Treatment of Influenza with Chinese Medicine

Influenza

Influenza is an infectious disease of respiratory tract resulting from influenza viruses. The viruses are divided into three types, namely A, B, and C. As a droplet-infecting disease, it is intensely infectious. People are very susceptible to influenza and sometimes it could be worldwidely pandemic. Although influenza may occur all year around, the occurrence tends to be more in winter and spring. The disease in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is called ``Shi Xing Gan Mao'' (influenza)

Key Points of Diagnosis

1.In a certain locality, a large number of patients are affected within a short period of time with such manifestations as fever, headache and body ache.

2. Clinical features

(l) The onset of the disease is abrupt, with remarkable general toxemic symptoms e.g. chills, fever, headache, body ache, weakness, etc.

2) Symptoms regarding the respiratory tract such as stuffy nose, rhinorrhea, sore throat and nonproductive cough are usually mild. There could also be some symptoms of digestive system such as poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

3) High fever, chest pain, cough, sanguineous sputum, dyspnea, and even coma with convulsion may occur in severe cases.

4) Physical examination reveals a complexion of acute illness, malar flush, congestion of conjunctival and nasopharyngeal mucosae. In patients with influenzal pneumonia or complicated with bacterial pneumonia, there is diminution of respiration, and diffuse moist rales may be heard over the lung fields.

3.Laboratory tests find the decrease of leukocyte count and the decreased ratio of neutrophils to leukocytes, while the lymphocytes count is relatively elevated. Mucosal imprint from inferior nasal conchae may show the inclusions of influenza viruses, which is valuable for the early diagnosis. In serological examinations, hemagglutination-inhibiting test or complement fixation test could be used to assist the diagnosis. Viral isolation is helpful in determining the type of pathogens.

Syndrome Differentiation:

l. Wind-cold syndrome

Chief Symptoms and Signs: There are manifestations of severe aversion to cold but mild fever, no sweating, headache, aching of limbs, stuffy nose with nasal discharge, cough with thin sputum, thin-white tongue coating, and superficial-tense pulse.

Treating Principle: To relieve the exterior with pungent and warm herbal materials, regain the dispersion of lung Qi, and expel the pathogenic cold.

Formula: “Jing Fang Bai Du San (Antiphlogistic Powder of Schizonepeta and Ledebouriella) ”(modified):

schizonepeta 10g, ledebouriella root 10g, notopterygium root 10g, bupleurum root 10g, peucedanum root 10, perilla leaf 10g, platycodon root 10g, and fresh ginger 3pieces.

All the above materials are decocted in water for oral administration.

When the headache is remarkable, 10 grams of both dahurian angelica root and chuanxiong rhizome are used.

When there runs high fever, bupleurum root is increased to 12 grams and 6 grams of peppermint are combined.

When it is a remarkable exterior dampness, notopterygium root is increased to 12 grams and 9 grams of pubescent angelica root are combined, or instead “Qianghuo Sheng Shi Tang (Decoction of Notopterygium for Overcoming Dampness)” is just used.

When it is the exterior syndrome of excess characterized by no sweating, headache and body ache, and severe aversion to cold, “Mahuang Tang (Ephedra Decoction)” is preferred.

When it is an exterior-deficiency syndrome with sweating, aversion to wind, slight fever, stuffy nose and nausea, “Guizhi Tang (Cinnamon Twig Decoction)” is recommended.

2.Wind-heat syndrome

Chief Symptoms and Signs: There is running of higher fever, associated with slight aversion to cold, headache, sore throat with congestion, yellowish expectoration, thirst, or even epistaxis. The tongue is red with thin-yellowish coating and the pulse is superficial-rapid.

Treating Principle: To relieve the exterior with pungent and cool materials, vitalize the dispersion of lung Qi, and clear up pathogenic heat.

Formula: “Yin Qiao San (Powder of Honeysuckle and Forsythia)” (modified):

honeysuckle flower 30g, forsythia fruit 15g , isatis root 30g, pueraria root20g , mulberry leaf 10g, chrysanthemum 10g , arctium ftuit 12g, lophatherum 10g, and platycodon root 10g .

All the above materials are decocted in water for oral administration.

When the fever is high 30 grams of gypsum are combined.

When the cough is severe, 10 grams of both bitter apricot kernel and Sichuan fritillary bulb are supplemented.

When the sore throat is very remarkable, 10 grams of both subprostrate sophora root and scrophularia root are recommended.

When there appears epistaxis, 30 grams of cogongrass rhizome are prescribed.

When treating the alternation between fever and chills, and nausea and vomiting, 12 grams of both bupleurum root and scutellaria root and 10 grams of pinellia tuber are added.

When there is weak constitution with profuse sweating, 15 grams of astragalus root are put in.

In summer, when damp-heat is predominant, 10 grams of elscholtzia are supplemented.

When it is a case of gastrointestinal influenza which is differentiated as the syndrome of exterior cold and interior dampness, there are manifestations of fever, aversion to cold, vomiting, diarrhea, fullness and stuffiness in the chest and hypochondrium, and thick and greasy tongue coating, “Huoxiang Zheng Qi San (Powder of Agastachis for Restoring Health)” is preferred.

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