leading
to cold and flu. The unfavorable influence of the seasonal changes is
perceived as an evil that threatens our health. The concept of
bacteria and viruses causing illness are incorporated in the concept
of exogenous evil qi in Chinese medicine, but it is classified with
different diagnosis and treatment systems.
Under
the category exogenous evil qi, there are six evils, namely
"wind evil" (a wood element/ more prevalent in spring),
"summer heat evil" (a fire element/more prevalent in
summer), "fire evil" (a fire element more prevalent in summer),
dampness evil (an earth element more prevalent in late summer),
dryness evil (a metal element more prevalent in autumn) and
"cold evil" (a water element more prevalent in winter).
Among them, the wind evil is considered the leading evil qi that most
frequently causes cold and flu. But evil qi seldom attacks alone, it
is usually accompanied by some other evil qi depending on the
seasonal influence. For example, wind-cold evils are more prevalent
in winter while wind-heat evils are more prevalent in spring and
summer.
TCM
treatment for cold and flu does not focus on direct removal of virus
or bacteria on a microscopic level. Instead, it focuses on resuming
the internal harmony of the human body. From a Western viewpoint this
might be explained as modifying the internal environment of the human
body, so that the virus or bacteria can no longer find a good habitat
or environment in the human body to survive. By resuming the healthy
internal ecology inside human body, the symptoms of cold and flu will
gradually go away and the illness will then be treated.
In
Chinese medicine understanding, symptoms of cold and flu are the
result of a battle between the protective qi of the body and the
invading exogenous evil qi. Protective qi is a kind of vital energy
responsible for protecting the body against the influences of the
exogenous evil qi. It circulates around the whole body through the
skin and muscles located in the "exterior" to guard against
the attack of the evil qi.
A
certain degree of a fear of cold is the first sign of cold and flu. It
is an indication that the evil qi is attacking the human body. Being
warm in property, when protective qi fights fiercely against the evil
qi, it will lead to a rise in body temperature and the development of
a fever. Therefore, the higher the fever, the fiercer the fight
between the two forces and hence the more severe the cold and flu is.
The degree of fever and fear of cold helps differentiate what kind of
evil qi is invading.
