Talking about the flu

  1.Overview: Colds are generally divided into the common cold and influenza. The common cold, called “wind” in Chinese medicine, is a common respiratory disease caused by a variety of viruses and is confined to the nasal cavity and the throat. It is caused when there are triggering factors such as cold, rain, overexertion, etc., which reduce the local defense function of the whole body or respiratory tract. Influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. The virus is present in the patient’s respiratory tract and is transmitted to others via droplets when the patient coughs or sneezes. It can occur in all seasons, generally in winter and spring when the climate changes suddenly.  2.Clinical manifestations: The general manifestations are nasal congestion and runny nose, cough and headache, chills and fever. It can also appear sore limbs, itchy throat or sore throat, etc.  3, moxibustion therapy: 1) acupuncture points: Dazhi, Fengchi, Hegu, Fengmen, Lung Yu, Foot Sanli, Guan Yuan, etc.  (2) Moxibustion method: moxa mild suspension, moxibustion with ginger, acupuncture point paste, etc.  Moxibustion with ginger is used for treating wind-cold during pregnancy: the patient is placed in a sitting position with head slightly lowered, and Dazhi, Fengmen and Lung Yu are taken. According to the area of moxibustion, take fresh ginger slices 0.5 cm thick and about 3 cm in diameter, pierce several holes with a needle, place them on the acupuncture points, take large moxa cones (moxa cones about 1 cm in height and 1 cm in diameter at the bottom of the cone) on the ginger slices, and light them for moxibustion. When the moxa cone is burnt out, moxibustion is done again, usually 3-5 sticks. If the patient feels burning, move the ginger up and down or left and right, moxibustion until the local skin is red and moist, or a slight sweat, to avoid burns. Moxibustion once a day, generally 3-5 days can be, after moxibustion drink a glass of warm water for better results.  The clinical manifestations of wind-cold during pregnancy are mainly nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy throat, cough, thin sputum, no thirst or hot drinks, or even cold and fever (cold is heavy and hot is light), no sweat and headache, and aching limbs.  This method has obvious advantages in overcoming and solving the adverse effects of other treatments, etc., compared with other methods of clinical treatment of wind-cold colds in pregnancy at present.  4, clinical experience: Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence of colds is caused by external evil taking advantage of the body’s insufficient ability to defend itself against evil and attacking the lung guard. It can invigorate the Yang energy of the whole body, stimulate and regulate the Qi and blood of the body, which can strengthen the organism, nourish the deficiency and cultivate the vital energy, and promote the effect of Yang in relieving the symptoms.  Fengmen unblocks the meridians, harmonizes the qi and blood, and benefits the lungs and relieves symptoms; Lung Yu is the place where the qi of the lungs is transferred and infused, and is an important acupoint for treating lung disorders, tonifying the lungs and benefiting the qi, promoting the lungs and relieving symptoms, and relieving cough and asthma. The famous doctor recorded: “mugwort, bitter, slightly warm, cooked heat, pure Yang nature, can return the dying Yang, through the twelve meridians, go three yin, regulate qi and blood, expel cold and damp, warm the uterus …… to the moxibustion fire, can penetrate the meridians and remove a hundred diseases.”  Moxibustion across the ginger dazhi, Fengmen, Lung Yu can warm the meridians, harmonize Qi and blood, dispel the cold and benefit the lungs and relieve the symptoms. Drinking a cup of warm water after moxibustion can invigorate the propagation of Yang Qi. It has obvious advantages for elderly people with cold, children with cold and pregnant women with cold. Wind-cold colds are best treated with moxibustion, which is often used as mild moxibustion; wind-heat colds can be treated with garlic moxibustion or garlic mud moxibustion. For those who are prone to cold and flu, in autumn and winter season or flu season, take the foot three li and dazhi points for mild moxibustion, 1 time/day, 10-15min/time, 10 days for a course, generally 3 courses of treatment. In addition, “Sanli health moxibustion” can also be used, that is, to take the foot Sanli point and apply septic moxibustion.