Always Catching a Cold? The Real Reason You Struggle Every Change of Season

What Donguibogam refers to as lung qi and the defense barrier of skin and hair aligns closely with modern medicine's understanding of the immune system, particularly the respiratory mucosa line of defense. When people constantly catch colds during seasonal transitions, it is often not mere exposure to cold viruses, but rather that their immune defense system has been weakened by a combination of internal and external factors. The frontline defense of our body is the mucosa lining the nose, throat, and bronchus. This mucosa primarily filters out and neutralizes harmful substances such as viruses and bacteria entering from the outside. Mucus, antimicrobial peptides, and IgA antibodies secreted by mucosal cells work together to capture and eliminate external invaders. However, severe stress, sleep deprivation, irregular dietary habits, chronic inflammation, and poor gut health begin to wear down this crucial mucosal barrier. An imbalance in the autonomic nervous system decreases the activity of immune cells and diminishes blood circulation in the respiratory mucosa. Dry environments also parch the mucosa, leaving its defensive function even more vulnerable. When this line of defense breaks down, even small amounts of virus that could normally be contained can easily penetrate and undergo proliferation, resulting in frequent colds or influenza. This can also develop into more serious respiratory conditions like pneumonia or bronchitis. If this cycle repeats, it leads to chronic fatigue and a systemic inflammatory response, reducing the body's resilience and causing decreased immunity. This is not simply catching a cold; it is a sign that your body's primary defense system is sending out a distress signal. Modern science also shows that the lung is not merely an organ for breathing, but a central organ deeply involved in systemic immunomodulation and the flow of vital energy.