Immune Support with Chinese Herbs by Brooke McClelland, LAC

May 26

In Chinese Medicine, one way that pathogens enter the body is through an invasion of wind. Wind is thought to be “the carrier of a thousand evils”—what Western medicine would identify as microbes like viruses and bacteria—and it brings in these bugs through the wind gates or immune system—areas of the body like the low back and back of the neck that are considered entry points for invaders.

This past weekend, I started feeling some of the tell-tale signs of a wind invasion—a scratchy, uncomfortable throat, chills, a low-grade fever, tight shoulders and neck, an achy body, slight headache and fatigue. I had felt fine earlier in the day, but then I recalled my mistake! I had taken a shower and I tied up my wet hair and gone about my day, forgetting to blow-dry or air-dry my hair. This is a no-no in Chinese medicine as the cold and damp sitting on my head for hours made me more susceptible to a cold or damp pathogen coming into the body. I was also dressed for warm weather in shorts and t-shirt, but it was a bit breezy and I had the doors of the house open, letting in the wind.

When I started feeling sick, I sprang into action with the tenets I learned in Chinese medicine school for staving off a wind invasion. Read on to find out what I did and what you can do in the very early stages of a cold or flu to kick the pathogen out. I’m happy to say that just two days later, I feel right as rain!

1.Take a hot shower or bath
Even though I had already taken a shower that day, I got back in the shower to warm myself up. I wanted to warm the channels and evoke a bit of a sweat if possible. In Chinese medicine, sweating is one way to expel an invading pathogen when it has only recently come in. I made sure to blow dry my hair and even spent some time with the hair dryer aimed on my upper back and shoulders to warm the wind gates. You can do this anytime you feel like you’ve gotten a chill.
2.Bundle up
I changed out of my summery clothes into warmer layers including a wooly hat and scarf! I was feeling chilled at that point, so this felt good. When I drank some hot tea, it also helped to induce a light sweat which is what we want. When your throat feels scratchy, it’s important to keep it warm with a scarf and drink lots of fluids.
3.Gargle
The throat is where many pathogens incubate and proliferate once they come into the respiratory tract. It’s a good idea to gargle with something antibacterial and antiviral (not bleach!) I use very salty, warm water as salt is both of those things and also pulls excess fluid from tissue that may be swollen. My favorite trick is to brew a strong cup of black tea and add plenty of salt, let it cool, and gargle with that. It sounds gross, but you won’t taste it. Send it down the hatch for a gargle in the back of your throat, then spit out. The black tea is astringent and pulls out any phlegm that has accumulated there. The bitterness of black tea also clears heat if your throat is feeling hot and painful.
4.Take herbs
It’s handy to have some go-to Chinese herbal formulas for cold or flu on hand for times like these. Consult with your practitioner about which formulas would be right for you. I started Chinese herbs right away when I noticed symptoms and took them frequently for 48 hours until I felt better. If you don’t have any herbal formulas with you, one home remedy you can make in the very early stages of a cold or flu is a tea of boiled fresh ginger and scallions.
5.Get plenty of rest
After all the previous steps, I took a long nap as I was feeling weary. I bundled myself up and slept for 1-2 hours and when I woke, I felt a bit better. It takes energy for the body to mount an immune system response, so it’s smart to give the body extra rest and allow this process to happen.
6.Get acupuncture
Just as we have Chinese herbs that are great at expelling wind invasions, there are acupuncture points for that too! In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask that you not come in to the clinic if you have active symptoms, but a telemedicine consult would be perfect to get you the ideal herbal formula and to direct you to some acupressure points you can use on yourself. Acupressure uses the same points as acupuncture, but with pressure from your fingers instead of needles.

I hope this Chinese medicine wisdom helps you when the time comes to nip a cold or flu in the bud!