Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 8] Discomfort Caused by “Wind” — A Symptom Checklist for Wind Pathogens

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Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 8]

Discomfort Caused by “Wind” — A Symptom Checklist for Wind Pathogens

Part 2: External Invaders — The Six Climatic Factors and Defensive Strategies

Lesson 6: Wind (風邪), the Leader of All Diseases

In Part 1, we established the diagnostic foundation of the Eight Principles (八綱)—
using Exterior–Interior, Cold–Heat, and Deficiency–Excess to determine the location, nature, and strength of disease patterns.

Building on that framework, we now turn to the most common external causes of disease,
known as the Six Climatic Factors (六氣): Wind, Cold, Summer-Heat, Dampness, Dryness, and Fire.

We begin with Wind (風邪), which classical medicine describes as
“the leader of all diseases.”

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1. What Is Wind Pathogen (風邪)?

Wind pathogen is one of the externally contracted pathogenic factors,
classified as an externally acquired excess condition (外感實邪).

Classical texts describe Wind as belonging to the yin-type external pathogens,
often grouped with Wind–Cold–Dampness (風寒濕).
What makes Wind particularly significant is its tendency to combine easily with other pathogens,
producing a wide variety of clinical patterns.

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1.1 The Defining Nature of Wind: Movement and Change (善行數變)

Wind is called the leader of all diseases because it is characterized by
constant movement and frequent change.

• “Good at moving” (善行)
  → Symptoms do not stay in one location. Pain and discomfort tend to shift from place to place.

• “Prone to change” (數變)
  → Wind rarely acts alone. It commonly combines with Cold, Heat, or Dampness,
  creating complex and variable symptom patterns.

For this reason, Wind often serves as the gateway through which other pathogens enter the body.

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2. Key Signs of Wind Invasion: A Clinical Checklist

When Wind pathogen invades the Exterior (表) or the channels and collaterals (經絡),
the following symptoms commonly appear.

① Sensitivity to Air and Temperature

• Aversion to wind (惡風)
  → Symptoms worsen when exposed to drafts or wind.

② Characteristics of Pain

• Pain that shifts location (痛處左右無常)
  → Pain may be in the shoulder one day and the arm the next.
  (Fixed pain suggests Dampness or blood stasis, not Wind.)

③ Neuromuscular Signs

• Spasms, tension, sudden contraction
  → Muscle twitching, tightness, or pulling sensations.

④ Sensory Disturbances

• Numbness or reduced sensation (不仁)
  → Tingling, dullness, or partial paralysis.

⑤ Skin Manifestations

• Itching (痒)
  → Wind frequently causes itching, especially when affecting the skin.

Classical texts note that when Wind invades the skin and flesh and clashes with Defensive Qi (衛氣),
it may cause numbness.
When it affects Nutritive Qi (榮氣), it can lead to more severe conditions such as hemiplegia.

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3. Wind Strike (傷風) vs. Cold Damage (傷寒): Subtle but Crucial Differences

Both Wind and Cold can cause Exterior patterns, but their clinical presentations differ in important ways.

Wind Strike (傷風)

• Aversion to wind

• Mild sweating, facial luster

• Defensive Qi is relatively deficient
  → Treatment focuses on relaxing and releasing the muscles (解肌)

Cold Damage (傷寒)

• Aversion to cold

• No sweating, dull facial appearance

• Pathogenic factor is relatively strong
  → Treatment focuses on inducing sweating (發汗)

Though they may appear similar, distinguishing Wind from Cold is essential for correct treatment.

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4. Wind Pathogen and “Stroke” (中風): Classical and Later Perspectives

In modern medicine, “stroke” refers to cerebrovascular disease.
In classical texts, however, Zhongfeng (中風) carried a broader meaning.

① The External Wind Perspective

Early classics such as the Inner Canon (內經) viewed Wind primarily as an external pathogen.
Stroke-like symptoms were treated as Exterior conditions and addressed through dispersion and release.

② The Internal Damage Perspective

Later physicians observed that sudden collapse, facial paralysis, hemiplegia,
and speech impairment often result from internal deficiency of Qi and Blood,
not external Wind invasion.

Texts such as the Jingyue Quanshu (景岳全書) strongly criticized the tendency
to label all sudden collapses as Wind disorders without distinguishing internal deficiency.

Clinical Implication

• With Exterior signs → External Wind → Disperse and release

• Without Exterior signs, with deficiency → Internal damage → Supplement and support

Correct differentiation determines whether treatment disperses or nourishes.

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Closing Thoughts

Wind often appears mild at the beginning,
yet it opens the door for other pathogens and deeper disease progression.

Understanding Wind is therefore the starting point for understanding external diseases as a whole.

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Korean Herbal Formulation Studies [Part 9]

The True Face of “Stroke” — External Wind vs. Internal Wind Patterns

In the next article, we will further explore classical and later debates on stroke,
examining traditional formulas for external Wind patterns
and the clinical reasoning behind them.

 📌 [Previous Episode]: Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 7] How to Diagnose Your Body

👉 Next Post: Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 9] The Shaken Body: The True Face of “Wind Stroke”

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