🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Lately, have you heard coughing sounds frequently in the office? When calling friends, does their voice sound hoarse or heavily nasal? Indeed, these are signs of a cold. Over the past week, the number of patients visiting outpatient clinics for colds has increased by about 20%. Experts point out that after the Start of Winter on November 7th, weather changes have been drastic, and flu viruses have surged, causing a sharp increase in cold and flu cases. However, with proper methods, colds can be prevented to some extent, and discomfort after contracting a cold can also be alleviated.
Using Traditional Chinese Medicine for Colds Requires Proper Diagnosis
Last week, seeing seven people in the office had already developed colds, and the first one’s entire family was affected. Xiao Lu didn’t want to suffer like them—coughing violently and turning red-faced. So, when she first felt itchy and painful throat, she went to a nearby herbal tea shop and bought cold tea. After drinking it for two days, she started experiencing low fever, headache, and diarrhea. Later, at the hospital, she learned she should not have drunk that cold tea initially because her cold was of the Wind-Dryness type, requiring wind-dispelling and moistening treatments. The street cold teas are mostly clearing heat and removing dampness, which actually contradicted her condition, making symptoms worse.
Professor Li says that currently, the climate is dry, so most colds in this season are of the Wind-Dryness type. Besides general cold symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and headache, there are special manifestations like itchy throat, dry cough, and little phlegm. Doctors usually prescribe medications that disperse wind and moisturize. Besides Wind-Dryness type, there are also Wind-Heat, Yin Deficiency, and Qi Deficiency types; different drugs should be used accordingly, as detailed below.
Multiple Methods to Prevent Colds
Professor Li explains that during this cold-prone season, citizens should reduce visits to crowded places to avoid infection risk. They should also take preventive measures at home or in offices. Proven effective methods include:
First, Medications:
1. Boil 30g each of Radix Isatidis, Folium Isatidis, and Rhizoma Dryopteris together and drink the decoction to prevent colds;
2. Soak 100g of Rhizoma Dryopteris in 500–1000ml of hot water and drink as tea.
Second, Environment:
Use vinegar to fumigate homes or offices for 10–15 minutes to help kill cold viruses in the air.
Third, Lifestyle:
1. Rinse mouth with salt water to eliminate cold viruses in the oral and pharyngeal areas, preventing infection. Ensure salt water reaches the throat area during rinsing;
2. Soak feet in hot water for about 10 minutes to enhance resistance against cold viruses.
Common Cold Types and Corresponding Treatments
Cold is self-limiting and typically resolves within 7 days. However, medication can greatly relieve discomfort. Nowadays, many people self-medicate after catching a cold. To avoid mistakes like Xiao Lu’s, one must carefully distinguish cold types. Nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, and cough are general symptoms. Differentiating cold types mainly relies on specific manifestations. Professor Li says that although simple classification helps identify the general type, it is best to consult an expert at a hospital for more targeted prescriptions.
Wind-Heat Type
Symptoms: Special symptoms include fever, sweating without relief, sore throat, yellow phlegm
Treatment: Honeysuckle 20g, Forsythia 15g, Platycodon 12g, Reed Rhizome 20g, Licorice 6g
Wind-Dryness Type
Symptoms: Special symptoms include dry nose, dry throat, dry mouth, itchy throat, dry cough, little phlegm
Treatment: Add Mulberry Leaf 10–12g to the Wind-Heat formula
Yin Deficiency Type
Symptoms: Special symptoms include dizziness, irritability, minimal sweating, dry cough with little phlegm, commonly seen in those prone to frequent colds
Treatment: Add Adenophora 10–12g, Polygonatum 15g, Artemisia 10g, and Dictamnus 10g to the Wind-Heat formula