Wind Cold V’s Wind Heat
During a change of season, you may notice that you are more prone to catching colds. Sometimes we get caught out with the changing weather, resulting in inappropriate clothes and ending up too cold or too hot. Equally, you may have experienced after a work out, when you are feeling hot and sweaty, and wearing less clothes that usual, the next day you have also caught a cold. Both of these reasons involve the same process, and that is pathogenic Wind, plus Cold are able to enter the body via your open pores and/or invade the vulnerable neck area (Bladder Channel).
What we refer to as a common cold, Chinese Medicine interprets as either a Wind Cold Invasion or a Wind Heat Invasion. this roughly translates to how we see a common cold develop in to a tonsillitis or a bronchitis.
Is it cold or is it heat?
A Cold Wind invasion will start of with a cold presentation which will affect the upper part of the body and head first. However, as the pathogen enters and dependant on the strength of your protective Wei Qi at that time, the Wind Cold may quickly transform in to Wind Heat. Read below to find out how to distinguish between the two.
Both diagnosis will involve herb categories which release to the exterior and move Qi with a mixture of warm, acrid, spicy, bitter and cool properties. But the differences in presentation make the treatment plan approach very different in detail.
The ‘common cold’ has subtle differences in presentation which change the approach of the prescription of Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture points used.
Wind Cold Presentation.
The Cold presentation is highlighted with more chills that fever. The Cold affects the lungs and the descending of Lung Qi is impaired, leading to sneezing, a cough, an itchy throat with no pain and a runny or stuffy nose with clear phlegm. The cold contracts and closes the pores and therefore there will be no sweating.
Wind Heat Presentation
The Heat presentation is characterised with more fever, and a dislike of cold. The heat depletes the fluids of the lung and results in a dry cough with a sore throat. The nose may be runny or stuffed, however it will present with a yellow or green phlegm. The heat will produce a slight sweat and a slight thirst.
Both presentations will have body aches. This is a sign that the protective Wei Qi is fighting a pathogen at the superficial layer. The stronger your immune system the stronger your Wei Qi and the less likely you are to get pathogen invasions.
The moment you notice, and the quicker you treat these superficial symptoms, the faster you will recover.
A 4 day plan will have you back to good health. Ignoring these symptoms can lead to the pathogen traveling deeper into the Qi level and the change in severity of the symptoms. This will require a longer recovery time.
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