I. Common Cold (Wind-Cold Type)
In addition to common symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, and headache, patients also experience chills, low-grade fever, lack of sweating, headache and body aches, runny nose with clear discharge, expectoration of thin, white phlegm, sweating, sore throat with redness and swelling, no thirst or a preference for hot drinks, and a thin white tongue coating. They typically feel more comfortable wearing many layers of clothing or being covered with a thick blanket. This type of cold is related to exposure to wind and cold. Treatment should focus on dispelling wind and cold with pungent and warm herbs.
Patients can choose medications such as cold and flu granules, cold and fever-relieving granules, Jiuwei Qianghuo pills, Tongxuan Lifei pills, and Wushicha granules for treatment. If the patient also has symptoms of internal heat and constipation, Fangfeng Tongsheng pills can be taken for treatment. Patients with wind-cold type colds should avoid medications such as Sangju cold tablets, Yinqiao detoxifying tablets, Lingqiao detoxifying tablets, and compound cold tablets.
The key to treating a cold caused by wind and cold is to induce sweating. There are many methods, including sauna, soaking feet in hot water (preferably with a little alcohol added), covering oneself with two blankets, drinking ginger and brown sugar water, drinking ginger porridge, etc. The main prescription for treating a cold caused by wind and cold is Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction), which is used to relieve exterior symptoms with pungent and warm properties, and to disperse cold from the lungs.
II. Wind-heat type common cold
In addition to common cold symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and headache, patients also experience high fever, thick yellow phlegm, sore throat (often preceding other cold symptoms), yellow or blackish phlegm, and constipation. Treatment should focus on relieving exterior symptoms with cooling and pungent herbs. Patients can choose medications such as Xiangxue Antiviral Oral Liquid, Cold and Fever Reducing Granules, Banlangen Granules, Yinqiao Jiedu Pills, and Lingyang Jiedu Pills. Patients with wind-heat type colds should avoid medications such as Jiuwei Qianghuo Pills and Lifeng Pills.
III. Summer-heat and dampness type of cold
Patients present with symptoms such as chills, fever, loss of appetite, headache, head distension, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. This type of cold often occurs in summer. Treatment should focus on clearing heat, removing dampness, and relieving exterior symptoms. Patients can choose medications such as Huoxiang Zhengqi Water and Yinqiao Jiedu Pills. If the patient has severe gastrointestinal symptoms, medications such as Baohe Pills, Hawthorn Pills, and Xiangsha Yangwei Pills are not recommended.
IV. Seasonal Influenza
The patient's symptoms are similar to those of wind-heat common cold. However, the symptoms of seasonal influenza are more severe than those of wind-heat common cold. Patients may present with sudden chills, high fever, headache, aversion to cold, shivering, severe headache, body aches, fatigue, nasal congestion, runny nose, dry cough, chest pain, nausea, and loss of appetite. Infants or the elderly may develop complications such as pneumonia or heart failure.
Treatment should focus on clearing heat and detoxifying, and dispelling wind and releasing the exterior. Patients can choose medications such as Xiangxue Antiviral Oral Liquid, Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills, Chongganling Tablets, and Chonggan Tablets. If patients with seasonal influenza use only medications such as Yinqiao Jiedu Tablets, Qiangli Yinqiao Tablets, Sangju Ganmao Tablets, or Niuhuang Jiedu Tablets, the therapeutic effect will be poor.
