PAUL Wu, RMT, R.Ac., R.Tcmp.

Common Cold is differentiated into 6 types based on TCM diagnosis:

1. Wind-cold

Main symptoms: severe aversion to cold, mild fever or no fever, absence of sweating, headaches, nasal obstruction, heavy voice, coughing, sneezing, clear nasal discharges, itchy throat, thin white sputum, not thirsty or likes to drink hot water, a thin white tongue coating and a floating, tight pulse.

Herbal prescription: Jing Fang Bai Du San, 6-12 grams per day in divided doses

2. Wind-heat

Main symptoms: Obvious fever, slightly aversion to wind and cold, sweating, nasal obstruction, turbid nasal discharges, thirst, a swollen, sore throat, a thin yellow tongue coating and a floating, rapid pulse.

Herbal prescription: Yin Qiao San, 6-12 grams per day in divided doses.

3. Summer-heat and dampness

Main symptoms: Unsurfaced fever, difficult sweating, headache as if the head was wrapped up, oppression in the chest, anorexia, thirst but without preference to drink water, dizziness, soreness and heaviness in the limbs, restlessness and vomiting, a white greasy tongue coating and a soggy pulse, occurs in summer.

Herbal prescription: Xin Jia Xiang Ru Yin, 6-12 grams per day in divided doses.

4. Qi dificiency

Main symptoms: Constitutional weakness, severe aversion to cold, mild fever, absence of sweating or spontaneous sweating, weak expectoration, cough, a low voice, lassitude, symptoms become worse after physical exertion, a pale tongue with a thin and white coating, and a floating and weak pulse.

Herbal prescription: Shen Su Yin, 6-12 grams per day in divided doses.

5. Yin deficiency

Main symptoms: Fever, slightly aversion to wind-cold, scantly sweating, dizziness, a dry throat, restlessness, uproductive cough, a red tongue with a scanty coating and a thready and rapid pulse.

Herbal prescription: Jia Jian Wei Ru Tang, 6-12 grams per day in divided doses.

6. Epidemic cold (influenza)

Main symptoms: Sudden aversion to cold, or possibly chills, pandemic onset, sudden attack, high fever, general soreness and pain, severe headache and general pain, a flushed face, red eyes, lassitude, congestion of throat, or possibly a poor appetite, nausea, constipation, no cough or slight cough, absence of nasal obstruction and nasal discharge, general symptoms more severe than symptoms in the respiratory tract, rapid pulse.

Herbal prescription: Qing Wen Bai Du Yin, 6-12 grams per day in divided doses.