Related Introduction to the Causes and Symptoms of Summer Cold
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a summer cold is also known as "summer-heat dampness cold," which is different from the "wind-cold cold" and "wind-heat cold" common in winter. A wind-cold cold is primarily caused by exposure to pathogenic wind and cold. A wind-heat cold is caused by pathogenic wind and heat and is more common in spring. The characteristic of a summer-heat dampness cold is that due to the hot and humid weather of summer, people tend to seek coolness, such by using air conditioning, and thus are exposed to pathogenic wind and cold. In terms of symptoms, wind-cold colds, wind-heat colds, and summer-heat dampness colds all present with nasal congestion, runny nose, and fever. The distinction is that wind-cold and wind-heat colds mostly occur in autumn and winter, with mild fever and a strong aversion to cold. The summer-heat dampness cold is a cold unique to summer, commonly known as "summer cold" or "heat-induced cold" by the public.
Types
According to TCM's understanding of colds based on syndrome differentiation, summer cold symptoms are generally classified as summer-heat dampness cold and summer-heat cold. Both summer-heat cold and summer-heat dampness cold occur in summer and are caused by exposure to summer heat. However, the main difference in their etiology and pathogenesis lies in whether dampness is involved. This difference in etiology determines the differences in their pathological locations, clinical manifestations, and treatment methods. The fever in a summer cold is different from that in autumn and winter colds; it is characterized by high fever and a mild aversion to cold. Patients generally do not feel cold but experience fever, profuse sweating that does not relieve the heat. Therefore, if a summer cold is treated with fever-reducing medication in the same way as a winter cold, the effect will be poor, and there may be certain side effects.
Etiology
The cause of summer-heat dampness cold is the body's exposure to pathogenic summer-heat and dampness, combined with a preference for seeking coolness and consuming cold drinks. This causes the body's summer-heat and dampness to be obstructed by wind and cold, leading to impaired dispersion and thus the onset of the illness. The pathological location of this disease is in the muscle layer and the middle energizer (spleen and stomach). Externally, it manifests as a lingering fever and a heavy sensation in the head and body. Internally, it presents with a stuffy sensation in the chest and epigastrium, disharmony of the spleen and stomach, digestive system dysfunction, a rapid pulse, a dry mouth with little desire to drink, and a greasy tongue coating with little yellowing. If summer-heat and dampness invade the lungs, the lung qi will not be clear, leading to symptoms such as cough with sticky phlegm and a runny nose with turbid discharge.
For the treatment of summer-heat dampness cold in TCM, the main approach is to clear summer-heat and expel dampness using herbal formulas. Common Chinese patent medicines include Qushu Wan (Summer-heat Expelling Pill), Shushi Ganmao Chongji (Summer Cold Granule), Jinyi Qushu Wan (Golden-coated Summer-heat Expelling Pill), Huoxiang Zhengqi Wan (Agastache Pill), Qingshu Yiqi Wan (Clear Summer-heat and Tonify Qi Pill), and Xiao'er Shuganning Tangyrup (Children's Summer Cold Relief Syrup).
Summer-heat cold is caused by prolonged drought and extreme heat and belongs to a purely yang-heat syndrome. An important feature of this type of cold is prominent heat signs, making it one of the more severe types of colds across all seasons. Due to the invasion of pathogenic summer-heat into the lung-defense system, the heat steams the body's surface and consumes fluids and qi. This leads to symptoms such as fever, a mild aversion to wind and cold, persistent sweating without relief from heat, vexation, thirst, a yellow tongue coating, and a floating, large, and rapid pulse. For summer-heat cold, the treatment method is to clear heat and generate fluids. Common Chinese patent medicines include Shure Ganmao Chongji (Summer-heat Cold Granule), Qingliang Chongji (Cooling Granule), and Yinhuang Zhusheye (Berberine and Honeysuckle Injection).
Identifying Summer Colds: "Matching the Symptoms"
Consuming large amounts of cold drinks, taking cold showers, staying in air-conditioned rooms for long periods... summer colds triggered by coldness trouble many people. Many people generally refer to summer colds as "summer colds" (heat-induced colds), but in fact, besides heat-type colds, there is also summer-heat dampness cold. Heat-type colds can occur year-round, while summer-heat dampness colds only appear in the height of summer. Only by understanding the types of summer colds can we prescribe the right medicine and cure the disease promptly.
Symptoms
1. Heat-type Cold
Thick phlegm, thick nasal discharge
The main clinical symptoms of a heat-type cold are: fever, occasional aversion to wind, dry mouth and sweating after sweating, sore throat, thick nasal discharge, coughing up thick phlegm, a relatively thin tongue coating, and a pulse that is mainly floating or rapid.
2. Summer-heat Dampness Cold
Sweating without fever reduction
In southern China, where dampness is heavier, especially in summer, a heat-type cold can transform into a summer-heat dampness cold if dampness is involved. The heavier the humidity, the more susceptible the body is to external pathogens and illness. A summer-heat dampness cold is not the same as a common cold. Its main clinical symptoms are: a significant increase in temperature every afternoon, fever that does not subside after sweating, dizziness, a heavy and tired body, vexation and dry mouth, a feeling of chest tightness and nausea, a yellow and greasy tongue coating, and small amounts of yellow urine.
Summer-heat Dampness Cold ≠ Heatstroke
Both are caused by hot weather! Many people confuse heatstroke with summer-heat dampness cold. Since a summer-heat dampness cold falls under the category of colds, it has obvious cold symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, and runny nose. Heatstroke, although it involves fever, does not have other cold symptoms, which is the fundamental difference between the two. Both summer-heat dampness cold and heatstroke can involve dampness along with summer-heat, so both can present with the same gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
The external trigger for heatstroke is obvious, usually occurring from work in high-temperature environments. Summer-heat dampness cold is different; its main cause is the body's exposure to wind, cold, summer-heat, and dampness, and the external trigger is not obvious. Furthermore, a summer-heat dampness cold has a prolonged course, often requiring several days of treatment to recover. Heatstroke has a rapid onset and a quick recovery, with symptoms generally disappearing within 1 to 2 days.