Wind-cold invasion occurs when the body is exposed to cold and windy conditions, allowing cold pathogens to penetrate its exterior.
Symptoms
Symptoms typically include chills, aversion to cold, body aches, headache, stiff neck, nasal congestion with clear or white mucus, absence of thirst, and a floating pulse.
Treatment
Treatment focuses on expelling the cold pathogen, warming the exterior, and promoting sweating. Herbal formulas and acupuncture points that induce sweating and dispel cold are commonly used.
Wind-Cold Invasion
Wind-heat invasion occurs when external pathogens of wind and heat simultaneously invade the body's exterior. Symptoms often include fever, aversion to wind, sore throat, thirst with desire for cold drinks, red eyes, nasal congestion with yellow mucus, headache, and a floating, rapid pulse. Treatment aims to dispel wind and clear heat from the body. Herbal formulas and acupuncture points with cooling and dispersing properties alleviate symptoms and resolve the invasion.
Wind-Heat Invasion
In TCM diagnosis, practitioners differentiate between internal and external syndromes based on the nature and location of symptoms and the underlying patterns of disharmony. By understanding the interplay between internal and external factors, TCM practitioners can effectively diagnose and treat various health conditions, addressing the root causes of disease and the body's immediate response to pathological changes. Treatment strategies are tailored to individual patterns of disharmony, promoting balance and restoring harmony to the body's internal and external environments.
Internal
Nei
Internal factors in TCM refer to imbalances or disruptions that originate within the body and affect the internal organs, tissues, and physiological functions.
Internal imbalances may result from emotional stress, dietary habits, lifestyle choices, constitutional weaknesses, or chronic health conditions.
Diseases with internal origins are often characterised by symptoms that affect the internal organs, such as digestive disorders, hormonal imbalances, organ dysfunctions, or systemic health issues.
Treatment strategies for internal imbalances typically involve regulating the flow of Qi (vital energy) and Blood, nourishing deficient organs, clearing excesses, and restoring balance to the body's internal environment.
Internal syndromes may involve patterns of Qi stagnation, Blood stasis, Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency, or organ dysfunction.
Deep
Internal Organs, Qi, blood and bone marrow
External
Wei
External factors in TCM refer to influences or pathogens originating from outside the body and invading the body's surface or defensive energy field.
External pathogenic factors include wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and summer heat, which can enter the body through the skin, respiratory system, digestive system, or other routes of exposure.
Diseases caused by external pathogens are often characterised by acute onset, rapid progression, and symptoms that primarily affect the body's surface, such as fever, chills, sweating, sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, or skin rashes
Treatment strategies for external pathogenic factors typically involve expelling the pathogen from the body, releasing the exterior, promoting sweating, and supporting the body's defensive Qi (Wei Qi) to prevent further invasion.
External syndromes may involve patterns of wind-cold invasion, wind-heat invasion, dampness accumulation, or summer-heat dampness.
Superficial
Skin, Muscles and Channels
The Concept of Internal and External
The concepts of internal and external are fundamental principles used to assess the location, nature, and progression of disease and the body's response to pathological changes.
The Exterior
The Exterior
The exterior concept refers to the body's surface layers, precisely the space between the skin and the muscles. This space is considered the first line of defence against external pathogenic factors, where defensive Qi (Wei Qi) and sweat are located. The body's exterior includes the skin, muscles, and channels (meridians). These structures form a protective barrier shielding internal organs from external influences. Defensive Qi, also known as Wei Qi, circulates in the exterior space, helping to protect the body against invasion by external pathogens such as wind, cold, heat, dampness, and summer heat.
The exterior serves as the first line of defence against external pathogenic factors. When external pathogens enter the body, they must penetrate the exterior before reaching deeper tissues and organs. Wei Qi plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the exterior and repelling invading pathogens. It circulates in the channels and can be mobilised to the surface to expel pathogens through mechanisms such as sweating.
In TCM diagnosis, exterior conditions are defined based on location rather than aetiology. Conditions affecting the exterior are characterised by clinical manifestations that primarily involve the surface layers of the body. Common exterior conditions include wind-cold invasion, wind-heat invasion, dampness invasion, and summer-heat dampness. These conditions are differentiated based on the specific symptoms and signs observed in the patient.
The diagnosis of exterior conditions is primarily based on the clinical manifestations observed in the patient. Symptoms such as fever, chills, body aches, aversion to cold or heat, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, and cough are commonly associated with exterior conditions. TCM practitioners assess the patient's pulse, tongue, and other diagnostic parameters to determine the nature and severity of the exterior condition, as well as its underlying pattern of disharmony.
By understanding the concept of the exterior and its role in protecting the body from external pathogens, TCM practitioners can effectively diagnose and treat a wide range of acute illnesses and external pathogenic invasions. Treatment strategies aim to expel the pathogen, release the exterior, and restore balance to the body's defensive mechanisms.
Dampness invasion occurs when the body is exposed to damp environmental conditions or consumes damp-producing foods, accumulating dampness. Symptoms may include heaviness and lethargy, body aches and pains worse in damp weather, swollen joints, digestive disturbances, cloudy urine, and a greasy tongue coating. Treatment focuses on eliminating dampness, resolving stagnation, and strengthening the Spleen's function of transforming and transporting fluids. Herbal formulas and acupuncture points that drain dampness and promote the movement of Qi are often used.
Dampness Invasion
Summer heat dampness occurs during hot and humid weather when the body cannot properly regulate its internal temperature and moisture levels, accumulating damp heat. Symptoms typically include heavy sweating, feeling hot and sticky, thirst with a preference for cold drinks, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea with foul-smelling stools, a sensation of heaviness in the body, and a slippery pulse. Treatment aims to clear heat, resolve dampness, and harmonise the Stomach and Spleen. Cooling herbs and acupuncture points clear heat and dampness while supporting digestive function and relieving symptoms.