Common Cold - Gan Mao


Common Cold - Gan Mao


Definition

An exogenous disease caused by Wind and seasonal Exogenous Evils.

 

Causes and Pathological Mechanisms

  • Attack by exogenous Wind
  • Weak Lung Qi and Wei Qi or Wei Yang
  • Weak Constitution
  • Seasonal Exogenous Evils including pestilential evils

 

Patterns

Wind Cold

  • Symptoms: Serious aversion to cold with mild fever, anhidrosis (no sweating), headache, general malaise and aches, nasal obstruction, coarse voice, cough with thin white phlegm, sneezing, watery rhinorrhea, itchy throat, no thirst for drink or preference for hot drink.
  • Tongue: Normal tongue with thin white coating
  • Pulse: Floating and Tight
  • Treatment strategy: Relieve the exterior and the lung with acridity and warmth
  • Formula: Jing Fang Bai Du San
  • Acupoints: Lieque LU 7, Yingxiang LI 20, Fengmen BL 12, Fengchi GB 20, Hegu LI 4, Feishu BL 13

Wind Heat

  • Symptoms: Marked fever with slight aversion to wind and cold, sweating, distending headache, cough with little thick and yellow phlegm, dry and reddened or sore throat, nasal obstruction with thick and yellow discharge and thirst for drink.
  • Tongue: Normal tongue or with a red tip, dry thin and yellowish coating
  • Pulse: Floating and Rapid
  • Treatment strategy: Relieve the exterior and the lung with acridity and cool
  • Formula: Yin Qiao San
  • Acupoints: Dazhui DU 14, Quchi LI 11, Hegu LI 4, Yuji LU 10, Chize LU 5, Waiguan SJ 5

 

Summer Heat and Dampness

  • Symptoms: Fever with slight aversion to wind, little sweat, lassitude and general aches, dizziness and head distension, thick nasal discharge, cough with thick phlegm, greasy mouth, thirst but drinking little, vexation, chest distension, nausea and scanty dark urine.
  • Tongue: Thin yellow and greasy tongue coating
  • Pulse: Soggy, Floating and Rapid
  • Treatment strategy: Relieve the exterior by clearing summer-heat and dampness
  • Formula: Xin Jia Xiang Ru Yin
  • Acupoints: Hegu LI 4, Feishu BL 13, Fengmen BL 12, Zhongwan REN 12, Zusanli ST 36, Zhigou SJ 6

Qi Deficiency

  • Symptoms: Marked aversion to cold with mild fever, no sweating or constant spontaneous sweating, lassitude and general aches, weak cough with low voice, slight dyspnoea aggravated by exertion.
  • Tongue: Pale and bulgy tongue with thin white coating
  • Pulse: Weak
  • Treatment strategy: Tonify qi to eliminate the evil
  • Formula: Shen Su Yin or Yu Ping Feng San
  • Acupoints: Fengchi GB 20, Feishu BL 13, Fengmen BL 12, Zusanli ST 36, Qihai REN 6, Guanyuan REN 4

Yin Deficiency

  • Symptoms: Fever with slight aversion to wind and cold, little sweat, dizziness, dry mouth, dysphoria, dry cough with little phlegm.
  • Tongue: Reddened tongue with little coating
  • Pulse: Thready and Rapid
  • Treatment strategy: Tonify yin to eliminate the evil
  • Formula: Jia Jian Wei Rui Tang

*The article is from Chinese Medicine Times 

The Chinese Medicine Times (CMT) ejournal deliveres free to over 22,000 practitioners and students worldwide. It covers all aspects of Chinese medicine, acupuncture and herbal medicine.

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