Treating common cold in Oriental medicine

By Lee Sung-hun

Winter has arrived in its full force, and with such cold weather, there are many people who are suffering from cold. Recovery could be expedited with a good day’s rest, but with work and household chores to take care of, it’s not that simple. However, understanding how Oriental medicine views and treats the common cold would help you in preventing it, and getting better when you do catch a cold.

In Oriental medicine, cold is broadly defined as respiratory symptoms that are caused by declined adaptability along with physiological functions due to various external environmental changes. There are six external elements in Oriental medicine. They are wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness and fire, of which the wind-cold and wind-heat become pathogens causing cold symptoms.

Wind-cold types of cold display symptoms of light fatigue, clear nasal mucus, sneezing, and white sputum. Generally referred to as a sinus cold, it commonly occurs in those who live in dusty indoors while frequently exposed to cold wind. Those who are prone to sweating, and diarrhea or soft stool when tired generally suffer this type of cold. Citron, ginger and mint teas are good for such people. For treating wind-cold types of cold, Oriental medicine treats the cold symptoms as well as replenishing qi.

Wind-heat types of cold generally start as a sore throat and display symptoms of fatigue, chill, nasal mucus, yellowish sputum, heat around nose, and a sore throat. The nose and throat dry up and the inside of the mouth gets cuts, while coughing is either dry or with sputum. Those who are prone to this type of cold generally drink, overeat and smoke, and tend to talk excessively, or work till very late at night. Teas brewed with quince, balloon flower roots, or dried persimmon are good for such people. Oriental medicine treatments put a focus on replenishing lost fluid, and fever relief while treating the common cold symptoms.

Many people debate over whether or not to induce sweating when they catch a cold. In Oriental medicine, it is good to induce perspiration in the following cases. Sometimes, patients display fever and chills when suffering from cold. Such fever and chills are viewed as symptoms of external pathogens under our skin fighting with the healthy qi of our body. In such cases, induced sweating can force the pathogen out of our body. Herbal medicine that induces sweating can help to alleviate the cold symptom at the start. Some people try for the same effect by wearing multiple layers of clothes or getting under layers of blankets, but caution must be taken as such efforts can put the body temperature above 39 degree Celsius, which would be especially critical for children.

If cold symptoms are left untreated or if our body’s healthy qi is insufficient to fight off the pathogens, they can become chronic. This is why Oriental medicine treatments put emphasis on replenishing qi and fluid while treating the symptoms. It is a holistic treatment, which I believe is the advantage of Oriental medicine. Symptomatic treatment to relieve a runny nose, sneezing or a sore throat is fundamentally available, but Oriental medicine looks to cure the root cause by replenishing insufficient qi to allow the body to fight its own battles against the pathogens. In Korea, a popular over-the-counter medicine against the common cold is a herbal tea called “Ssang-hwa-tang.” Ssang-hwa-tang is in fact a medicine that can be used to treat a patient who has depleted the healthy qi or when recovering from serious illness. Although its mainstream use is against common cold, it is more of a restorative. The OTC types usually add ingredients to treat the cold symptoms, but its usage should be reserved for those with weakened qi due to a chronic cold to be really effective.

To prevent colds, it is best to keep to good basic practices. Wash your hands when you return home. Maintain warmth and humidity in the air. Ventilate stuffy air indoors on a regular basis. Take an adequate amount of rest to maintain a healthy body. Winter is the season for all beings to restore the qi, and our body is no exception. Light exercise can always invigorate the metabolism to help prevent colds, but over-exertion and perspiration can consume the yang-qi, and should thus be avoided.

The writer practices Korean Oriental medicine at the UN Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul. He can be reached at sung _hun@naver.com.