Traditional Vietnamese medicine for treating certain cold-weather illnesses.

During the cold season, people are often affected by wind and cold, leading to various respiratory illnesses. The following traditional remedies are easy to find and use.

To treat a cold, fever without sweating, headache, cough, runny nose, and chills, use one of the following remedies:

- 15-20g of fresh ginger, 15g of white onion (both the stem and leaves). Wash both thoroughly, chop finely, and boil with 500ml of water for about 10 minutes. Drink hot, then cover yourself with a blanket to induce sweating.

- Wash and finely chop 20g of perilla leaves, 20g of fresh scallions, and 12g of fresh ginger. Cook rice into porridge. Pour into a bowl and mix with the perilla leaves, scallions, and ginger. Add seasonings and eat hot. Cover with a blanket to induce sweating. You can add one egg yolk to the hot porridge to increase energy and provide additional nutrients.

- Take one fresh ginger root, wash it, peel it, and crush it. Sauté it with a little white wine, wrap it in a clean cloth bag, and rub it all over your body to induce sweating.

- Steaming pot: perilla leaves, lemongrass leaves, basil leaves, mint leaves, mugwort leaves, lemon leaves, pomelo leaves. Use 3-5 of the above leaves to boil water for steaming to induce sweating and disinfect the respiratory tract. After steaming, dry yourself thoroughly to prevent exposure to cold wind.

To treat abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, cold hands and feet, and fear of cold, use one of the following remedies:

- Wash 50-80g of fresh ginger, slice thinly, stir-fry until golden brown, then crush and mix with 1 cup of boiling water. Drink warm in small sips. You can add a little honey or sugar to taste.

- 12g of dried ginger (fresh ginger steamed and then dried, called can khương), 15-20g of galangal root. Boil these two ingredients with 500ml of water, reduce to 300ml, divide into two portions, and drink warm before meals.

- 12 g of lemongrass, 12 g of perilla leaves, 12 g of patchouli, 8 g of dried ginger (or 12 g of fresh ginger). Boil with 500 ml of water, reduce to 300 ml, divide into two portions and drink warm before meals.

- Mix 2-4g of powdered black pepper and 2-4g of powdered dried ginger with hot rice water and drink on an empty stomach.

When taking the medicine, you can combine it with warming the abdominal area, around the navel, or take powdered mugwort leaves, roll them into a stick, burn it, and warm the navel and surrounding area for 5-10 minutes.

Cold-type rheumatism: pain in one or more joints. The pain is moderate, the joints are not swollen, the skin is normal, not red or hot. Sometimes there is numbness on the skin, difficulty in bending and extending the limbs, and difficulty in movement. The pain is especially worse in cold weather. Use one of the following remedies:

- 10 g dried ginger, 8 g turmeric root, 12 g betel leaves, 12 g *Cynanchum stauntonii*, 12 g mulberry branches, 10 g *Imperata cylindrica* root. Boil with 750 ml of water, reduce to 300 ml, divide into two portions, drink warm before meals.

- 12 g of *Tinospora cordifolia* root, 12 g of *Xanthium strumarium*, 12 g of roasted *Phaseolus vulgaris*, 12 g of mulberry mistletoe (Mistletoe parasiticus), 8 g of *Mentha arvensis*, 8 g of *Plantago major*, 8 g of dried ginger. Boil with 750 ml of water, reduce to 300 ml, divide into two portions, and drink warm before meals.

- 12 g of Piper betle leaves, 12 g of Cynodon dactylon, 8 g of cinnamon bark, 12 g of Smilax glabra, 8 g of Angelica sinensis, 12 g of mulberry twigs, 8 g of tangerine peel. Boil with 750 ml of water, reduce to 300 ml, divide into two portions, and drink warm before meals.

In addition to taking medication, you can combine it with massage and acupressure as follows:

- Massage: Warm your hands by rubbing them together or warming them over a fire, then gently massage starting from the non-painful side and gradually moving to the painful side. Massage in order from the head down to the neck, shoulders, back, arms, and legs.

When massaging, choose a sheltered area and sit in a chair. You can use massage oil, warm ginger wine, or warming balm to increase the warmth. Massage 2-3 times a day, for 10-15 minutes each time.

According to VOV.VN