The Difference Between Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat Common Colds

The common cold due to wind-cold and the common cold due to wind-heat differ significantly in several aspects:

1. Symptom differences: The common cold due to wind-cold mainly presents with mild fever, pronounced aversion to cold, absence of perspiration, headache, nasal congestion with clear nasal discharge, cough with thin sputum, thin white tongue coating, and a floating-tense pulse. In contrast, the common cold due to wind-heat presents with marked fever, slight aversion to wind, presence of perspiration, red and swollen throat with pain, nasal congestion with thick nasal discharge, cough with thick or yellow sputum, thirst with desire for fluids, redness at the tip and edges of the tongue, thin yellow tongue coating, and a floating-rapid pulse.

2. Etiological differences: Wind-cold common cold is mostly caused by exposure to wind-cold pathogens and commonly occurs in autumn and winter seasons; wind-heat common cold is caused by exposure to wind-heat pathogens and frequently occurs in spring and summer or during warm weather.

3. Treatment medications differ: Commonly used medications for wind-cold common cold include Ganmao Qingre Granules and Guizhi Heji, which function to relieve exterior syndromes with pungent-warm herbs and to ventilate the lung and dispel cold. Commonly used medications for wind-heat common cold include Banlangen Granules and Yinqiao Jiedu Pian, which function to relieve exterior syndromes primarily with pungent-cool herbs.

In daily prevention, one should pay attention to adding or removing clothing according to weather changes, avoid getting chilled or excessively fatigued, maintain good living habits, and enhance the body's resistance.