Many people think that a cold is just a minor problem, so you can take some medicine. But in fact, “cold is the source of all diseases”, which may lead to otitis media, acute nephritis, myocarditis and other diseases, so do not take it lightly.
In the human nasopharynx, there is a very small tube leading to the ear, which is the eustachian tube, the thinnest part of which is only 1 to 2 mm. The eustachian tube is a channel for the middle ear to maintain the balance of air pressure with the outside world, and its smoothness plays an important role in normal hearing. Once it is blocked or malfunctioning, it will cause dysfunction of ventilation and drainage, which will lead to dilatation and congestion of the mucosal vessels in the middle ear and the formation of middle ear effusion. Hearing sounds will be uncomfortable, like the feeling of stuffy ears after water has entered the ear.
Once the function of the eustachian tube is damaged, the patient will feel stuffy, tinnitus, and hearing loss, but hearing will temporarily improve when blowing the nose or pulling the ear. At the same time, there may also be “self-hearing enhancement”, i.e. hearing oneself speak particularly loudly, which is a typical symptom of the complication of the cold – catarrhal otitis media, also known as secretory otitis media.
If you experience stuffy ears or “enhanced self-hearing” after a cold, do not take it lightly and go to an otolaryngologist for an examination. If treatment is not timely, appropriate or complete, it may lead to adhesions in the tympanic chamber and hearing loss. This condition is common in both adults and children, and untimely treatment of secretory otitis media is one of the common causes of deafness in children.
In addition, it is important to treat the cold thoroughly and not to stop the medication when the symptoms improve slightly, because the mucous membrane in the nasopharynx is still in a swollen state at this time, and prematurely stopping the medication will delay the healing time and lead to local mucous membrane hypertrophy, which can easily affect hearing.
Chinese medicine considers secretory otitis media to be in the category of “wind deafness”, “ear swelling and ear closure”, “ear swelling and pain” and “ear paralysis”. The pathogenesis of otitis media is mostly due to the invasion of wind evil. The pathogenesis of otitis media is mostly due to the invasion of wind, blockage of Qi, or phlegm and dampness, gathering in the ear orifice, or stagnation of evil toxins and stagnation of Qi and blood. The main points of its identification and treatment are.
1. Wind evil stagnation in the orifices: after a cold, one feels stuffy or slightly painful in the ear, tinnitus and hearing loss, enhanced self-sound, inward sinking of the tympanic membrane, red and swollen or fluid plane. It is accompanied by fever and bad wind, stuffy and runny nose. The treatment is to remove wind and disperse evil, promote the flow of qi and promote gangrene. The formula is based on the following formula: Jin Yin Hua 20g, Lian Qiao 20g, Radix Platycodon 12g, Chrysanthemum 12g, Mulberry Leaf 12g, Scutellaria Baicalensis 12g, Peppermint 12g, Temperate Bamboo Leaf 12g, Temperate Edamame 15g, Burdock 15g, Rutabaga 20g, Chuanxiong 15g, Chai Hu 20g, Aromatic Herb 12g, Xin Yi 12g, Cang Er Zi 12g, Shi Calamus 12g, Licorice 6g, decoction with water. Feverfew and fishy grass pills are taken orally.
2. Phlegm-dampness gathering in the ears: heavy feeling of swelling and occlusion in the ears, hearing loss, enhanced self-sound, and watery sound in the ears when shaking the head. Examination shows that the tympanic membrane has curved horizontal lines or the tympanic membrane is convex. The whole body has heavy head and dizziness, tiredness and fatigue, light mouth and abdominal fullness; light tongue with greasy coating and moist or smooth pulse. It is advisable to strengthen the spleen and promote clearing, and to benefit dampness and clear the orifices. Recipe with Shengqing Tang: Astragalus membranaceus 30g, Radix Codonopsis pilosulae 15g, Atractylodes macrocephala 12g, Radix Bupleurum Chinense 12g, Radix Angelicae Sinensis 15g, Poria cocos 15g, Radix Zedoariae 15g, Acorus calamus 15g, Plantago ovata 15g, Radix Puerariae Sinensis 20g, Mouton 12g, Glycyrrhiza glabra 6g, decoction with water. Ginseng Fu Pill and Jianshuwan are taken orally.
3. Qi and blood stasis: a feeling of occlusion in the ear, hearing loss, and tinnitus gradually rising, which does not heal over time. The tympanic membrane is obviously sunken, or thickened, with calcium deposition and adhesion atrophy; the tongue is dark red and the pulse is astringent. Treatment is to invigorate blood circulation and open the ears. Recipe: Astragalus membranaceus 30g, Radix Angelicae Sinensis 15g, Radix Paeoniae Alba 12g, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 30g, Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae 15g, Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong 15g, Rhizoma Peach-Kernel 12g, Rhizoma Safflower 12g, Radix Scorpion 12g, Radix et Rhizoma Dioscorea 15g, Radix et Rhizoma Huangjing 15g, Radix et Rhizoma Puerariae 20g, Radix et Rhizoma Silphium 15g, Radix Luteae 15g, Decoction with water. Blood Activation Pill and Stinging Worm Pill are taken orally.
Acute nephritis
Cold is a common viral infection that heals itself in a week or so in people with good resistance. However, for some people, besides affecting their hearing, colds may also induce or aggravate kidney diseases, of which the onset of acute nephritis is closely related to colds.
Acute nephritis is usually caused by streptococcal infection or non-streptococcal infection. Acute nephritis caused by streptococcal infections occurs in winter and spring, often within one to three weeks after a cold, i.e., an upper respiratory infection. These patients also suffer from tonsillitis or pharyngitis. Glomerulonephritis caused by non-streptococcal infections is caused by a variety of bacteria and viruses, including influenza virus, which can directly cause acute nephritis.
The symptoms of acute nephritis are mainly edema, hematuria and hypertension, and there may also be proteinuria, which can be complicated by renal insufficiency in severe cases. Therefore, if edema and hematuria appear within 1 to 3 weeks after the flu, you should promptly go to the hospital for relevant examinations and be alert to whether you are suffering from acute nephritis.
1.Wind-cold lung, wind-water evidence
Symptoms: fever with cold, and heavy cold, coughing and shortness of breath, facial swelling, or general edema, shiny skin; light tongue, thin white fur, floating and tight or sinking pulse.
Treatment: Expel wind and dispel cold, promote the lung and move water.
Representative formula: Ma Ling Tang.
Commonly used drugs: 12 grams of Ephedra, 12 grams of almonds, 12 grams of Chai Hu, 15 grams of Pueraria Mirifica, 12 grams of Qian Hu, 12 grams of Qiang Wu, 15 grams of Fructus Parviflorus, 12 grams of Fang Feng, 12 grams of Thornbush, 12 grams of Gui Zhi, 12 grams of Atractylodes Macrocephala, 12 grams of Poria, 12 grams of Poria, 12 grams of Poria, 12 grams of Ze Di, 10 grams of Roasted Gan, taken with water. Jing Fang Wan is taken orally.
2.Wind-heat offending the lung, watery evil within the stopping evidence
Symptoms: fever without cold, or heat with heavy cold, sore throat, dry mouth and thirst, swelling of the head and face, urine with little color; red tongue, thin yellow fur, floating or fine pulse.
Treatment: Dispersing wind and clearing heat, promoting the lung and moving water.
Representative formula: Drain wind and promote water.
Commonly used drugs: 12 grams of ephedra, 20 grams of forsythia, 30 grams of adzuki bean, 20 grams of slippery stone, 15 grams of bamboo leaf, 20 grams of thatch root, 20 grams of gong ying, 12 grams of gynostemma, 20 grams of vine root, 20 grams of gypsum, 6 grams of licorice, 10 grams of jujube, 12 grams of atractylodes, 12 grams of foxglove, 12 grams of zedoary, 12 grams of poria, 5 grams of ginger, taken with water. Lianxiao Pill and Exorcism Pill are taken orally.
3.Heat and toxin invasion, dampness and heat accumulation evidence
Symptoms: unhealed skin sores, or some sores have crusted over, facial or general edema, dry mouth, bitter mouth, urine with little color, or even hematuria; red tongue, thin yellow or yellow greasy coating, smooth or fine pulse.
Treatment: Clearing heat and detoxifying toxins, relieving dampness and subduing swelling.
Representative formula: detoxification and dampness relief soup.
Commonly used drugs: 12 grams of ephedra, 12 grams of almonds, 12 grams of raw white peel, 12 grams of winter sunflower seeds, 30 grams of thatch root, 15 grams of bamboo leaves, 12 grams of zedoary, 12 grams of antibiotics, 20 grams of forsythia, 30 grams of adzuki beans, 30 grams of honeysuckle, 12 grams of wild chrysanthemum, 20 grams of dandelion, 20 grams of zedoary, 12 grams of purple-backed asparagus, 6 grams of licorice, 3 grams of ginger, 10 grams of dai, taken with water. Chemical Poison Pill and Bazheng Pill are taken orally.
4.Spleen and kidney deficiency, watery overflow evidence
Symptoms: edema of the lower extremities, sunken and sunken, heavy body, abdominal distension, poor appetite, lumbar soreness and urination, shortness of breath and weakness; light tongue, white and greasy coating, moist and slow pulse.
Treatment: Strengthening the spleen and permeating dampness, promoting Yang and promoting water circulation.
Representative formula: Wu Pi Tang.
Commonly used drugs: 12 grams of mulberry peel, 12 grams of Chen peel, 10 grams of ginger peel, 15 grams of dagger peel, 15 grams of poria peel, 12 grams of cinnamon stick, 12 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, 15 grams of poria, 12 grams of poria, 12 grams of zedoary, 12 grams of pepper, 12 grams of ginger, 10 grams of eucommia, 12 grams of defense, 6 grams of licorice, taken with water decoction. Guihuixianwan, urinary tract health orally.
5.Lung and kidney deficiency, water-dampness stagnation evidence
Symptoms: fatigue and weakness, edema of the lower limbs, lumbar soreness and urination, dark red throat, or low-grade fever; red tongue, little coating, thin or fine pulse.
Treatment: Benefiting qi, promoting correctness, promoting water retention and eliminating swelling.
Representative formula: Benefit Qi and promote water retention soup.
Commonly used drugs: 12 grams of Fangqi, 12 grams of Zexie, 50 grams of Astragalus, 12 grams of Atractylodes, 30 grams of Danshen, 20 grams of Radix Codonopsis, 12 grams of Radix Achyranthes, 12 grams of Eucommia, 12 grams of Radix et Rhizoma, 12 grams of Plantago, 12 grams of Salvia, 30 grams of Yam, 6 grams of licorice, 3 grams of ginger, 10 grams of jujube, taken with water. Ginseng Pill and Tonglin Pill are taken orally.
Viral myocarditis
In addition to damaging the kidneys, the cold virus can also invade the heart. Viral myocarditis is a common cardiovascular disease, especially common in winter, and tends to occur in children and adolescents.
Viral myocarditis is caused by a virus that attacks the heart directly after a cold and damages the heart muscle, thus affecting the blood supply to the heart muscle. There are many viruses that cause viral myocarditis, including influenza virus, enterovirus, and mumps virus. The heart is like a pump, constantly contracting and diastolic, pumping blood throughout the body. When the heart becomes inflamed, patients experience chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, and in some cases, heart rhythm confusion, heart failure, and even life-threatening conditions. At the same time, the heart relies on bioelectric conduction from the sinus node to beat, and inflammation of the heart can affect the normal activity of bioelectricity and lead to arrhythmia.
Viral myocarditis is often manifested as cold symptoms at the beginning of the disease. Therefore, if symptoms such as panic, chest tightness, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness and pressure in the precordial area, or even difficulty in breathing and heart failure occur within 1 to 2 weeks after a cold, it may be a manifestation of viral myocarditis and must be treated at a hospital in a timely manner.
1.Virulent invasion of the heart type
Fever and headache, palpitations and insomnia, dry throat and thirst, yellow urine, shortness of breath or cough, red tongue with yellow coating and floating or knotted pulse. Treatment is to clear heat and detoxify the heart, nourish the heart and nourish Yin. Radix et Rhizoma Polygala 30g, Radix forsythiae 30g, Radix Chrysanthemum 15g, Radix et Rhizoma Mulberry 12g, Radix Scutellariae 12g, Radix Platycodon Grandiflorum 12g, Radix Bupleurum 12g, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 12g, Radix et Rhizoma Lotus 15g, Radix Paeoniae Alba 12g, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae 20g, Radix glycyrrhizae 12g, Radix calamus 12g, Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae 6g, taken with water. Feverfew and musk pills are taken orally.
2.Phlegm stagnation and Qi stagnation type
Pain with chest tightness, palpitation and shortness of breath, cough with phlegm, swelling of lower limbs, purple and dark tongue, white and greasy coating, sunken and slippery pulse or astringent or knotted. Treatment includes resolving phlegm and Qi, activating blood circulation, and promoting blood circulation. Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng 20g, Allium sativum 12g, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhiza 30g, Fructus Crataegus 12g, Radix cassiae 12g, Radix Epimedium Epimedium 12g, Radix prunus ginseng 15g, Fructus Schisandrae 15g, Acorus calamus 12g, Radix et Rhizoma farinaceus 12g, Radix Angelicae Sinensis 12g, Radix maitong 12g, Radix safflower 12g, Radix Astragali 20g, Radix Jinyinhua 20g, Radix forsythiae 20g, Radix Panax notoginseng 12g, Radix glycyrrhizae 6g, decoction with water. Heart and brain nimble, fishy grass pills are taken orally.
3.Qi and Yin deficiency type
With palpitation, chest tightness, dizziness, weakness, heartburn, spontaneous sweating, red tongue with little fluid, little coating, thin and feeble pulse or knot. The treatment is to calm the heart and nourish yin, tranquilize the mind and calm the palpitations. Radix et Rhizoma Ginseng 10g, Fructus Schisandrae 15g, Rhizoma Macrocephalae 12g, Radix Astragali 30g, Rhizoma Polygonati 12g, Rhizoma Polygonati 12g, Rhizoma Polygonati 12g, Rhizoma Polygonati 30g, Radix Reishi 12g, Rhizoma Gynostemma 15g, Poria 15g, Rhizoma Atractylodes 12g, Rhizoma Chuanxiong 12g, Rhizoma Polygonati 6g, Rhizoma Cinnamomum 10g, Radix Glycyrrhiza Uralensis 10g, decoction with water. Take Shengyue Wan and Pearl Pill orally.
Can also cause these diseases
Infants and the elderly, as well as patients with diabetes, emphysema, chronic heart, liver and kidney diseases, are prone to combined or secondary respiratory bacterial infections after a cold, leading to bronchitis, bronchitis and even pneumonia.
In sinusitis colds, inflammation of the nasal cavity may spread to the sinuses. After 7 to 10 days of cold, if symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose and headache have not been reduced or even worsened, you should be alert to acute sinusitis, which may be transformed into chronic sinusitis if left untreated.
Rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by streptococcal infection. When a person has a cold, the ability to resist disease is reduced, and at this time, he or she is prone to streptococcal infection. Therefore, if you have localized redness, swelling and pain at the joints after catching a cold, you should beware if you have rheumatoid arthritis.