Disclaimer: The cases are for illustration purpose only. Everyone's response will differ from one another according to different situations. The readers should not practice self-diagnosis and self-medication on the basis of these cases.
◎ Herbs for common cold
A nine-year old girl had a temperature (38.7℃) at 17:55 on 24 April 2016. The pulse was floating and tight. She was given 4g of Chinese herbal granules. After one hour (18:52), the temperature went down to 38.1℃. Around that mid-might (11:37), the temperature went down to 37.0℃. The next morning (7:30), the temperature was slight above 36℃. The symptoms were gone, and she became normal, continuing her school.
In another event, this girl had a temperature (38℃) at 08:45 on 3 August 2016. She was given 3g of Chinese herbal granules (which was different to those of last time). Later (12:00) the temperature went down to 37.8℃. In the evening she was given another 3g of the same formula. The next day the symptoms changed, and 3g of another formula were given. The symptoms were gone in the evening.
Comment: With correct diagnosis, the common cold may be treated with Chinese herbal granules both efficiently and effectively. The same person had two events with different presentations, and the formulae given differed accordingly. This shows the feature of Chinese medicine: treating the patient according to the pattern. However, where on earth are the people who will seek TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioners to treat their common cold? One Cochrane review in 2013 points out that, in terms of the studies selected, there is no sufficient evidence to support the practice of using acetaminophen (the composition of Panadol) to treat common cold in adults ( see http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008800.pub2/full). Another review in 2015 points out that “NSAIDs are somewhat effective in relieving the discomfort caused by a cold but there is no clear evidence of their effect in easing respiratory symptoms” (See http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006362.pub4/abstract).
