When a Cold Drags On for a Month
Table of Contents
Why is this cold not ending?
An ordinary cold usually resolves on its own in 7 to 10 days, but for some people runny nose, cough, low-grade fever, and fatigue persist for 3 to 4 weeks or more. This is not a new cold but a state in which weakened immunity has failed to fully clear the original one.
Korean medicine diagnosis: Insufficient upright qi (正氣不足)
Korean medicine views a cold as a battle between pathogenic qi (邪氣) and upright qi (正氣). When upright qi is sufficient, it expels the pathogen and the body recovers; when it is insufficient, the pathogen lingers in the body and the illness drags on.
- Qi-deficiency cold (氣虛感冒): Persistent low-grade fever, spontaneous sweating (自汗), and lethargy — Bojungikgi-tang (補中益氣湯, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang) tonifies qi while expelling the pathogen
- Treating exterior and interior together: Address residual cold symptoms and weakened constitution at once — Sosiho-tang combined with Sagunja-tang (小柴胡湯 + 四君子湯)
Acupuncture and moxibustion
Fengchi (GB20) and Fengmen (BL12) help expel the residual pathogen, while moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) and Feishu (BL13) replenishes upright qi. This is the principle of simultaneously attacking and tonifying (攻補兼施) — driving out the pathogen while filling up the body's defenses.
Care to restore immunity
- Strenuous exercise while still ill is counterproductive — limit yourself to gentle walks
- Secure 8 hours of sleep — the prime window for immune cell activation
- Avoid instant and cold foods; favor warm meals