Change of season colds, coughs and sniffles – Scott Stephens BHSc (Acu)

Winter is not just the main time for colds and flu’s.

 

The changing from the cool water element of winter to the warmer wood element of spring can leave one’s body open to what we call a pathogenic wind attack, leading to the well-known symptoms of cold and flu.

 

In Chinese medicine, there are various types of common cold. These are three of the most commonly encountered types: – (In Japan, the common cold is simply called Wind – “Kaze”).

 

  1. Wind Cold Invading Lungs:

Causes: Environmental wind and cold invades the body and obstructs the Lungs function of descending and dispersing Qi.

Signs and Symptoms: Aversion to cold, fever, itchy throat, blocked or runny nose, clear watery mucus, sneezing, aching body, cough, headache.

Tongue: Thin white coating.

 

  1. Wind Heat Invading Lungs:

Causes: Environmental wind and heat invades the body. Commonly, wind cold turns into wind heat as cold quickly turns to heat once inside the body. Central heating can be a cause.

Signs and Symptoms: Sore throat, slight sweating, cough, aversion to wind or cold, headache, blocked or runny nose, yellow mucus, body aches, thirst, swollen tonsils.

Tongue: Body of tongue red towards tip, thin white or yellow coat.

 

  1. Wind Cold and Damp Invading the Lungs:

Causes: Environmental wind and cold combines with damp and invades the body obstructing the Lungs function of controlling the water passages. Swelling can result additional to respiratory symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms: Fever, swelling of face and eyes which can spread to the rest of the body, foggy head, aversion to cold and/or wind, coughing, oppressive feeling in the epigastrium.

Tongue: White greasy coat.

 

If you have some of these signs and symptoms or are suffering from the change of season, acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine may well be worth considering.

 

Change of season colds, coughs and sniffles - Scott Stephens BHSc (Acu) 3


Scott is available for consultation on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

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