The signs and symptoms of influenza manifest when the immune system function is weakened due to stress, overwork, late nights, fatigue, low-quality diet, change of weather etc. Generally, poor lifestyle leads to impaired immune function This in turn makes us susceptible to all kinds of infection. The common cold, or flu, is usually the beginning of the infection. Symptoms such as runny nose, fever, aversion to cold, sore throat, general aches and pains, headache, dry mouth and a feeling of heat in the nose are messages telling us that something is wrong. Cold and flu symptoms are not diseases but rather the body’s best attempt to fight off the infection.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) characterises flu into two types: Cold and Hot. Symptoms associated with cold type include headache, fever, chills, congestion, dripping nose, and sore limbs. This type of flu is easier and quicker to control as the pathogens have not penetrated to the deep level. Provided it is done during the early stages, a single acupuncture treatment with moxibustion or cupping is usually sufficient to control the flu.

Ginger tea warms the body and expels the cold very quickly. In fact, drinking ginger tea regularly is an excellent way to prevent winter flu. A more intensive treatment for flu prevention is this traditional remedy, called Jungle Juice, which works brilliantly. Finely chop 2 cloves garlic and 2 thin slices of ginger. Combine with the juice of half a lemon, one teaspoon of honey and a dash of cayenne pepper. Cover with boiling water to make one cup, stand for twenty minutes and drink while still warm. Dress warmly and protect yourself from wind, and cold drafts such as those from airconditioning or fans.

More serious, and extremely uncomfortable, is the hot type of influenza. Symptoms include very sore throat, tight cough with yellow phlegm, yellow or green nasal discharge, swollen glands, headache, high fever, severe aches and pains all over the body, and a burning sensation in the nose and throat. Cold type flu can develop into hot type if ignored. Hot type flu can also result from internal heat which is affected by external cold, such as eating barbecue and drinking wine for dinner, then diving into a cold pool on a cool summer night. Physical and emotional stress, which further depletes the immune system, is another cause. Working in an airconditioned building during hot summers, or even walking in and out of airconditioned buildings, stresses the body, weakening our defense mechanisms. Most of the reasons for developing hot flu can be prevented by making lifestyle changes.
I see many patients in my clinic with severe chest infections that developed from ordinary flu. Often they have taken several courses of antibiotics. While the drugs helped initially with the symptoms, within a few weeks the patients became ill again, more seriously then before. The reason for this is that they failed to build up their immune system. Antibiotics do not help us build up our immunity: they merely help control infection. They destroy bad bacteria, but also kill beneficial bacteria that help maintain immune function.

Doctors in China rarely prescribe antibiotics to treat influenza. Chinese herbs and acupuncture are always the first choice. If the cause is wind cold, we warm the cold with hot herbs such as ginger, cayenne, and the white part of spring onions. We keep the patient warm, and use lots of moxibustion (hot needles) during the treatment. If the cause is wind heat, we eliminate the heat with cold herbs such as honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, ma cao geng, grass jelly, watermelon skin, lotus seed etc.

Chinese people are taught to be aware of their bodies, so as soon as they feel slightly uncomfortable physically, they immediately pay a visit to the physician to prevent the discomfort worsening.
I strongly urge you to take prompt action against flu as soon as the first signs and symptoms manifest. At the first sign of physical aches and pains and an itchy, runny nose with clear discharge, take a dose of Jungle Juice and repeat several times a day. If the flu has rapidly progressed to hot type, and you have a cough, sore throat and green nasal discharge, take a high dose of goldenseal and Japanese five mushroom extract. Self-treatment, however, is not recommended for severe flu.

To guard against influenza, start taking regular low dose of vitamin C and herbal tincture of Echinacea just before the start of the flu season.

This article was first published in the magazine “Nature and Health”


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