As the cold and flu season approaches, you may be looking for alternative ways to relieve your congestion and cough symptoms. Instead of reaching for over-the-counter cold and flu medications (such as Vicks VapoRub, NyQuil, and Robitussin), you may want to consider using traditional Chinese herbal remedies for symptom relief. These herbal remedies have been used for generations and are based on Eastern medicine traditions that prioritize holistic treatments.
Herbal cough syrups for congestion relief
Honey and Loquat Syrup (Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa) is used, for both acute and chronic coughs, as well as sinus congestion. This herbal syrup helps to clear mucus, detoxify, and it acts as an antiviral agent. Adult dosage is 1 tbsp. three times per day as needed, while children can take 1 tsp. three times per day as needed. The syrup is made from loquat leaf, pummelo peel, Chinese white olive fruit, bitter apricot seed, honey tremella fruit, tender leaf, and fritillary bulb.
Soothe Herb Tea Extract (Xiao Ke Chuan) is another option to consider for cough and phlegm relief, especially if you suffer from chronic bronchitis, cough, or asthma. This expectorant is made of water, cane sugar, rhododendron leaf extract (black ginseng), and alcohol. The recommended dosage for adults is 7-10 ml of Soothe Herb Tea Extract, mixed with hot water, three times a day. Note that this product is not recommended for children.
Herbal pills, tablets, and capsules for bronchitis relief
Ching Fei Yi Huo Pien is a traditional Chinese herbal remedy, available in both pill and tea forms, used to treat chronic bronchitis, acute tracheitis, and pulmonary abscess pneumonia. This formula is made of baikal skullcap root, Chinese rhubarb (root and stem), gardenia fruit, ballon flower root, trichosanthes root, anemarrhena (stem and root), shrubby sophora root, phellodendron bark, and hogfennel root. The recommended dose is four tablets daily (or dissolved in hot water as a tea for a faster-acting remedy). This formula is not suitable for pregnant individuals or those with white phlegm.
Yin Chiao is a common herbal formula for treating cold and flu symptoms, available in tablet form. This herbal remedy works as an antihistamine, pain reliever, and fever reducer, supporting the respiratory system, immune system, nervous system, sinuses, stomach, and bowels. Yin Chiao is made of honeysuckle flower, forsythia, platycodon root, menthal, lophatherum, schizonepeta, semen sojae preparatum, cnidium heard, and burdock. The recommended dosage is four tablets, taken twice daily for a maximum of eight days. It is best to take this remedy at the first sign of cold or flu symptoms.
Finding the right Chinese herbal remedy for you
The Chinese herbal remedies listed above are just a few examples of the many formulas available for treating cold, flu, and bronchitis symptoms. For personalized recommendations, it is best to consult with a local acupuncturist or herbalist who can diagnose your specific symptoms and suggest the most appropriate herbal formula for your needs.
Remember that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) approaches treatment differently than Western medicine, using unique terms and concepts (such as “exogenous wind-heat-damp”). Finding the right herbal remedy for your symptoms will depend on an accurate TCM diagnosis. By incorporating traditional Chinese herbal remedies into your cold and flu treatment plan, you may find relief without the need for synthetic over-the-counter medications.
