Common Cold-Golden TCM Clinic Natural Medicine

Brisbane Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine

Common Cold

Fight Common Cold Naturally

Most of people have experienced Common Cold especially in winter time. In Chinese medicine, we believes Common Cold is attributed to exposure to the coldness or decreases in body immunity (lung function is disturbed by the Coldness).  

The main treatment in Western Medicine is Codeine, Antibiotic, Steroid and Aspirin. However, people now are increasing in acknowledge about the side affects that may brought by these drugs. 

Chinese Herbal Medicine is a very good alternative for treating Common Cold. Traditional Chinese Medicine has a Broad and fully development in treatment to Common Cold.  

In "Shan Han Lun", a Classic Traditional Chinese Medicine book in Treatment to Common cold states: Human got cold is because the immune decline and attacks by the external pathogens. 


In Treatments to Common Cold, Traditional Chinese has developed 2 main treatment strategies to fight with initial stages of common cold.

* In Prevention stage, to against the common cold is to "increase the immunity" and therefore will stop the external pathogen to go into the body system (such as attacking lung and causing bronchitis).

* Common cold attack stage: Common cold has attacked the body system, the aim of treatment in this stage is to prevent common cold go deeper, so the treatment would be “disperse the external pathogen".  

For example:

In Prevention stage, which means the immunity is affected, but the common cold pathogen is weak too. the patient will present with symptoms such as "sensitive to cold, slight sneezing, slight cough with clear white watery phlegm, slight headache and mild feverish or sweating". These symptoms are due to the body immune is fighting with common cold pathgen, therefore, treatment is focusing on boosts up the immunity and help body to disperse common cold. 

In Common Cold attack stage, the body immunity is in good level, however, the external pathogen is too strong that blocked up the body pores and stops the body immunity against the pathogen. The patient will present with the symptoms such as "fever, body aching, strong throbbing headache, afraid to cold or tired". In this stage, the treatment is to focus on disperse the external pathogen. 

In Chinese Herbal Medicine, We do have a group of herbs that are used to treat common cold symptoms. The main function of these herbs is to "disperse" external pathogens and "increases" body immune system. 

Dislike the treatment concept of western medicine, the aims of Chinese herbal medicine is treat the cause of common cold.
 


Does Chinese Herbal Medicine helps to treat common cold?

Yes!! and It is Natural (plant herbal). 

More details in Concepts of how Chinese Medicine treat Common cold ...


Why Choose Traditional Chinese Medicine to help Common Cold?

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a broad & fully development in treating Common cold. There are many book and resources in Treating Common cold. 
The most famous one is call "Shan Han Lun", it is clearly explanted the development of common cold, the symptoms occurs in different stages and how to treat in different stages. 

From these recourse, we understands that although the common cold is derived from the external pathogens, but the pathway that pathogens attacking the body can be different.  The severity can also be differently according to body's constitution. 

Therefore, to treat common cold, we have to modify the herbal formular based on how far the pathogens has penetrated and how strong the body immunity is


Questioning:

1. Does Chinese Herbal Medicine helps with Fever?
Yes, in common cold, the fever is caused from body immunity agaisnt external pathogens. Therefore, to disperse external pathogen would helps the fever.

2. How long it going to take to see the benefit?
Applying Chinese Herbal treatment to the initial stage of external pathogen attacking, the result can be seen within 3 days. 
However, the delaying of treatment will affect the treatment result. But generally speaking, the signs of common cold should be gone within 2 weeks. (4 treatments)

3. Anything to do in the initial stage of common cold?
If the symptoms start with body aching, headache, aversion to cold (Chills) without having a fever, Ginger and leeks soup is very good for promote sweating and strengthen the immunity. 

4. If the symptoms of common cold all gone excepted cough, does Chinese Medicine able to help?
Yes, Chinese herbal medicine is able to help with this. Moreover, the herbal medicine is natural and can be efficient.  More details: Cough & Chinese Medicine.