Traditional Chinese Medicine Healing Herbs(TCMHH)
Ask us

THERAPY

Getting Sick Often in TCM: Patterns, Herbs and What Actually Helps

getting sick often tcm traditional chinese medicine
By the TCMHH editorial team Not medically reviewed How we work Updated 6 Oct 2026
Advertisement

Catching every bug that circulates through the office is, in TCM terms, a wei qi problem, the defensive layer of the body running low. Rebuilding it's slow work with a real payoff.

The patterns behind getting sick often

  • Weak wei qi with spontaneous sweat and easy colds
  • Lung qi deficiency with a weak voice and short breath

Same complaint, different machinery. That is why a herb that transforms one person's getting sick often can leave another person unchanged: the pattern underneath is not the same.

The herbs most often used

  • Astragalus (Huang Qi): tonifies wei qi, the defensive energy that keeps colds away
  • Asian ginseng (Ren Shen): strengthens spleen qi for poor appetite and fatigue
  • Jujube (Da Zao): builds blood and qi for pale face and fatigue

Acupressure you can do yourself

Massage each of these, zusanli, fengmen, with a firm circular pressure for about a minute. Soreness that eases as you press is a good sign you are in the right spot.

Food and daily rhythm

On the plate: Astragalus chicken soup weekly in cold season, congee breakfasts, garlic and onion in cooking

In the day: Dress in layers over the neck and back, moderate exercise to a light sweat, no crash diets in winter

Start low, watch how your body responds, and give it a fair run of a few weeks before judging. If something feels wrong, stop; that feedback matters more than any article.

Advertisement

Sources and further reading

We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.

  • Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
  • Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
  • Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
  • NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.

Spotted an error or a better source? Tell us — corrections are logged on our editorial policy page.

Did this article help you?

Your answer shapes what gets rewritten next.

👍 Yes, this helped 👎 No, something is missing

Keep readingRelated entries

How Chinese Medicine Approaches Tired, Dry Eyes The eyes belong to the liver in Chinese medicine, which is why eye fatigue is treated with herbs that nourish liver blood rather than with anything. Constipation: A Traditional Chinese Medicine Guide Constipation in TCM is less about fiber and more about why the intestines are dry, weak or sluggish. How to Make Ginger and Brown Sugar Tea (and Who It Is For) Ginger and Brown Sugar Tea uses things you can buy at any Asian grocery, and in TCM terms it does a specific, well-defined job: early cold with chills. recipe (scallion and ginger cold soup) Scallion and Ginger Cold Soup uses things you can buy at any Asian grocery, and in TCM terms it does a specific, well-defined job: the first day of a.

Something this article did not cover?

Ask us directly. We reply within two days, and good questions become public articles.

Ask a question →