Infant Cold and Fever

Question: My daughter is six months old and has a cold with clear nasal discharge, sneezing, and a mild cough. Her temperature is 38.3°C. We’ve given her half a packet of Xiao’er Jiegan Granules and three pills of Qingkailing Dropping Pills for two days, but there’s been no improvement.

Switch to Xiao’er Magan Granules, Children’s Ganre Qing Pills, enema with one-third compound barbiturate, one-third dexamethasone sodium phosphate, and one shot of bitterwood injection, twice a day. Even after the medication wears off, the fever persists, and blood tests show no elevated white blood cell count. The illness has lasted seven days, with a maximum temperature of 38.8°C. How should we treat this?

Answer: This is a viral cold. Western medicine usually can’t eliminate inflammation, and antibiotics are ineffective. Antiviral drugs like ribavirin and acyclovir can be used. Traditional Chinese medicine has deep insights into this condition, diagnosing wind-cold and internal heat, and using formulas like Ma Huang Gui Zhi Tang, Da Xiao Qing Long Tang, and Jing Fang Bai Du San, which are effective through syndrome differentiation.

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6. Fat Dragon

I’m 29 years old, male, and since this spring I’ve been experiencing knee joint pain and coldness, especially in cold weather. My knees hurt, my calves and feet feel icy, and using a small electric heater makes me feel better. But when it gets cold, it’s still the same as before. After washing my hands with cold water, my hand joints also hurt. Could Mr. Pei please advise what disease this might be, what tests should be done, and how to treat it?

Answer: This is rheumatoid arthritis or rheumatic arthritis. You should test for rheumatoid factor, anti-O, C-reactive protein, total white blood cell count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate to distinguish between the two. Treating them separately will be more effective.

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7. Qin Qian

My baby is one year and seven months old, and lately her throat has been constantly inflamed and ulcerated. What could be causing this?

Answer: This is tonsillitis, and its repeated attacks have led to oral ulcers. Note that once oral ulcers appear, it indicates that the patient’s autoimmune system has become disordered. Such patients tend to have recurrent, long-lasting episodes.

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8. Protecting the Eagle

I accidentally discovered a grape-sized lump in the middle of the back of my neck. It’s movable, and I can’t feel it when I tilt my head forward—only when I lean my head back can I touch it. It’s neither painful nor itchy. I’m a bit worried and would like to ask what I should do.

Answer: There are two possibilities: either a tenosynovial cyst or enlarged lymph nodes. You should take an X-ray of the cervical spine to rule out cervical spondylosis. Patients with cervical spondylosis are prone to developing enlarged lymph nodes nearby and tenosynovial cysts.

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9. Xiao Ling

How should artificial urticaria be treated? Female, 25 years old, has had the condition for a year. Despite taking many Western and traditional Chinese medicines, it hasn’t improved. Can she still have children during this time?

Answer: Yes, she can have children—after this opportunity, there won’t be another chance. Urticaria is a minor condition; as the ancients said, “Skin diseases like eczema and scabies are not serious.” Urticaria falls into this category, so it shouldn’t be over-treated. Avoid long-term use of hormones, as prolonged hormone use can affect fertility.

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10. Yuan

My baby is six months old, weighs 9 kg, sleeps restlessly at night, wakes up easily, cries upon waking, and sweats a lot on the back of the head while sleeping. His hands and feet are usually cold and sweaty. Do you have any treatment methods?

Answer: Six-month-old babies have underdeveloped autonomic nervous systems, which is common among most infants. This shouldn’t be considered a disease, nor should it be over-treated.

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11. Sea Snail

MRI shows a herniated disc at L5-S1 and a sacral canal cyst. The main symptom is pain on the right side of the waist, sometimes also on the right buttock. Today the pain is particularly severe—what should I do?

Answer: First, rest assured—the L5 level is far from the spinal cord, and even if it affects the cauda equina, it’s only a peripheral issue. It won’t cause major symptoms or functional impairment. Don’t rush into surgery, because sometimes the scars left by surgery are even bigger than the cyst itself. I recommend seeking treatment through traditional Chinese medicine, focusing on syndrome differentiation. As long as there’s no pain, everything will be fine.

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12. Rainbow After Rain

I’m 39 years old, female, and have suffered from insomnia for over eight years. Now I’m thin, weak, and my head, eyes, and heels all hurt. I’ve tried many traditional Chinese medicines, but none have brought significant relief, which is very distressing. I hope you can help.

Answer: First, you should check your menstrual cycle and whether there’s inflammation in your gynecological area, because gynecological inflammation can lead to menstrual irregularities, which in turn cause autonomic and endocrine disorders, resulting in the symptoms you’re describing. Simply taking sleeping pills won’t solve the root problem, so you need traditional Chinese medicine to promote blood circulation, clear heat, detoxify, and regulate the Chong and Ren meridians. Through syndrome differentiation, your condition will gradually improve.

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June 19, 2014

1. Shi Fufang

A friend of mine, 42 years old, has developed numerous red rashes on her face, and it’s been half a year already. I don’t know what’s causing them. Mr. Pei, how should we treat this?

Answer: This is still acne. There are many types of acne, but the underlying cause is usually low estrogen and relatively high androgen levels. It’s likely that your menstrual flow is already quite light. This condition shouldn’t be considered an allergy or infection; you need to regulate your endocrine system and clear heat and toxins. Only the wind can reach the top of the head, so Western medicine’s treatment is too simplistic—either topical medication or hormonal drugs—and neither addresses the root cause.

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2. Jing Feier

What traditional Chinese medicine can cure bromhidrosis? I caught it from someone else, and now my younger brother has also been infected.

Answer: Bromhidrosis isn’t contagious; it’s related to innate genetic factors. The simplest solution is surgery, which is quite effective. Oral traditional Chinese medicine is ineffective.

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3. Zhou Zhenzhen

I’m a 27-year-old woman, married for two years but still infertile. I’ve had an accidental miscarriage before, and a hospital examination showed my fallopian tubes are patent. According to traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis, I have uterine coldness. Does uterine coldness cause infertility? How should it be treated?

Answer: From a Western medical perspective, uterine coldness means ovarian dysfunction or decline. Don’t panic—be patient and treat it carefully. This is precisely where traditional Chinese medicine excels: through syndrome differentiation, most patients can see improvement.

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4. Lin Lin

A relative of mine, 38 years old, male, has intestinal differentiated adenocarcinoma. Is there any hope for a cure, and what treatment options are available?

Answer: Your question is a bit vague. The intestine includes the large intestine, small intestine, and colon, and cancer develops differently in each part, requiring different treatments and yielding different outcomes.

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5. Nan Nan

I’m 22 years old, a student, unmarried and childless, with no abdominal pain. I just often feel bloated, my periods are irregular, my menstrual flow is very light, and there are small blood clots. My vaginal discharge is very abundant, and I don’t experience dysmenorrhea—only when my period comes, I feel weak in my lower back. I also constantly have pimples, mainly around my mouth and forehead. How should I treat this?

Answer: Your light menstrual flow and facial pimples indicate low estrogen levels. The primary treatment is to regulate your menstrual cycle, and traditional Chinese medicine is the first choice for this purpose. If convenient, you can visit my clinic.

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6. Man’s Path

Male, 25 years old: A month ago, due to prolonged standing and walking without breaks, veins became visible on my calves, accompanied by a slight feeling of heaviness. Could this be varicose veins? How serious is it? How should I treat it?

Answer: Varicose veins should be visible; if they’re not, it’s not varicose veins. Of course, prolonged standing is also a cause of lower limb varicose veins.

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7. Silent 33

White, thick tongue coating, strong taste in food, numbness and thirst in the tongue—if you eat a lot of meat and drink alcohol, your tongue coating will turn black the next day, and you’ll feel hot and dry. What could be causing this?

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6. Lone Angel: I don’t know why this year, but my upper respiratory tract keeps getting repeatedly infected. Every time I see a doctor and take medicine, it gets better for a while, only to start coughing up thick yellow-green phlegm again, followed by dry throat, cough, and hoarseness. This has happened 4 or 5 times already this year, which is really frustrating. How can I avoid these problems?

Answer: You may have chronic pharyngitis or chronic rhinitis, which makes you more prone to catching colds.

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June 16, 2014

1. Wu: I’m 23 years old, female, and for the past year my period has been over in just three days, with dark red blood and very little flow. Because I’m busy with work and my sleep schedule is irregular, I’ve spent a lot of money on traditional Chinese medicine to regulate my cycle, but it hasn’t helped much. A few days ago, I went to the hospital and was suspected of having a chocolate cyst. Mr. Pei, what should I do in my situation?

Answer: Chocolate cysts can cause ovarian dysfunction; they develop from endometriosis. Young women must seek treatment promptly, otherwise it could affect their fertility after marriage. You should go to a specialized hospital for consultation.

2. Guo Xu: My grandmother’s condition improved greatly after taking the herbal medicine you prescribed. However, after she stopped the hormone medication following her recent checkup, she started experiencing dizziness and nausea. Should she continue taking the hormone medication, or how should we proceed with treatment?

Answer: These are side effects of stopping the hormone medication. If there are no other discomforts, these symptoms will gradually subside. Treatment should continue; otherwise, the condition may relapse.

3. Rejecting the Super Short Skirt: About ten days after giving birth, my wife developed small pimples on her face. I’m not sure what caused them. What can be done to treat them?

Answer: After childbirth, estrogen levels drop relatively, while androgen levels rise, making facial acne more likely. Usually, no treatment is needed; the condition will naturally improve after breastfeeding ends.

4. Qin Qian: I’d like to ask whether medical abortion or surgical abortion is better, and what are the drawbacks of each.

Answer: Surgical abortion is definitely better. Medical abortion is not recommended because it can lead to serious long-term complications, such as premature ovarian failure and early menopause.

5. An: A friend of mine, aged 30, has tuberculosis. Sputum and blood tests didn’t show any TB bacteria, but the doctor diagnosed it as tuberculosis based on the X-ray, along with splenomegaly and low white blood cell count. Despite taking many medications to boost white blood cells, the effect has been poor, so she can’t take anti-tuberculosis drugs normally. She’s been struggling for nearly two months now. Could you please advise on a good solution?

Answer: Don’t rush into anti-tuberculosis treatment. Splenomegaly and low white blood cell count indicate problems with the hematopoietic system. Such patients often have weakened immunity, making them more susceptible to non-specific infections in the upper lobes of both lungs. Inexperienced doctors often mistake these infections for tuberculosis.

6. Ting: My father is 73 years old and has had hypertension for ten years. He suffered a stroke in 2010 and had a stent implanted in his carotid artery in 2011. Half a month ago, his condition worsened due to dizziness and blurred vision, leading to hospitalization. The examination revealed brain atrophy, cerebral atherosclerosis, capillary blockage, and coronary heart disease. I really hope you…

Compilation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Q&A