Influenza
Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza viruses and is one of the major public health concerns facing humanity. Influenza epidemics are characterized by sudden outbreaks and rapid spread, resulting in epidemics of varying severity, and are seasonal. In northern China, influenza commonly occurs in winter, while in southern China it is more common in both winter and summer.
Influenza has a high incidence rate. According to statistics, the annual incidence rate is 10%–30%. People of all ages are generally susceptible, but the case-fatality rate is low (except for avian influenza in humans, it is generally only 0.003%–0.03%). Because influenza viruses undergo rapid antigenic variation, humans have not yet developed lasting immunity.
Influenza is a Western medical disease name. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) does not use the terms “influenza” or “the flu.” Based on the description of its symptoms, it may correspond to the TCM pattern known as “seasonal epidemic cold” (shixing ganmao), and falls within this category in TCM.
TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference
|Common Symptoms
Clinical description:
Early in the illness, fever may or may not be present; the throat is red and uncomfortable, with a mild cough and scant sputum, and dry mouth. The tongue body is red at the edges and tip, with a thin or thin, slightly greasy coating; the pulse is floating and rapid.
In plain language:
- Early in the illness, you may or may not have a fever
- The throat may look red and feel uncomfortable or mildly scratchy
- A mild cough, with little sputum
- Dry mouth and a desire to drink water
- The edges or tip of the tongue may look red
- The tongue coating may be very thin or slightly sticky
- The pulse may feel superficial and slightly fast (as noted during a medical examination)
|Treatment Approach
Clinical description:
Disperse wind, release the exterior, clear heat, and resolve toxins.
In plain language:
- Help disperse external “wind” from the body’s surface and induce mild sweating, easing external symptoms such as fever, headache, nasal congestion, and sore throat
- Clear internal “heat” and “toxins” (roughly corresponding to inflammation), helping reduce fever and ease discomfort such as a red, swollen, painful throat, thirst, feeling hot and restless, and yellow phlegm or nasal discharge
|Related Products
The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical description:
Early in the illness: aversion to cold, with or without fever; body aches and headache; clear nasal discharge; and no sweating. The tongue body is pale red, with a thin, moist coating.
In plain language:
- Early in the illness, feeling cold or shivery
- You may or may not have a fever
- Headache and aches throughout the body
- Clear, watery nasal discharge
- Little or no sweating
- The tongue looks pale red, with a thin, moist coating
|Treatment Approach
Clinical description:
Release the exterior with acrid, warm methods.
In plain language:
- Use warming, pungent methods to help the body sweat lightly and dispel external wind-cold
- Ease discomfort associated with a cold after exposure to cold, such as feeling chilled, fever, headache, body aches, nasal congestion, and cough
|Related Products
The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical description:
Aversion to cold, high fever, headache, body aches, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and thirst. The tongue body is red, with a thin or yellow coating; the pulse is rapid.
In plain language:
- Feeling cold or shivery
- High fever
- Headache and aches throughout the body
- Sore throat
- Nasal congestion and runny nose
- Thirst and a desire to drink more water
- The tongue looks red, with a thin or yellowish coating
- The pulse may be fast (as noted during a medical examination)
|Treatment Approach
Clinical description:
Release the exterior and clear the interior.
In plain language:
- First disperse the “pathogenic influence of a cold” affecting the body’s surface, inducing mild sweating to ease discomfort such as fever, headache, nasal congestion, and sore throat
- At the same time, clear internal “fire” or heat to ease high fever, thirst, sore and swollen throat, constipation, and dark yellow urine, addressing both the exterior and interior
|Related Products
The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical description:
High fever, cough, sticky sputum that is difficult to expectorate, thirst and desire to drink, sore throat, and red eyes. The tongue body is red, with a yellow or greasy coating; the pulse is slippery and rapid.
In plain language:
- High fever
- Cough
- Thick, sticky sputum that is difficult to cough up, with little relief after coughing
- Thirst and a desire to drink more water
- Sore throat
- Red eyes
- The tongue looks red
- The tongue coating is yellow or thick and sticky
- The pulse feels relatively fast and slippery (as noted during a medical examination)
|Treatment Approach
Clinical description:
Clear the lung and resolve toxins.
In plain language:
- Clear “heat” and inflammation in the lungs, easing discomfort such as cough, thick yellow sputum, sore throat, chest tightness, and fever
- Help the body clear disease-causing factors, ease foul-smelling sputum and signs of suppuration, and support gradual improvement in temperature and symptoms
|Related Products
The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical description:
Headache, a heavy feeling in the body, chest tightness or aversion to cold with fever, abdominal fullness and pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. The tongue is pale red, with a yellow, greasy coating.
In plain language:
- Headache and a heavy, sluggish feeling in the body
- Chest tightness, and possibly chills or fever
- Discomfort from fullness and pain in the upper abdomen and belly
- Nausea and feeling like vomiting; vomiting or diarrhea may occur
- The tongue looks pale red, with a somewhat yellow and sticky coating
|Treatment Approach
Clinical description:
Release the exterior, resolve dampness, regulate qi, and harmonize the middle.
In plain language:
- Induce mild sweating to disperse external “wind-cold-dampness,” easing discomfort such as heaviness in the head and body, nasal congestion, excess phlegm, feverishness and chest discomfort, and a sticky feeling in the mouth
- Regulate qi and support coordinated digestive function, easing stomach fullness, nausea, poor appetite, abdominal bloating, or diarrhea
|Related Products
The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical description:
High fever, cough with sputum, shortness of breath and labored breathing; or palpitations, agitation and restlessness, and dark purplish lips. The tongue is dark red, with a yellow, greasy or gray, greasy coating; the pulse is slippery and rapid.
In plain language:
- High fever
- Cough with phlegm
- Shortness of breath or difficulty catching your breath
- Possible palpitations, a pounding heartbeat, restlessness, or agitation
- Lips may look dusky or purplish
- The tongue looks dark red
- The tongue coating is yellow and sticky, or grayish and sticky
- The pulse is relatively fast and feels slippery (as noted during a medical examination)
|Treatment Approach
Clinical description:
Clear heat and purge the lung, resolve toxins, and disperse blood stasis.
In plain language:
- Clear lung “fire” and inflammation, easing discomfort such as fever, cough, thick yellow sputum, sore throat, and chest tightness
- Help the body eliminate harmful substances and improve circulation, disperse stagnation, ease swelling and pain, and support recovery
|Related Products
The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
|Common Symptoms
Clinical description:
Rapid or weak breathing, or the need for assisted ventilation; listlessness or reduced consciousness, possibly progressing to stupor; a pale or flushed complexion; spontaneous cold sweating or dry skin; cool or cold extremities; dry mouth and throat. The tongue is dusky, with a white coating, or crimson and dry with little moisture; the pulse is faint, thready, and rapid, or faint and weak.
In plain language:
- Very rapid or weak breathing; a machine may be needed to assist with breathing
- Slow responses or confusion, possibly progressing to near-unconsciousness
- Pale or flushed face
- Cold sweats or dry skin
- Cool or even cold hands and feet
- Dry mouth and throat
- The tongue may look dusky with a white coating, or very red to crimson, dry, and with little saliva
- The pulse may be faint, thready, and fast, or noticeably weak (as noted during a medical examination)
|Treatment Approach
Clinical description:
Support upright qi and prevent collapse.
In plain language:
- When the body is extremely weak and struggling, this approach is intended to provide support, replenish strength, and stabilize breathing and heartbeat
- It also aims to reduce dangerous signs such as profuse sweating, weak breathing, and cold hands and feet, helping the body through a critical period
|Related Products
The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.
References
- Expert Group for Developing the Ministry of Health Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Influenza. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Influenza (2011 Edition) [J]. Chinese Journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, 2011, 34(10): 725–734.
- Zhang Hongchun. Annotations to the TCM Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines: Respiratory Diseases [M]. Beijing: China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2015.
- Wang Yongyan, Chao Enxiang, Wang Guiqiang. Guidelines for the Clinical Use of Chinese Patent Medicines: Infectious Diseases [M]. Beijing: China Press of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2015.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission. Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China: Clinical Medication Guide—Chinese Patent Medicines [M]. Beijing: China Medical Science Press, 2010.