Skip to main content

The Oriental herb

Menu
Book a Consultant (201) 840-6700

Chinese Herbs for Immunity, Colds and Flu

Some people catch everything. Every cold in the office, every bug the kids bring
home, each one lingering for weeks. Others seem to shake things off in a day. In
Chinese medicine that difference has a name, and it is one of the oldest ideas in
the tradition.

At The Oriental Herb in Cliffside Park, immune support is a year-round
conversation — busiest, predictably, from October onward. This page covers
two different things: building resistance so you get sick less,
and what to do in the first day or two when something is starting.
For lingering coughs and chest problems, see our
lungs and
respiratory page.

Wei qi — the Chinese medicine idea of immunity

Chinese medicine describes a protective layer of energy at the body’s
surface called wei qi — the defensive qi. When it is strong, external
pathogens are repelled before they get in. When it is weak, they get past it easily
and go deeper. Strengthening wei qi is a slow, nourishing process done between
illnesses — never during one.

When a cold is starting: wind-cold and wind-heat

Chinese medicine divides the first stage of a cold into two patterns, and the
herbs are different — which is why one “cold remedy” works for
some people and not others.

The window for these formulas is the first 24–48 hours. Once an illness has
settled in, the approach changes.

Herbs traditionally used

Listed so you know what we work with — not as a self-prescribing guide.
Tonic herbs are inappropriate during an active infection, and dispersing herbs are
inappropriate for long-term use; the timing matters as much as the herb.

For building resistance (between illnesses):

For the first stage of a cold:

What a consultation involves

About 45 minutes, and most of it is conversation.

  1. History — what you are experiencing, when it started, what
    makes it better or worse, and how you are sleeping, eating and digesting.
  2. Pulse diagnosis — read at three positions on each wrist,
    assessing quality rather than just rate.
  3. Tongue diagnosis — colour, coating and shape, which in
    Chinese medicine reflect internal patterns.
  4. Your formula — blended for you from our dispensary, as
    traditional raw herbs for decoction or as extracted tablets if you would rather
    not brew tea daily.
  5. Follow-up — formulas get adjusted once we see how you
    respond. The first one is a well-informed starting point, not a final answer.

Honest expectations

For an early cold, a correctly matched formula taken in the first day often
shortens it noticeably — and sometimes stops it. Taken on day four, it does
much less. For building resistance, judge over a season, not a week: the useful
measure is “how many colds did I get this winter compared to last?”

Important — please read this part

Chinese herbal medicine is used here to support the body’s
natural defences. It is not a substitute for vaccination, and it does not treat
serious infection.

See a doctor, do not wait for herbs, if you have: a high fever
that will not come down, difficulty breathing, chest pain, a stiff neck with fever,
symptoms in a baby or an elderly person, or any illness that is getting worse
rather than better after several days. Immune-related herbs are also not
appropriate for people on immunosuppressants or with autoimmune conditions without
medical guidance — tell us if that is you.

Visit us in Cliffside Park

We are at 692 Anderson Ave, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010 —
minutes from Fort Lee, Edgewater, Fairview, Palisades Park and North Bergen.

Walk in to browse the dispensary or ask a question. For a full consultation,
book ahead so we can give you the time it needs.

Call (201) 840-6700 or book an appointment online.

Open Monday to Friday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM,
closed Sunday.

Related