Traditional Chinese Medicine for Coughs, Colds, Flu, and Allergies

by Bill Schoenbart and Ellen Shefi

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:

Schoenbart, Bill, and Ellen Shefi. "Traditional Chinese Medicine for Coughs, Colds, Flu, and Allergies." 13 August 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/traditional-chinese-medicine-coughs-colds-flu-allergies.htm> 29 August 2008.

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Traditional Chinese medicine uses herbs to treat the common cold, the flu, coughs, and allergies. Just as many Americans turn to over-the-counter medications for these ailments, people in China turn to herbal formulas, many of which are based on traditional formulas that have been in use for more than two thousand years.

This article describes traditional Chinese patent medicines that are formulated to relieve cough, cold, flu, and allergy symptoms. Patent medicines are an inexpensive and convenient way to administer Chinese medicinal herbs. Most of the medicines come in the form of easy-to-swallow, tiny round pills (wan) or tablets (pian), but syrups and teas are also used.

The first traditional Chinese medicine we'll discuss treats a condition most of us have experienced: nasal congestion and runny nose due to allergies or the common cold. Continue to the next section for detailed information.

For more about traditional Chinese medicine, treatments, cures, beliefs, and other interesting topics, see:

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

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Abdominal Bloating Abdominal Fullness Prematurely Afte... Abdominal Lumps Abdominal Mass Abdominal Pain Abdominal Rigidity Abdominal Sounds Abdominal Swelling Abnormal Posturing Abnormal Tooth Shape Abnormally Dark Or Light Skin Absent Menstruation Absent Thirst Agitation Ambiguous Genitalia Ankle Pain Appetite Decrease Appetite Increase Apraxia Arachnodactyly Armpit Lump Autistic Behavior Babinski's Reflex Bed Wetting Belching Binge Eating Blackheads Bleeding Gums Bleeding Into The Skin Blindness Blockage Of Leg Arteries Blood In The Semen Blood in Urine Bloody Or Tarry Stools Bone Pain Or Tenderness Bounding Pulse Bowel Incontinence Breast Lump Breast Pain Breath Odor Breath Sounds Breathing - Slowed Or Stopped Breathing Difficulty Breathing Difficulty When Lying Dow... 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Diseases and Conditions Glossary:

ABO Incompatibility AIDS ARDS (acute Respiratory Distress Sy... Aarskog Syndrome Aase Syndrome Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Abortion - Complete Abortion - Elective Or Therapeutic Abortion - Incomplete Abortion - Infected Abortion - Threatened Abscess Acanthosis Nigricans Achalasia Achilles Tendinitis Achondrogenesis Achondroplasia Acidosis Acne Acoustic Neuroma Acoustic Trauma Acquired Platelet Function Defect Acrodermatitis Acrodysostosis Acromegaly Actinic Keratosis Actinomycosis Acute Adrenal Crisis Acute Arterial Occlusion - Kidney Acute Bilateral Obstructive Uropath... Acute Bronchitis Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Acute Cholecystitis (Gallstones) Acute Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infecti... Acute Gouty Arthritis Acute HIV Infection Acute Interstitial Nephritis Not NS... 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Beriberi Bezoar Bilateral Hydronephrosis Bile Duct Obstruction Biliary Atresia Biliary Stricture Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder In-Depth Birth-acquired Herpes Birthmarks - Pigmented Birthmarks - Red Bladder Cancer Bladder Outlet Obstruction Bladder Stones Blastomycosis Blastomycosis Skin Lesion Bleeding Disorders Bleeding Esophageal Varices Blepharitis Blind Loop Syndrome Blocked Tear Duct Blood Clots Blount's Disease Body Lice Bone Tumors Borderline Personality Disorder Botulism Bowlegs Brachial Palsy In Newborns Brachial Plexopathy Brain Abscess Brain Herniation Brain Tumor - Adults Brain Tumor - Children Brain Tumors - Primary In-Depth Branchial Cleft Cyst Breast Cancer Breast Cancer In-Depth Breast Infection Breast Milk Jaundice Breath Holding Spell Brief Reactive Psychosis Bronchial Adenoma Bronchiectasis Bronchiolitis Bronchitis Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Brucellosis Bruxism Bulimia Bullous Pemphigoid Bunions Burkitt Lymphoma Bursitis Byssinosis CMV - Gastroenteritis/colitis CMV - Immunocompromised Host CMV - Pneumonia CMV Esophagitis CMV Retinitis CSF Leak Campylobacter Enteritis Canavan Disease Cancer Cancer - Penis