Kit Li
Spring seems to have arrived earlier than expected this year. How did I notice? My husband started sneezing frequently and occasionally had a runny nose, especially after walking the dog in the morning. That was my clue that spring had arrived and pollen levels were rising.
In the UK during spring, it is helpful to check daily pollen forecasts, shower and change clothes after spending time outdoors, and keep windows closed in the early morning when pollen levels are usually highest.
How do we differentiate between the symptoms of Cold, Flu or Hay Fever, or the mixtures of the symptoms?
1) Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, where the immune system reacts strongly to harmless pollen in the air.
Common symptoms: frequent sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy nose, eyes, ears, or throat, and watery or red eyes.
The symptoms are usually worse outdoors or in the morning, and there is no fever. Hay fever often happens every year in spring or summer, with symptoms appearing quickly after exposure to pollen. Antihistamines usually help relieve the symptoms. For example, repeated sneezing in the morning with a runny nose and itchy eyes often suggests hay fever rather than an infection.
Common symptoms: a runny or blocked nose, mild cough, mild sore throat, occasional sneezing, and mild fatigue. A high fever is uncommon.
The symptoms usually develop gradually and typically last about 5 - 10 days. Colds are not strongly seasonal, although they tend to occur more often in winter.
Typical symptoms include a high fever, body aches, severe fatigue, headache, dry cough, chills, and sometimes a sore throat.
The symptoms usually appear suddenly, and people often feel very unwell and weak. In many cases, the illness is strong enough to keep someone in bed for several days.
4) Mixed symptoms are quite common.
Sometimes allergies and a cold happen at the same time, causing sneezing, itchy eyes, and a sore throat. Allergies can also irritate the sinuses, leading to congestion and headaches.
In early spring, a cold can easily be mistaken for hay fever because the symptoms are similar. A simple rule is that itching usually means an allergy, while fever or body aches suggest an infection.
Case sharing:
Last Monday, an Asian female patient from Malaysia, who has been staying in London for over two weeks while visiting her son, sought complementary therapy for hay fever accompanied by cold-like symptoms.
She reported experiencing a combination of symptoms, including frequent sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes, headaches (the occipital areas), and mild fatigue. She explained that she did not expect the night time temperatures in the UK to drop to single digits. As a result, she believes she caught a cold on the third day of her stay, which appears to have aggravated her hay fever symptoms.
Her tongue is Pale with Thin White Coating, the Pulse is Floating, slight tight and weak.
TCM diagnosis:
- Wind-cold invading the Lung
- Lung-Qi deficiency with weak Defensive-Qi
- Release the exterior and expel Wind-Cold
- Disperse and regulate Lung-Qi
- Strengthen Wei-Qi and the Lung
Acupuncture Points:
Scalp Acupuncture: Head Area, Sensory Area...etc
Body points:
- LI-20 (Yingxiang, 迎香): Local point to open the nasal passages and relieve rhinitis
- Bitong (鼻通): Extra ordinary point for nasal congestion and sinus symptoms
- LI-4 (Hegu, 合谷): Expels Wind, relieves headache, regulates defensive Qi
- LU-7 (Lieque, 列缺): Releases exterior Wind and promotes Lung function
- DU-29 (Yintang, 印堂): Calms the mind and relieves nasal congestion and sinus pressure
- ST-36 (Zusanli, 足三里): Tonifies Qi and strengthens immunity
- SP-6 (Sanyinjiao, 三阴交): Strengthens Spleen-Qi and supports overall Qi
- GB-20 (Fengchi, 风池): Expels Wind and relieves headaches
- BL-13 (Feishu, 肺俞): Tonifies Lung-Qi
Modified YuPingFeng (加味玉屏风散) (1) was prescribed for the first week to tonify Qi, strengthen Wei Qi, and expel Wind. There are eight ingredients and the key ingredients are:
- Huang Qi (Astagalus Root) (2): Tonifies Qi, strengthens the Lung and Spleen, raises Yang, and consolidates Wei Qi to help protect the body from external pathogens.
- Baizhu (Atractylodes Rhizome): Tonifies Spleen Qi, strengthens digestion, dries Dampness, and supports defensive Qi.
- Fangfeng (Siler Root): Expels Wind, releases the exterior, alleviates allergic symptoms such as sneezing and itching.
- Sangbeipi (Mulberry Root Bark): Clears Lung Heat, stops coughing and wheezing, promotes urination to reduce edema.
BiMinGan (鼻敏感) (3), a unique formula was prescribed for the second week for opening the nasal passages, dispel Wind, and relieve symptoms of allergic rhinitis soothing. There are also eight ingredients and the key ingredients are:
- CangErZi (Xanthium Fruit) (4): Disperses Wind, opens nasal passages, relieves sinus congestion and rhinitis.
- XiYiHua (Magnolia Flower) (5): Opens the nasal passages, disperses Wind-Cold, commonly used for sinusitis and nasal congestion.
- JingJie (Schizonepeta Herb): Releases the exterior, expels Wind, alleviates itching and allergic symptoms.
