First we need to understand our anatomy in order to comprehend etiology and pathology of common cold and influenza therefore let us start with the following pictures:
Pressure right below the cheek bone, on the forehead or along the bridge of the nose is a sign of sinusitis which could be a complication of common cold.
Our upper respiratory tract is made of the trachea, bronchi and lungs as the picture shows. Please keep these little details in mind, you will need them.
We can't finish our anatomy lesson without paying attention to the adenoids and tonsils. The adenoids are very close to our nasal cavity and enlargement of it can prevent the individual to breath normally therefore inflammation of adenoid causes the person to breath through the mouth; adenoids also are responsible to produce phlegm which will be pushed towards the sinuses or nose. The tonsil is located right after the mouth and a person with common cold and difficulty swallowing is an indication of tonsillitis or inflammation of the tonsils. If we keep looking at the picture from above we can see another peculiarity of our anatomy: our ears are right between the adenoids and tonsils hence inflammation of either one will cause ear infection or ear pain which is known as otitis. If you are an Acupuncture practitioner or student you can't help to think of the Small Intestine and Stomach Channels which are right in front of the ear and not only that they are right on the maxillary sinuses (acupuncture points ST 3 and SI 18).
Below we have our larynx or what is known as vocal cords... yes, that box which allows us to talk and voila! a person with common cold that has hoarse voice or inability to talk/speak is showing signs of inflammation in the larynx which is known as laryngitis. The person will have pain while swallowing solids meanwhile tonsillitis is mainly difficulty swallowing and it does make sense...the esophagus is right behind the larynx. In both cases the person will complain of sore throat which is significant for an acupuncturist. This signal a heat pattern and that the disease is going deeper which again is of utmost importance for us Chinese Medicine practitioners: diseases start on the superficial level (wei level) and start making their way to deeper levels that we call Qi, Ying and Xue. At this point we are seeing the disease have left the Wei level and is heading to the Qi level where the larynx is located and it is at this point that the patient starts experiencing fever.
Due to the proximity to the esophagus, digestive system by extension, we can start seeing different signs and symptoms like diarrhea especially if it is an enterovirus. Constipation is possible. The diarrhea or constipation is a sign in Chinese Medicine that the virus has reached what we called the Qi level but we all know this is an enterovirus.
A person with dry throat, thirst and hacking cough is showing what we called wind dryness or Heat entering the Qi level especially in the Lung Channel, but this is just a sign of Human ParaInfluenza Virus (HPiV).
The common cold can reach the lower respiratory tract especially if it is an adenovirus type B and C, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), HPiV type 3, Metapneumovirus, or Enterovirus. Once the virus reach the lower respiratory tract it starts the level we call Ying level which is characterized by irritability, restlessness, delusion, hallucination the last two are the very last stage of the Ying level at this point it is ready to enter the Xue level. Luckily the common cold virus usually is harmless if we take precautionary and prophylactic cautions/actions. All these signs of irritability and restlessness are sign of what we call heat that is disturbing the shen" or simply disturbing the person's mental health. Again for Chinese Medicine practitioners this is very important: The Lungs are located in the thoracic cavity right where the Heart is and the heart, in Chinese Medicine, belongs to the fire element and hence a heat pathogen will feel inclined to indirectly disturbed the heart with the heat or it simply decides to directly invade it creating possible heart pathologies like pericarditis if there is pneumonia.
Regarding the influenza the pathology is very similar to what I just mentioned above but there is a difference. The influenza is lethal and does go through all those 4 stages I already explained. The last stage is the Xue level and here hemorrhage is present by means of hemorrhagic rash or bleeding from any other source/orifice. The influenza is what we call a warm disease or could even become a pestilence Qi which it only means that has epidemic, pandemic and/or virulent proportions. The influenza has 3 types: A, B, and C. The most known is type A and it has many variations. Type B has only two varieties: Yamagata and Victoria. There is no vaccine for Type C. Influenza transmission is via birds, pigs, dogs, ferrets, seals, humans and other mammals but the most known ones are from birds, pigs and humans. The influenza has an "ID number" this ID number shows that it is Type A. This "ID" such as H1N1 or H3N2 is a simplification for Hemaglutinin which the virus uses to adhere to the cell and infect and once inside the replication and release starts and that is known as Neuronimidase hence the N1 or N2 in our two examples.
The scientific community has found multiple influenza viruses that have been "encapsulated" in one strand meaning that they have encountered bird, pig and human influenza together creating one virus and hence the virulent nature of the virus. The virus constantly mutates which makes it even more difficult to create a vaccine. Nowadays, the influenza vaccine is a cocktail of 3 or 4 influenza viruses: one is H1N1, the second one is H3N2 and the third and fourth could be any other strain. The influenza creates high fever contrary to common cold which rarely produces one. Influenza rarely shows initial signs and symptoms while the common cold does present with signs and symptoms like runny nose, stuffy nose or watery eyes (rhinovirus, adenovirus, RSV, HPiV) the influenza does makes us feel tired, lethargic and with body aches especially muscular while the common cold doesn't. If the common cold starts presenting a fever it is indicative that a bacteria has made its way and has lodged in the sinus, bronchi or lungs just to mention some areas.
Among birds and pigs influenza is classified as Low "risk" and high "risk" and it is the high risk one that can make it to the humans via fecal matter.
To finish I have to make a point: our way of farming. Notice how our poultry industry keeps our poultry and please think of the sanitary implications...not only that, there is a video running on YouTube on how pig farms are ran and I invite you to consider how our farming methods could be a contributing factor to influenza outbreaks.
It is very easy to say eat organic, but for those that shamefully live out of a budget, it translates into survival and organic vs non-organic is a luxury dilemma. A person with an income of $20 to $30K in New York City might not be able to afford organic yet there is always an alternative and perhaps we, as society, should start concentrating in creating communal harvesting land within projects or residentials. Cultivating in our roof tops, backyards or basements could be another option for those that can afford it. Restaurants can cultivate their own fruits and vegetables ... we all can bring the change that we all need.
Emmanuel Arroyo is a licensed acupuncturist in the state of New York since 2007. Currently he sees patients in Manhattan by appointment.
His specialty is Pain Management, Chakra Balancing, essential oils for healing the mind and spirit and chinese herbs.
You can reach him via email: dr.agujas@gmail.com or by phone 917-907-1915
