Herbs That Release The Exterior Wind Cold

The herbs in this category release pathogenic diseases which are found in the superficial level of the body.  When Pathogenic factors attack the body they first attack the superficial area and exterior aspects of our bodies.  These herbs will expel or release the external pathogenic factors through sweating, when the disease is in the skin sweating will bring it out.  If the disease progresses past the skin and deeper into the body it enters the muscles.

Herbs that release exterior wind cold will generally have a warm and pungent property.  They will be used for such symptoms of severe chills with a mild fever, body aches, neck pain and no thirst.

Ma Huang

Properties: PUNGENT, BITTER  – WARM

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Ephedra Stem Meridian: LUNG, BLADDER

-release exterior, disperse cold wind-cold, chills, fever, headache, no sweating

-helps move lung Qi controls wheezing, cough

-promotes urination reduce edema

Must Read: Herbs That Tranform Phlegm And Stop Cough

Qiang Huo

Properties: PUNGENT, BITTER, AROMATIC  – WARM

Dosage: 6  15g.

Notopterygium Root Meridian: BLADDER, KIDNEY

-release exterior, disperse cold – chills, fever, headache, damp body ache

-unblocks painful obstruction – wind-cold-damp pain

-guiding herb to governing vessel and greater yang channel

Xiang Ru

Properties: PUNGENT, AROMATIC  – WARM

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Aromatic Madder Meridian: LUNG, STOMACH

-release exterior, expel summer heat, transform damp – chill, fever, no sweat, body ache, diarrhea

-promote urination reduces edema and swellings, lin syndrome

Gui Zhi

Properties: PUNGENT, SWEET  – WARM

Dosage: 3- 9g.

Cinnamon Twig Meridian: HEART, LUNG, BLADDER

-pertains to Ying and Wei Qi levels – exterior cold with deficiency

-warms channels, disperse cold – wind-cold, painful joints, dysmenorrhea

-unblocks Yang Qi in chest – palpitations

Zi Su Ye

Properties: PUNGENT, AROMATIC  – WARM

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Perilla Leaf  Meridian: LUNG, SPLEEN

-release exterior, disperse cold – fever, chills, headache, congestion, cough

-promotes Qi movement – expands chest – nausea, vomit, poor appetite

-calming restless fetus – alleviates morning sickness

-used alone or in combination with other herbs for sea food poisoning

Jing Jie

Properties: PUNGENT, AROMATIC  – WARM

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Schizonepeta Meridian: LUNG, LIVER

Stem or Bud

-release exterior, expel wind – wind cold or wind heat – chills fever, carbuncles or boils

in initial stages of eruptions

-vents rashes and alleviate itching of measles and pruritic skin disease

-stops bleeding blood in stool, uterine bleeding

Fang Feng

Properties: PUNGENT, SWEET  – WARM

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Ledebouriella Root Meridian: LIVER, SPLEEN

-release exterior, expel wind headache, chills, body ache

-expel wind damp, alleviate pain trembling hands and feet, painful diarrhea, blood in stool – imbalanced spleen and liver

Bai Zhi

Properties: PUNGENT  – WARM

Dosage: 3 9g.

Angelica Root

Meridian: LUNG, STOMACH

-expel wind-cold, alleviate pain supraorbital pain, congestion, toothache

-clears swelling, expel pus early stage, carbuncles, sores, ulcer

-expel dampness leucorrhea

-opens nasal passages for nasal congestion

Sheng Jiang

Properties: PUNGENT  – WARM

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Fresh Ginger Rhizome Meridian: LUNG, SPLEEN, STOMACH

-release exterior, disperse cold in middle jiao – vomiting

-disperse cold phlegm in lung – chronic and acute cough

-reduce toxicity of other herbs or treating overdoses

-adjusts ying and wei Qi for sweating without improvement

Cang Er Zi

Properties: SWEET, BITTER  – WARM/TOXIC

Dosage: 3 9g.

Cocklebur Fruit Meridian: LUNG

(Xanthium)

-expel wind and damp – painful obstruction, skin disorders, itching, headache continuing down to back of neck and back

-nasal passage obstruction – thick nasal discharge, sinus headache

Gao Ben

Properties: PUNGENT  – WARM

Dosage:3 – 9g.

Chinese Lovage Root

Meridian: BLADDER

(Ligusticum Root

-expel wind and cold, alleviate pain –headache at vertex, lower back pain

Xin Yi Hua

Properties: PUNGENT  – WARM

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Magnolia Flower

Meridian: LUNG, STOMACH

-expel wind-cold, unblocks nasal passages – nasal discharge/congestion, loss of smell, sinus headache

Xi Xin

Properties: PUNGENT  – WARM

Dosage: 1 – 3g.

Chinese Wild

Meridian: LUNG, KIDNEY

Ginger

-release exterior, disperse damp and cold – headache, body ache

-warms lung, transforms phlegm – coughing, excessive watery sputum

-unblocks Qi for nasal congestion

Cong Bai

Properties: PUNGENT  – WARM

Dosage: 2-5 scallions

Spring Onion Meridian: LUNG, STOMACH

(Scallion)

-release exterior, induce sweat – early stages of wind-cold

-disperse cold, unblock yang – abdominal pain, nasal congestion

-topically for relieving toxicity, disperse clumps – abscess, sores