Why is heat-induced cold harder to treat than cold-induced cold?
Sep 21, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Guo Xiheng
Introduction
There is no such thing as one being harder to treat than the other between "heat-type cold" and "cold-type cold," as they differ in symptoms, causes, and treatments, making comparison inappropriate. Heat-type cold mainly presents with fever, absence of sweating or sweating without reduction in fever, dizziness, headache, nasal congestion, body heaviness, fatigue, and reluctance to move. Cold-type cold mainly presents with aversion to cold, fever, absence of sweating, headache, body aches, runny nose with clear mucus, and sneezing.
There is no such thing as one being harder to treat than the other between heat-type colds and cold-type colds. They differ in symptoms, causes, and treatments, making them incomparable.
1. Different Symptoms
Heat-type cold mainly manifests as fever, absence of sweating or sweating without reduction of fever, dizziness, headache, nasal congestion, body heaviness, fatigue, reluctance to move, chest tightness, nausea, dry mouth with increased thirst, irritability, poor appetite, cough with yellow sputum, yellow nasal discharge, and obvious throat congestion. Cold-type cold mainly presents as chills, fever, absence of sweating, headache, body aches, clear runny nose, sneezing, non-dry mouth, non-red throat, pale red tongue, thin white coating on the tongue, and floating red finger markings.
2. Different Causes
Heat-type cold, also known as wind-heat cold, is caused by wind-heat invading the lungs. Cold-type cold, also called wind-cold cold, is usually triggered by fatigue, inadequate rest, exposure to wind, or getting chilled, leading to wind-cold invading the lungs.
3. Different Treatments
Heat-type cold should be treated with pungent-cool herbs to resolve exterior patterns. Medications such as Wind-Heat Cold Granules, Yin Qiao Jie Du Pills, Ban Lan Gen, Sang Ju Cold Tablets, Yin Qiao Jie Du Granules, and Shuang Huang Lian Oral Liquid may be used. For cold-type cold, antibiotics should not be used immediately; instead, immunity-boosting medications such as vitamin C should be taken first to strengthen the body's natural defenses before further treatment.
Both heat-type and cold-type colds are common illnesses in daily life. With prompt treatment, recovery is usually quick. During a cold-type cold, it's advisable to drink hot porridge and plenty of warm water to induce sweating, then rest in bed under warm covers to avoid further exposure to wind or cold. People with heat-type cold should avoid going outdoors during periods of strong sunlight. Additionally, individuals with heat-type cold should avoid consuming warming or heating foods.
