🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Wind is the dominant factor in spring among the six qi (wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, fire). Under normal conditions, wind is harmless to the human body. However, “Spring weather changes like a child’s face—three changes in a day.” If wind becomes excessive, it turns into wind pathogen, easily triggering diseases and affecting health.
Wind Pathogen Easily Damages the Lungs: According to TCM, the lungs govern all bodily qi, connect to the pulse, and externally correspond to the skin and hair. The skin and pores serve as the lung’s barrier. Once invaded by wind pathogen, defensive qi weakens, leading to lung damage. This results in impaired lung qi dispersion and failure of descending function, inability to warm the body with qi, causing symptoms such as fever, headache, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, phlegm production, and asthma.
Wind Pathogen Is the Foremost Cause of All Diseases: The *Huangdi Neijing Suwen* states: “Wind is swift-moving and ever-changing; thus, wind is the chief of all diseases.” Wind pathogen commonly attacks the body surface, causing aversion to wind, chills, and head/neck pain. If wind remains in the skin or muscles, it causes unbearable itching and rashes. If wind ascends to the top of the head, it may cause headache and dizziness. Those with hypertension may see their blood pressure rise, even leading to stroke. If wind descends to the waist, knees, calves, etc., it may cause wind-damp arthralgia, moving arthralgia, or painful arthralgia. If wind travels through the meridians, it may lead to vascular obstruction or facial paralysis. Furthermore, wind pathogen can easily cause abnormal movements such as convulsions, spasms, tremors, twitching, opisthotonus, and stiff neck.
Wind Often Combines with Heat, Cold, or Dampness to Cause Disease: Common spring colds usually begin with wind invasion. Combined with heat, it leads to wind-heat exterior syndrome; combined with cold, it causes wind-cold exterior syndrome. If dampness predominates and yang is weak, with loose pores, it often triggers rheumatic arthralgia. The spleen acts as the hub of qi transformation and transportation. When attacked by wind, cold, and dampness simultaneously, its ability to digest and absorb nutrients fails, leading to nausea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea—especially likely to trigger recurrence in those with pre-existing gastric conditions.
Wind Affects Liver Qi Regulation: TCM holds that wind corresponds to wood energy, and liver qi connects with wind. The liver prefers smoothness and aligns with spring’s rising energy. Pleasant, sunny weather allows smooth liver qi, bringing joy and vitality. But during violent storms, liver qi stagnates, causing emotional distress, irritability, and anger. Patients with liver, heart, or mental disorders may relapse or worsen if they fail to regulate emotions in spring.
Pay Attention to Warmth: Early spring remains chilly. Dress appropriately according to weather changes. Fashion-conscious women should avoid changing into skirts too early to prevent wind-cold invasion. Especially elderly, weak individuals, those recovering from illness, over-fatigued persons, those who have consumed alcohol, or those with chronic conditions like cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases, arthritis, or neuralgia should minimize outdoor exposure during cold fronts and strong winds to avoid wind pathogen harm.
Regulate Emotions: Unstable weather disrupts physiological functions and hinders liver qi regulation, leading to irritability, anxiety, depression, especially increasing risk of relapse in schizophrenia patients. Therefore, people should manage their emotions in spring, relax mentally, and maintain optimism. Mental patients should avoid stimuli, reduce psychological stress, and preserve mental balance.
Maintain Regular Lifestyle: Maintain regular daily routines and consistent sleep schedules, ensuring adequate rest.
Healthy Diet: In spring, diet should be light. Increase intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, and ensure sufficient hydration—preferably plain water or mild tea.
Consistent Exercise: “When vital energy resides within, pathogens cannot invade” is the key to resisting wind pathogen. Everyone should choose suitable aerobic exercises based on their constitution and persistently practice them to enhance adaptability to climate changes and strengthen resistance, thereby avoiding harm from wind pathogen.