Symptoms of Wind-Cold Common Cold
Disease description:
My wife has a cough and we suspect it might be a cold due to wind-cold invasion. Doctor, what are the symptoms of a wind-cold type of common cold?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Ren Yi
The symptoms of wind-cold common cold include absence of perspiration, headache and body pain, nasal congestion with clear nasal discharge, cough with thin white phlegm, and thin white tongue coating.
1. Absence of perspiration: Due to the constraint of wind-cold on the body's exterior, pores are blocked, so patients generally do not perspire, even when body temperature rises, making it difficult to dissipate heat through sweating.
2. Headache and body pain: Wind-cold pathogens invade the head and body, causing headache and generalized muscle aches.
3. Nasal congestion with clear nasal discharge: Wind-cold pathogens block the nasal passages, resulting in nasal congestion and clear, watery nasal discharge without thick or yellow secretions.
4. Cough with thin white phlegm: Wind-cold pathogens invade the lungs, causing coughing with thin, white phlegm, rather than thick or yellow phlegm.
5. Thin white tongue coating: Upon examination, the tongue coating of patients with wind-cold common cold is typically thin and white, which is related to excessive internal cold and insufficient yang energy.
In treating wind-cold common cold, a pungent-warm exterior-releasing approach can be adopted, such as using herbal formulas like Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction) or Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction) to dispel wind-cold and relieve exterior syndromes. Additionally, patients should keep warm, avoid exposure to cold, and rest appropriately to promote recovery.
