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When we all hunker down with hot tea and a box of tissues, armed for the cold and flu season, our spirit cries out: Is there a metaphysical meaning for all thus?

A cure for the common cold is an unfathomable concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine where the affliction is viewed as the invasion of an external wind that can be warded off or at least pushed to the exterior as it tries to get you down.

From the classical five-element point of view, the lung and large intestine energy is associated with grief. Very often people who harbor a deeply buried sadness, such as the death or loss of a parent, child, or mate, or a divorce, will activate that grief as bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, asthma or any number of irregularities of the large intestine.

This is how it works: first, a virus tries so penetrate our cells; second, if successful, it creates a physiological response which is accompanied by bacterial activity. If we go to the doctor an antibiotic is prescribed for the bacterial infection. But remember, the bacteria is the response pattern the body goes through to fight the invading virus; antibiotics are not impressively useful in treatment of virus. In fact, according so Dr. Dean Adel, the syndicated talk show host, they are immunosuppressive and in many instances lengthen the recovery time. Then, as the invasion tries to retreat after the food feast (blood stream debris of the infections or accumulation of poor lifestyle patterns) is dwindling, the cold goes back to the virus stage.

As the victims of this viral invasion, we perceive these stages as: first, chills, muscle aches, joint aches, headaches, change in intestinal activity; second, our sinuses clog, a possible temperature rise and third, our symptoms subside but may linger as a cough or prolonged nasal discharge and fatigue.

SIMPLE TIPS

Here are some tips, the wisest of which cost little or nothing. First and most importantly: REST. Remember, 'rest" is a verb. Rest is one of the best methods of supporting the immune system ever discovered! It is also immensely pleasurable when you're not feeling 100 percent. Second, use the power of your mind to help you ward off getting sick. If you have some very important obligation to keep, the power of your thought and determination will help ward off illness. Third, dress right. Dress warmly. In the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, virus enters the body via the head, neck and chest areas, as well as the feet. Therefore, cover those parts of the body and keep them warm and out of the chill or wind. If you have gotten drenched in a rainstorm put on warm, dry clothes and drink a cup of hot tea when you come in from the cold. Use silk, wool, or cotton next to the skin. Fourth, eat right. When you experience the first sneeze or muscle ache or head or neck pressure, and you think, "Here it comes," begin drinking hot water or hot water with a squeeze of lemon or lime. If at home, make some ginger root or peppermint tea. Good ingredients to include are ginger, honey, lemon, cayenne, cinnamon, peppermint (unless taking homeopathics), and a teaspoon of brandy. If your throat is sore or you have a cough, you may wish to make a tea of slippery elm powder and raw honey. There are several common cold mixtures in tea bag form, and they're becoming increasingly available even at the large grocery store chains.

If you feel chilled or have a hard time breaking a sweat, make your hot tea, take a hot bath or shower, dress very warmly, hop into bed and drink your tea until you sweat. Afterwards you'll probably feel drowsy and fall asleep. Upon awakening, you will feel much better.

For fevers (which are part of the solution, nor the problem), keep the lower two-thirds of your body very warm. This helps keep the head/brain relatively cool. My favorite remedy is to use hot-water bottles on feet and stomach, thus allowing thermal circulation to enhance the blood's ability to carry off toxic waste of inflammation and infection. Heating pads are useful, but hot-water bottles are safer and do a better job. Some people use enemas, especially for children who have high fevers or ear infections. My experience is that an enema will drop a fever one to two degrees in 30 minutes and ensure a good night's sleep for both child and parents.

Soups and gruels are also very good to eat when you are catching cold, but only if you are hungry. Try vegetable, chicken, or barley soup broth. Ingredients to include are: onions, garlic, barley, rice, mushrooms, grains, leeks, scallions, and pastina (even egg drop as you begin to recover). Applesauce with cinnamon is often appealing to the cold sufferer.

VITAMINS AND HERBS

Vitamin C is a must. I prefer a degraded form that bypasses the digestive system, doesn't irritate the kidneys and stays in the bloodstream four days (plain, chemically-derived vitamin C stays about four hours).

Lactobacillus acidophilis in generous quantities is a MUST. I used to recommend any kind of brand. However, recently researchers have examined many different brands and found some to be missing the claimed L. acidophilis ingredient. Therefore, ask your supplier for a lot of substantiation before purchasing. General speaking the brands that cost more than the others, are refrigerated, and claim they have billions of bacilli present are the best ones.

Beta-carotene and other carotenes are powerful immune enhancers.

Vitamin A is useful, especially when a person has chronically low resistance and a lot of clear mucus. Garlic perles are also useful. Use large doses for three days.

Minerals: iron, zinc, and selenium are especially helpful.

Mushrooms: reishitaki and ganoderma are potent immune-system supporters. They are sweet, neutral, and do not work against anyone's stomach.

Echinacea is another immune-system supporter. It is a mild lymphatic cleanser which assists the body in processing and excreting bodily waste material. Use as a tincture or pill, as it is bitter as a tea.

Homeopathy is very useful if correctly applied. Some of the common initial onset remedies include aconite, allium for copious nasal discharge, gelsemium for muscle aches and fever below 102 degrees, belladonna for fever 102 degrees and higher, and ferrum phos. to enhance immunity. The Chinese herb formula called Yin Chiao is extremely useful in the first 24-48 hours of a cold's onset. I give all my patients a vial or two to keep in their purse or coat pocket at the beginning of the season. If taken soon enough, it often prevents a trip to any health professional's office.

To clear nasal passages, use a saltwater irrigation or nose drops of Irish moss and a bactericide or goldenseal tea. Goldenseal is especially helpful in relieving the headache associated with sinus blockage. Using eucalyptus oil under the nose, or in a steam pot, or on the rocks in a sauna is also very soothing. Soaking feet in hot water (you can add cayenne, mustard, ginger, cinnamon) also helps to clear the head.

To help relax joints and muscle aches, a hot bath with dry mustard powder added relieves the deep cold and ache. Soak 10 so 20 minutes.

For a chest cold or deep cough, a mustard/ginger powder plaster is marvelous, but please use caution. Once in a while you can get a skin irritation which may burn for about 5 to 10 minutes (Washing it off will nor alleviate the symptoms of redness and you will only get chilled. The red irritation will subside in a few minutes and go away in a few days). Use l tsp. mustard powder, 1 tsp. dry ginger powder, and I to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Rub into chest and back. Put on an old T-shirt as it will stain. Take a shower the next day. Very effective!

For an earache, insert into the external canal (if there are no perforations of the eardrum) warm garlic oil or glycerine, or a mix of St. John's wort and mullein oil. Stuff ear with cotton. Use a hot-water bottle to keep ear warm. Many antibiotics are not as helpful in earaches as current wisdom would have us believe. Unless there is severe pain and the drum is in danger of rupture, using a combination of simple remedies is useful.

And let's not forget hands-on therapy. Massage, body work of your preferred variety-acupressure, shiatsu, Swedish, deep-tissue, reflexology, etc.-almost always feels good. If you have access to acupuncture in your state, it is fabulous for rerouting the old cold/flu track. Period.

See? There are many common things to do. If after trying a combination of the simple approaches you still do not feel well, then call your favorite professional for consultation.

Martha Serrie Benedict, M.A., O.M.D., Lac., received her master's degree from Stanford Medical School and was on the faculty of the University of California's medical school before she began studies in Taiwan and then mainland China. This led to her becoming the first non-Asian woman to be certified to practice Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in California in 1976. She integrates Native American medicine, naturopathy, and homeopathy into Chinese and Western Medicine in her practice in Santa Cruz, CA.