Common Cold & Flu

The common cold, also referred to as the flu, is an acute viral illness of the upper respiratory tract that can be brought on by respiratory syncytial virus, coronavirus, rhinovirus, or parainfluenza virus, etc. With a random occurrence and self-limiting character, it is the most prevalent viral infection. The most typical symptoms include coughing, sore throat, runny nose, and nasal congestion. The average duration of a cold, in the absence of problems, is between 4 and 10 days. A common cold can cause a number of consequences, such as sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis, supurative pharyngitis, or the acute development or worsening of underlying respiratory conditions. Older adults, those with long-term heart, lung, kidney, or brain diseases, or those with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience difficulties.

There are currently no published evidence-based guidelines for clinical practice for the common cold. Many prescriptions for the cold have been produced by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners over generations. They've been made as tablets, pills, powder, capsules, and oral liquid, among other forms.Numerous substances or chemicals included in TCM therapies for colds have been shown in studies. Their effects include diaphoresis and antipyretic, cough suppressant, analgesic and tranquilizer, anti-inflammation, anti-microorganism, antiviral, and immuno-regulation.

An outcome of a TCM practitioner's analysis of TCM data is a TCM pattern or condition. Traditionally, pattern categorization has been used in diagnosis to group patients according to their various ailments. In traditional Chinese medicine, treating the common cold involves distinguishing patterns. TCM theory categorizes the common cold as an exterior syndrome, further subdividing it into wind-cold, wind-heat, and summer-heat dampness syndromes. The external contraction of pathogenic elements like wind-cold, wind-heat, or summer-heat damp is the cause of exterior syndrome in the common cold. In certain cases, patients with other patterns may get the common cold. For instance, a patient's Qi deficient syndrome may be exacerbated by an external syndrome if they were exposed to wind and cold.

Acupuncture has been demonstrated to be a safe, effective, and environmentally friendly treatment option. It has the potential to improve immunity, balance, metabolism, circulation, dredge the meridians, and harmonize blood and qi. It is particularly appropriate for children who have fever. Based on a research, acupuncture may reduce exudative reactions, hinder leukocyte adhesion to the vascular endothelium, and limit early-phase vascular permeability to a level comparable to oral aspirin and indomethacin. There is evidence that the body's immune systems are in a state of constant adjustment. Patients' peripheral blood levels of T lymphocyte subgroups (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (SIL-2R), and beta-endorphin (beta-EP) can all be affected by acupuncture therapy, which can enhance a patient's cellular immune function and have positive effects. Additionally, it has been claimed that acupuncture improves antioxidant defense mechanisms, which has a detoxifying effect.

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