Treat Your Cold with Chinese Herbal Medicine

Do you use the same remedies to combat your winter cold symptoms year after year? If so, it may be time to try a different tack and reap the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine’s 3,000-year history. Andrew McIntyre, MS, LAc, clinical faculty member at Bastyr Center and Practitioner Care provider, explains that Chinese herbal medicine offers different approaches to different types of colds. If your symptoms include a fever, sore throat and yellow or green discharge, you’re experiencing “heat symptoms.” Feeling achy, have the chills and a colorless discharge? Then you have “cold symptoms.”

Herbal formulations are prescribed based on the type of cold you have. Among many herbal formulations is yin qiao jie du pian or yin qiao san. Honeysuckle, one of the two chief ingredients in this herbal blend, is known for its ability to clear heat signs and symptoms. Recent research shows this formulation has antimicrobial properties although it predates the study of microbiology.

Interested in experiencing Chinese herbal medicine’s effect on your latest cold? Don’t be tempted to self-medicate; Chinese herbal medicines should only be taken with a prescription or diagnosis from a licensed clinician. Learn more about Bastyr Center’s Chinese herbal medicine services or schedule an appointment with an acupuncture and Oriental medicine team.

Source: Andrew McIntyre, MS, LAc