At which level are symptoms like fever, chills, and cough most common?

The symptoms of fever, chills, and cough are most characteristic of the Wei Level in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The Wei level corresponds to the exterior aspect of the body and represents the protective qi or the defensive energy that guards against external pathogens, including wind, cold, or heat.

When an external pathogen invades the body, it disrupts the normal functioning of the Wei qi, leading to common symptoms associated with exterior conditions, such as fever due to the body’s response to the inflammation and heat generated by the pathogen, chills from the body trying to manage the condition, and cough if the respiratory system is affected. In TCM, the presence of these symptoms indicates that the body is actively fighting off the pathogen, which reinforces the association of these symptoms with the Wei Level.

In contrast, other levels such as the Qi, Xue, and Ying levels reflect deeper stages of illness where the presentation of symptoms differs. The Qi Level primarily involves issues related to energy and metabolism but does not typically present with these exterior symptoms. The Xue Level involves blood conditions and more serious disruptions with additional complex symptoms, while the Ying Level is related to the nutritive aspects of the body and often presents with deeper constitutional symptoms, which do not align with