Cold is a common infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract, caused mainly by viruses, mainly rhinovirus and coronavirus. In general, there are common colds and influenza. The common cold, also known as “cold”, is a type of upper respiratory tract infection that occurs mostly in winter and spring, with the main symptoms being a dry, itchy, burning sensation in the throat, sneezing, runny nose that can be accompanied by sore throat, fever and cough. If there are no complications, it will recover on its own in a week or so. 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 coughing or sneezing. Influenza is highly contagious and the virus mutates easily, so influenza is prone to outbreaks of epidemics. Since most viruses are not sensitive to anti-infective drugs, the flu is mainly treated symptomatically. Currently, most of the anti-flu drugs sold in the market are compounded, and most of the drugs for treating the flu are over-the-counter drugs (Nonprescription Drug), customarily referred to as OTC, which is an abbreviation for Over The Counter. It means that you can judge, buy and use the medicine by yourself without doctor’s prescription. In the face of numerous cold medicines, how to reasonably choose anti-cold medicine? First, the anti-cold western medicine: according to its role can be divided into antipyretic and analgesic components, antihistamine components, vasoconstrictor components, central excitatory components, central cough components, expectorant components, antiviral components. Antipyretic and analgesic components include: acetaminophen, aspirin, finasteride, hydantoin, ibuprofen; antihistamine components include: pyrrolopyridine hydrochloride, terfenadine, paracetamol; vasoconstrictor component includes: pseudoephedrine; central cough component includes: dextromethorphan hydrobromide; expectorant component includes nausea expectorant guaiacol glycerol ether and sputum dissolving agent bromocyclominol; central excitatory component includes: caffeine. Anti-viral ingredients include: amantadine, malingeredrine, etc. (B) anti-cold Chinese medicine: Chinese medicine for the treatment of colds, emphasizing the diagnosis and treatment, distinguishing between cold and heat and deficiency, and choosing the evidence. Now the identification of Chinese medicine on the cold typology and should be selected Chinese medicine, briefly described as follows: 1, wind-cold cold: heavy cold, fever light (or no fever), headache, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy throat, cough, more thin white sputum; coating thin white, pulse floating. Pungent, warming and relieving herbs that disperse wind-cold should be used. For example, Jiu Wei Qiang Wu Wan, Tong Yi Li Lung Wan. 2, wind-heat cold: heavy fever, light chills, headache and swelling, sore throat, or dry mouth and desire to drink, cough, coughing with thick yellow sputum, thin white and yellowish tongue coating, floating pulse. Application of clearing heat and promoting the lung with pungent and cool relieving drugs, such as Sang Ju cold tablets, Shuang Huang Lian oral liquid, Yin Qiao Xie Toxin Pill, Antelope Qiao Xie Toxin Pill, Antelope cold tablets. 3.Sense of cold and damp stagnation: external wind-cold surface evidence, fever and vicious cold, body temperature is not high, headache. Internal phlegm and dampness in the obstruction, stomach full of stuffy, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Can be used to relieve surface dampness; Huoxiang Zhengqi Pill or Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. 4.Two sensations in the table: strong heat and cold, headache and dizziness, bitter and dry mouth, sore throat, or cough and wheezing, constipation, red and astringent urine. Should be selected to use the epiglottis, the relief of the epiglottis and clearing medicine, such as anti-feng Tong Sheng Wan. 5.Qi deficiency cold: the body is weak, low resistance, usually easy to sweat, intolerant of wind and cold. See body tiredness and fatigue, loss of appetite, mild fever, clear nasal discharge, often persist for a long time, or repeated colds. This type should benefit the qi and relieve the symptoms, and can be treated with the pill. Reasonable choice of anti-cold medicine is crucial to the treatment of colds, drug advertising is only from the drug function, not necessarily suitable for everyone, just look at the advertising to take drugs, will be botched. There are often multiple names of the same drug in the market, only to understand the composition and role of the anti-cold medicine, and against the drug instructions, combined with their own symptoms, analysis of indications and contraindications, to avoid blind, repeated use of drugs, to be careful and reasonable use of anti-cold medicine.