Cold & Allergygǎnmào

Common Cold

Also called:ColdCommon coldHead cold

From the TCM perspective: TCM 'shang feng' / 'gan mao'; an exterior contraction located in the lung-defense.

Overview

The common cold is an external contraction in which wind carries cold, heat or summer-damp to invade the defensive exterior; the Shanghan Lun frames this as Taiyang disease. Features include nasal congestion, discharge, sneezing, cough, chills/fever and head-body ache, differentiated into wind-cold, wind-heat, summer-damp and exterior deficiency.

☯Common patterns (syndrome differentiation)

Wind-cold binding the exterior

Key distinguishing signs: Marked chills with mild fever, no sweat, headache and body ache, clear nasal discharge, cough with white sputum, thin white coat, floating tight pulse.
Treatment principle: Release the exterior with warm-acrid herbs and diffuse the lung

Wind-heat invading the exterior

Key distinguishing signs: Prominent fever with mild wind aversion, scant sweat, sore dry throat, yellow nasal discharge and sputum, red tongue tip with thin yellow coat, floating rapid pulse.
Treatment principle: Release the exterior with cool-acrid herbs and clear heat

Summer-damp attacking the exterior

Key distinguishing signs: Summer fever unrelieved by sweating, heavy wrapped head, heavy limbs, chest oppression, nausea, poor appetite, loose stool, yellow greasy coat, soggy rapid pulse.
Treatment principle: Clear summerheat, drain dampness and harmonize the middle

Exterior deficiency with insecure defense

Key distinguishing signs: Frequent colds, wind sensitivity, spontaneous sweating, short breath, fatigue, pale lusterless face, lingering course, pale tongue, weak pulse.
Treatment principle: Tonify qi, secure the exterior and harmonize construction-defense

Daily self-care

Rest, drink warm fluids and eat lightly; avoid strenuous exercise during fever.
Keep warm while ventilating rooms; cover coughs and wash hands to reduce spread.
For wind-cold use ginger, scallion or perilla under guidance; for wind-heat use mint or chrysanthemum; recurrent colds need everyday tonifying care.

When to seek medical help

The following warning signs require prompt medical evaluation — do not rely on self-treatment:

Persistent high fever, breathlessness, chest pain, blue lips or altered consciousness: urgent care.
Symptoms over ten days, or worsening after initial improvement: rule out pneumonia, sinusitis, etc.
High fever or breathlessness in pregnancy, infants, elders or those with chronic disease: seek care early.

Medical disclaimer: Educational content about traditional Chinese medicine for information only; it is not a diagnosis or treatment and does not replace a qualified clinician. If symptoms worsen or warning signs appear, seek medical care.

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