive dampness—are also considered types of "cold" (or ganmao, 感冒). These viruses or excessive climatic influences are collectively referred to in TCM as "pathogenic qi". The character "gan" (感) means "to sense" or "to be affected by" pathogenic qi. The character "mao" (冒) means "to be invaded by" pathogenic qi. When pathogenic qi invades the body and causes discomfort, it is called "ganmao". This represents a broader definition of the condition.

This article primarily focuses on the narrow definition of the cold-like illnesses. TCM practitioners have been combating various colds and epidemics for thousands of years, accumulating a treatment system that is far more detailed, non-toxic, and effective compared to modern medicine. Below, we will introduce both TCM and modern medical approaches to treating different types of cold-like illnesses.

TCM's Unique Therapies: Fostering Vitality, Expelling Pathogens and Regulating Flow

There is a famous saying in TCM: "Invasion of pathogen must be due to deficiency of essential qi." "Pathogen" refers to external viruses and bacteria, "invasion " means to come close and interact with you; "essential qi" refers to the body's energy and functions, including physical strength and immunity. "Qi deficiency" means that the body's energy, functions, and immunity are low. Whether it is a virus or other bacteria and fungi, they are more likely to invade when the body is weak and immunity is poor.

In addition to treating the common cold and fighting viruses, TCM can also compensate for the body's deficiencies and guide the flow of qi and blood in the affected area to make it smooth:

• Expelling pathogen: Removing pathogenic qi,TCM actually invented natural broad-spectrum antibiotics and broad-spectrum antiviral drugs hundreds of years earlier than modern medicine. Using natural antiviral and antibacterial Chinese medicinals to directly inhibit the reproduction and proliferation of viruses and bacteria can be seen as foreign mercenaries, helping the body directly combat pathogenic qi, more effective than Tamiflu, without medicinal resistance and with few side effects. Recent research has found that macromolecular biological agents are less toxic and more effective than small-molecule chemical agents, and natural Chinese medicinals are precisely macromolecular biological agents.
• Strengthening vital qi: If an individual has deficiencies in certain aspects, or if the disease persists for a long time and physical strength is depleted, leading to the inability to fully exert immunity, then there is qi deficiency tonifying qi, yin deficiency tonifying yin, yang deficiency tonifying yang, blood deficiency tonifying blood, and unblocking to make it smooth. This can be seen as foreign logistical support, strengthening physical strength and immunity. Patients with long-lasting diseases are often deficient in certain aspects, and the effect of modern medicine on these patients is often poor and prolonged. Switching to Chinese medicinals to strengthen vital qi often yields immediate results.
• Dredging: The site of viral infection is like a battlefield, where local inflammation, congestion, redness, swelling, heat, pain, runny nose, phlegm production, and even secondary bacterial infections leading to suppuration are inevitable. Therefore, improving the flow of qi and blood in the affected area, aiding the absorption and elimination of pathological metabolic wastes such as phlegm, nasal discharge, and pus, and reducing local swelling will help the immune system to deploy and function effectively.

Combined with the systemic pattern differentiation and treatment of TCM, the principle-method-recipe-medicinal approach, and guided by the situation, the addition of symptom-relieving drugs also found in TCM is highly effective against various viruses that cause cold-like illnesses, enteroviruses, noroviruses, etc. These drugs are non-toxic and have almost no side effects.

Wind-cold common cold

Wind-cold common cold is often caused by exposure to cold wind, rain, or air conditioning. In addition to stuffy nose, runny nose, cough, and headache, patients may also experience chills and low-grade fever. Exposure to cold wind or rain is a physical stimulus, while fever, cough, and runny nose are due to pathogen infection. At first glance, these seem unrelated, but they are actually closely connected. Normally, the surfaces of the human body, such as the skin, oral cavity, nasal cavity, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract, have countless fungi, bacteria, or viruses attached to their mucous membranes, either parasitically, symbiotically, or ingested from the outside through breathing or eating. When healthy, the body's immune army (white blood cells, lymphocytes, etc.) can counteract them, preventing these common bacteria and viruses from invading and causing disease, allowing both sides to coexist peacefully. However, after excessive exposure to cold wind, rain, or air conditioning, the qi, blood, and meridian channels on the body's surface may temporarily become obstructed, leading to a temporary imbalance in quality and energy regulation and a temporary decline in immunity. This gives the pathogens normally attached to the mucous membranes an opportunity to cause various common cold symptoms, also known as "opportunistic infections," where "opportunistic" refers to taking advantage of your weakened state.

The symptoms of wind-cold common cold are relatively mild, sometimes just tightness in the shoulders and neck, and a slight headache. Even if there is a fever, the temperature is not high. Because it is caused by common pathogens in the environment taking advantage of a weakened state, it is not infectious. Once the patient's qi and blood channels are restored to normal, and the regulation of physical strength and energy returns to normal, the body's immune system can immediately counteract it, so it often heals on its own within a few days. However, do not underestimate these superficial pathogens. For example, the most common Staphylococcus aureus, if it invades the bloodstream of a weak person, may worsen into sepsis and be life-threatening.

modern medicine treatment: Resting is usually enough to heal, and at most, some symptomatic modern medicines are prescribed.

TCM treatment: Following the principle of eliminating pathogens and strengthening vital qi, the main approach to expel pathogens is to use warming and dispersing exterior-releasing medicinals, such as Cinnamon Twig Decoction, Pueraria Decoction, Ephedra Decoction, etc., to disperse the cold on the body's surface. A common cold that can be cured with one dose of Chinese medicinals within a day is limited to this type. If the symptoms are not severe, drinking a bowl of brown sugar ginger soup or taking a hot bath can sometimes provide immediate relief.

Common cold

The common cold is not caused by wind-cold but is contracted by exposure to external common cold viruses. In modern medicine, it is also known as acute nasopharyngitis, where the common cold virus infects the respiratory tract. Unlike the common cold caused solely by wind-cold, it is infectious and mainly affects the nasal cavity, throat, or sinuses, presenting symptoms such as cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, headache, or fever. If the symptoms are not severe, it usually heals on its own within 1-2 weeks, but those with poor immunity may develop pneumonia. More than 200 viruses are known to cause the common cold, with nasal viruses being the most common.

In TCM, the common cold falls under the category of "warm disease." The ancients named it "warm disease" because this type of common cold is not caused by wind-cold and often presents with fever, which is distinctly different from the nature of wind-cold common cold.

The common cold can occur in all seasons. Research shows that when the temperature of the respiratory tract drops, it is more susceptible to nasal virus infections, as low temperatures reduce the body's immunity. Therefore, colds are more common in winter. Wearing masks in public places can reduce the risk of infection.

Modern medicine treatment: Because there are too many strains of the common cold virus, it is impossible to create a vaccine. Modern medicine has no way to deal with these viral infections; the only thing that can be done is symptomatic treatment: reducing fever, relieving pain, reducing inflammation, stopping cough, stopping runny nose, resolving phlegm, and stopping wheezing. Whatever symptoms are present, the corresponding drugs are given, but the virus continues to replicate and infect until the body's immune system overcomes it. The patient relies entirely on their own immunity to recover. If the patient's immunity is poor and cannot eliminate the virus, the cold symptoms may persist for a long time and even develop into other diseases.

The drugs used in modern medicine to eliminate symptoms are antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, antihistamines, and even steroids. These not only have certain toxicity and side effects but also cannot fight or eliminate the virus. Antibiotics can suppress secondary bacterial infections in the inflamed nasal cavity or throat, and antipyretic analgesics can relieve the patient's discomfort, which is somewhat reasonable. However, antihistamines and steroids suppress the body's immune system, telling white blood cells not to fight, allowing the virus to replicate and spread freely in the body. While the symptoms may seem to subside, it is essentially a case of covering one's ears and stealing a bell. (See The Confession of a Conscientious Doctor)

When taking antihistamines and steroids for the common cold, the immune system is suppressed, allowing the virus to invade freely. It may invade the ganglia of the head and face, causing hemifacial paralysis and trigeminal neuralgia; invading the trachea and alveoli can lead to viral pneumonia; invading the brain can result in viral encephalitis; invading the kidneys can cause acute kidney failure, and so on, with various other possible outcomes.

Taking modern drugs to treat the common cold, people with strong constitutions may recover through their own healing power, while those with weaker constitutions may recover more slowly or not easily. Over time, the condition will fluctuate with the stopping and taking of medication, often developing from mild to severe illnesses (e.g., nasal allergies → sinusitis → chronic pharyngitis → bronchial allergies, chronic cough disease not healing → panting). Other conditions such as chronic gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases, and even some seemingly unrelated major illnesses, though related to constitution, diet, lifestyle habits, genetics, etc., are also critically influenced by the incorrect treatment of the common cold, which invites "thieves" into the house .

Modern drugs for the common cold also has certain toxicity. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee on October 19, 2007, urged the authorities to prohibit children under six from taking cough and common cold medicines, as there is no evidence that these medicines alleviate symptoms in children, and instead, they can cause serious harm. Many systems in children are not fully developed, and their ability to remove toxins is weak, making them more susceptible to drug toxicity. Adults may seem fine, but frequent use can also lead to cumulative toxic damage to internal organs. (See The Confession of a Conscientious Doctor).

Especially, children's immune systems are still developing, and the common cold is a frequent ailment. In the U.S., it is estimated that children have about 3 to 8 common colds per year, and in densely populated Taiwan, the number might be even higher. Taking children with common colds to Western doctors only masks the symptoms with medication, which is definitely harmful to the children's immunity. For example, the allergy rate in contemporary children is about 10 times that of 20 years ago. Allergies are a kind of immune disorder, where immune cells are overly sensitive but ineffective. Many immune system diseases (such as leukemia) have also seen a dramatic increase in prevalence. After taking modern drugs for infantile common colds, their immature immune systems are more easily disturbed by modern drugs than adults, and their mucous membranes and glandular circulation are less likely to be clear, easily harboring dirt and becoming a long-term residence for viruses and bacteria, leading to prolonged common colds, or intermittent occurrences, even worsening each time. The metabolic waste and secretions accumulated in the throat and trachea, though not directly visible, can be known by the foul smell from their mouth and nose. The upper respiratory tract is the frontline battlefield for infantile common colds, and prolonged illness + accumulation of metabolic waste can easily lead to habitual stuffy nose, nasal allergies, and bad breath. Dark circles under the eyes are clear evidence of poor nasal circulation and decreased venous return. Over time, the lesion deepens into the trachea and lungs, becoming allergic panting, even affecting the child's entire life.

TCM treatment: Following the general principle of eliminating pathogens and strengthening vital qi, the main approach to expel pathogens is to use heat-clearing and toxin-removing medicinals, such as Lonicera, Forsythia, Great Burdock Achene, Isatis Root, etc., which have broad-spectrum antiviral effects, more than sufficient to deal with various common cold viruses, and have no toxic side effects, and will not develop resistance even after hundreds of years of use. If the patient is affected by wind-cold, they can take 1 to 2 days of warm dispersing exterior-releasing medicinals, as wind-cold is easier to eliminate, and the warm dispersing medicine does not need to be taken for too long. If not affected by wind-cold, using warm exterior-releasing medicinals is not only ineffective but may also cause more swelling and pain in the inflamed area. However, the infection of the virus and the production of antibodies in the human body have their fixed processes, and heat-clearing and toxin-removing medicinals need to be taken for several more days, until a large number of antibodies against the virus are produced in the body, then it is considered cured.

The course of a common cold usually lasts only 1 to 2 weeks. If the type of common cold can be correctly identified and treated with the right Chinese medicinals, then a common cold is really a piece of cake. TCM can definitely cut short its course quickly, no problem. If the patient cannot recover within 1 to 2 weeks and the slow effect of TCM is used as an excuse, it is a poor excuse for poor medical skills. It can be said that the author and the surrounding relatives and friends, under the protection of TCM, will never suffer from a common cold in this lifetime.

Influenza

This type of disease is caused by the influenza virus. They are the big bosses in the world of cold viruses, prevalent in winter, highly infectious, with symptoms that are more acute and severe than those of a common cold. Common symptoms include significant chills, body aches, high fever, cough, fatigue, etc., and patients may be bedridden. The time required for recovery is longer than that of a common cold, taking about 1 to 2 weeks, or even several weeks to fully recover. It is prone to cause serious complications such as otitis media, pneumonia, encephalitis, etc., and in severe cases, it may be fatal.

In TCM, influenza falls under the category of "warm disease" or "pestilence." The ancients named it "warm disease" because influenza is not caused by cold exposure and often presents with fever symptoms; "pestilence" refers to its characteristic of large-scale infection.

Modern medicine treatment: Because the number of influenza virus strains is limited, vaccines can be produced, which are the treasure of modern medicine for preventing influenza infection and epidemic spread. One drawback is the minimal risk of fatality, disability, or hospitalization. ⁽¹⁾, another drawback is that the effectiveness of the injection is not long-lasting, decreasing month by month, and the virus strains mutate annually, so an annual injection is required ⁽²⁾. Another treasure—Tamiflu, can interfere with the release of the virus, but its effectiveness is also limited ⁽³⁾.

If the influenza vaccine or Tamiflu fails, it can only be treated like a common cold, with symptomatic treatment.

TCM treatment: Under the principle of eliminating pathogens and strengthening vital qi, the main approach to expel pathogens is to use Chinese medicinals that can clear heat and remove toxins, because the toxicity of the virus is strong, the dose must be doubled to be effective. The advantage of Chinese medicinals is that they have no toxic side effects and do not produce resistance, making them an excellent choice besides the influenza vaccine.

Viral gastroenteritis

The common terms are gastric flu or stomach flu. Strictly speaking, this is not a disease name, but a convenient classification. When patients present with common cold symptoms (such as fever, headache, muscle aches) along with gastroenteritis symptoms (such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain), the doctor will tell the patient they have a viral gastroenteritis. In fact, the patient may be infected with gastroenteritis virus, common cold virus, or even influenza virus. This section focuses on gastroenteritis viruses, which directly attack the gastrointestinal tract and are quite infectious, easily infected in cold weather. Common viruses include rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus, and many others. Patients often experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain, and may also have mild common cold symptoms.

Modern medicine treatment: Similar to the treatment of a common cold, because there are too many virus strains, vaccines cannot be produced, and only symptomatic treatment is possible.

The treatment of TCM: similar to the common cold, it follows the general principle of eliminating pathogens and strengthening vital qi. It uses antiviral heat-clearing and toxin-removing medicinals to assist the body in eliminating the virus. Even if there are additional gastrointestinal symptoms, for a skilled TCM physician, it is just a minor issue that can be resolved immediately, allowing recovery within 2 to 3 days, with no chance for the virus to cause further trouble.

Enterovirus

Enterovirus is a general term for a group of viruses that replicate in the intestines, hence the name enterovirus. However, they do not cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Most patients are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms similar to the common cold. The characteristic feature is the appearance of many vesicles in the mouth or on the extremities. A few cases may develop severe conditions such as meningitis or myocarditis. It is prevalent in spring and summer, highly contagious, and children or those with poor immunity are particularly susceptible to infection.

Modern medicine treatment: Similar to the treatment of a common cold, because there are too many virus strains, it is impossible to produce a vaccine, and only symptomatic treatment can be provided.

TCM treatment: Similar to the treatment of a common cold, following the general principle of eliminating pathogens and strengthening vital qi, using antiviral heat-clearing and toxin-removing medicinals to assist the body in eliminating the virus. For a skilled TCM physician, it is just a piece of cake, quickly cutting off the course of the disease and curing it within a few days, leaving no chance for the virus to cause trouble.

Summary

Modern medicine has vaccines and Tamiflu as tools to combat influenza, but when it comes to common cold viruses, it seems to be at a loss, still stuck in the primitive stage of masking symptoms, and cannot cure the common cold. Even if it is cured, it is due to the patient's own immunity, not because of taking antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs.

TCM treats a cold by enhancing physical strength, regulating the internal environment, and helping the body fight the virus, truly handling the cold without leaving any sequelae. Of course, the premise is that it is treated by a TCM physician who is skilled in treating the cold.

TCM is very suitable as the first line of defense against viral infections. If you unfortunately catch a cold next time, you can really quickly find a TCM physician who is skilled in treating cold and use Chinese medicinals for treatment, without rushing to see a doctor.

bubble_chart Note

1. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2018, 20.67 million doses of influenza vaccine were administered in the United States, with a vaccination rate of 47.3% for the population aged 6 months and older. Among them, 49 people died due to the vaccine, 103 were in life-threatening conditions, 216 were permanently disabled, 469 were hospitalized, 109 had extended hospital stays, and 1557 visited the emergency room.
2. Every February, global influenza experts gather to predict the virus strains that may cause an epidemic in the next season in the Northern Hemisphere based on the previous year's epidemic data and virus strains collected from various regions, to decide the vaccine virus strains for the year. The protective effect of injectable vaccines lasts only about a year.
3. In 2014, a Cochrane retrospective article on Tamiflu pointed out: taking Tamiflu can shorten the course of the disease by an average of 16.8 hours (from 7 days to 6.3 days), can reduce the risk of progressing to pneumonia by 1%, there is no significant difference in the rate of worsening conditions requiring hospitalization, but it increases the chance of nausea and vomiting by 3.66% to 4.56%.