[QUOTE=I Hate Ashida Kim;1038865]I was reading a website and it was talking about “heat” colds vs. “cold” colds in TCM.
What is the difference?
It said " heat" cold is the kind where you wake up with a sore throat one day. It said don’t use garlic for that because garlic has heat properties.
I thought garlic was good for everything.
Can someone explain?
Thanks.[/QUOTE]
I can explain all too well today (sniff, cough)
I have a cold. My nose is runny, I’m coughing up clear phlegm from the lungs, my head feels like it’s packed in cotton, and I have chills and fever.
This is “Wind Cold invading the lungs and skin” or “external invasion of wind cold.”
It’s a good day for me to eat lots of garlic! (I’m actually drinking ginger/garlic/licorice/green tea.)
If, however, I had a stuffy nose, sore throat, and dry cough or cough with coloured phlegm, this could be “Wind Heat invading the lungs.”
In this case, I’d wanna grab cool minty oils, put a few drops into some hot water in a bowl, put a towel over my head, and inhale the fumes.
My preferred oil is teatree oil.
So when you have “cold” symptoms, grab some “hot” remedies; if you have “hot” symptoms, grab some “cold” remedies.