Cold Wisconsin weather is beginning to set in, and with it there is a rise in colds and flu. At this time many people start to take Echinacea to prevent a cold. Echinacea is often claimed to promote immunity. This is not quite true and results in people using echinacea improperly for long periods of time.
Echinacea like all medicinal herbs has a function that is understood through the dynamics of how it affects the body. In herbal medicine all conditions can be simplified into two categories. There are excess conditions and deficiency conditions. The common cold is defined as an excess condition, marked by acute forceful symptoms, such as chills and fever, excess nasal discharge and forceful coughing. Deficiency conditions tend to be conditions of weakness and could lead to susceptibility to a cold.
Echinacea is classified as dispersing of energy and cooling in its nature. Therefore it could be said to stimulate the immune system to clear an infection. This would be particularly appropriate in an infection marked by fever, hot sore throat and yellow nasal mucous ( all excess heat signs), because Echinacea disperses excess heat. Echinacea would not be appropriate for a “cold” infection marked by chills, watery nasal discharge, and dry throat (all cold signs). Since Echinacea disperses energy from the body, it can not be seen as enhancing the strength of the body when used long term. Used long term, Echinacea would in fact decrease the strength to fight a cold and create a dependency on the herbs to actually fight the infection. An immune enhancing herb would be a herb that tonifies rather than disperses. It is the difference between food (tonifying) and the spices (dispersing) that flavor it.
The best way to use echinacea or other dispersing herbs to fight a cold is to take high frequent doses of the herb at the very first signs of the infection (itchy or sore throat, yellow nasal phlegm, slight fever), and stop taking the herbs immediately when symptoms subside. It is also a good idea to use strongly spiced meals, sauna, or hot baths to induce sweating at the very first signs of an infection or cold. These “dispersing” practices can sometimes shorten the length and severity of a cold by clearing the cold before it gets severe.
There are many ways to prevent or treat colds and flu. Check out these links for more information about how you can prevent or treat a cold; Preparing your body for flu season, treating colds, common cold, Flu, infections, the importance of a scarf, must have herbal formulas, Flu home remedy, Flu treatment in China
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