The common cold is a viral infection of the lining of the nose, sinuses, throat and large airways. Many different viruses cause colds. Rhinoviruses cause most spring, summer and fall colds. Influenza (flu) viruses and respiratory syncytial viruses cause colds in the late fall and winter. Flu viruses spread easily from person to person by infected droplets in the air from people coughing and sneezing. Rhinoviruses and respiratory syncytial viruses are also airborne, but most likely by direct contact with infected secretions carried on the fingers.
The common symptoms are discomfort in the nose or throat, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, sore throat, dry cough, headache, general body aches and some times a slight fever. Symptoms usually disappear in four to 10 days. Many people also develop a cough with or without sputum that often lasts up to two weeks. Complications may prolong the symptoms. A bacterial infection of the ears, the sinuses, airways and lungs may follow the cold so antibiotics may be needed.
Prevention: Eat well and get plenty of sleep and exercise to keep up the immune resistance. Wash your hands often, especially when you are around people who have colds. Drink plenty of water to flush out toxins and germs from your body. During the common cold season, don’t eat really spicy foods, which will irritate the throat membrane and result in germs having a chance to attack you. During the flu season, you can take garlic, echinacea and vitamin C as supplements to help your immune system work more efficiently. Use the sinus rinse to rinse your nasal passages and sinus openings once a day so as to wash away mucus as well as pathogenic particles and prevent cold and flu.
Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine: Acupuncture and cupping can reduce the fever, congestion, headaches, body aches and ease the symptoms. Chinese herbs can comfort the sore throat, runny nose, coughing, relieve fever, aching, etc. and speed up the recovering process. Some Chinese herbs may strengthen immunity so as to prevent cold and flu. Herbal nasal spray and rinse: to clear the nasal congestion, clean local inflammation and infection, wash off the excessive mucus or allergens, moisturize and subside the irritation of inflamed membranes in the nose and sinuses.
For more information, please call Dr. Liyan Lu at 661-513-9265, Ping’s Acupuncture and Herbs Center.