Common Cold
★Overview
The common cold is an externally contracted condition in Chinese medicine caused by wind pathogen (often combined with cold, heat, or dampness) disrupting the defensive qi (wei qi) of the lung. Typical features include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, cough, headache, aversion to cold or wind, mild fever, and general malaise. It is usually mild and self-limiting, and TCM treatment is based on pattern differentiation such as wind-cold, wind-heat, or summer-dampness.
Pattern differentiation (clinical patterns)
Wind-Cold Binding the Exterior
Marked aversion to cold with mild fever, no sweating, headache and body aches, clear nasal discharge, cough with thin white sputum, thin white tongue coating, and a floating tight pulse.
Release the exterior with warm pungent herbs; diffuse the lung and disperse cold.
Wind-Heat Invading the Exterior
More noticeable fever with mild aversion to wind, incomplete sweating, sore or dry throat, yellow nasal discharge, cough with sticky yellow sputum, red tongue tip with thin yellow coating, and a floating rapid pulse.
Release the exterior with cool pungent herbs; expel wind and clear heat.
Connections
Daily care & prevention
For wind-cold, keep warm, rest, and take warm fluids such as fresh ginger with brown sugar or scallion soup to induce mild sweating, avoiding further exposure. For wind-heat, stay lightly dressed, hydrate, and use chrysanthemum, peppermint, or honeysuckle tea. Rest, eat light easily digested food, and ventilate rooms. Massaging Hegu (LI4), Fengchi (GB20), and Lieque (LU7) may ease headache and body discomfort.
When to seek medical care
Seek prompt medical care for persistent high fever, shortness of breath or breathing difficulty, chest pain, confusion, symptoms lasting over a week without improvement, repeated vomiting, or marked dehydration—especially in older adults, pregnant women, infants, or people with chronic disease. Do not self-medicate for prolonged periods.