The Difference Between Wind-Heat and Wind-Cold Common Colds
Disease description:
I often hear terms like "wind-heat" common cold and "wind-cold" common cold, but I always get confused about the difference between them. I would like to ask the doctor: what are the distinctions between wind-heat and wind-cold common colds?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Wind-heat and wind-cold colds differ according to traditional Chinese medicine theory, which can be summarized as follows:
1. Different causes: Wind-heat colds are caused by external contraction of wind-heat pathogens, and are more common during warm seasons such as spring, early summer, and early autumn; wind-cold colds are caused by invasion of wind-cold pathogens, and are commonly seen during cold seasons such as winter, late autumn, and early spring.
2. Different symptom presentations: Wind-heat colds present with marked heat-related symptoms including high fever, mild chills, sore throat, yellow nasal discharge, coughing with yellow phlegm, and thirst; wind-cold colds present with more pronounced cold-related symptoms including severe chills, mild fever, absence of sweating, clear nasal discharge, coughing with white, thin phlegm, and absence of thirst or preference for hot drinks.
3. Different treatments: Wind-heat colds are mainly treated with pungent-cool exterior-resolving methods, commonly using medications such as Yinqiao San (Lonicerae and Forsythiae Powder) and Qingkailing Oral Liquid (Qingkailing Oral Solution); wind-cold colds are treated with pungent-warm exterior-resolving methods, such as Jingfang Baidu San (Nepetae and Ledebouriellae Decoction for Resolving Toxins) and Ganmao Qingre Granules (Cold and Flu Relief Granules).
If in doubt, timely medical consultation is recommended.
