Traditional Chinese medicine classifies the common cold based on the different external pathogenic factors a patient encounters, which can be categorized into cold-induced common cold and heat-induced common cold. A cold-induced common cold occurs when a patient is invaded by cold pathogens, while a heat-induced common cold is when a cold is contracted after exposure to external heat pathogens. In modern medicine, also known as Western medicine, the common cold is further classified into the ordinary common cold, primarily caused by viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasma infections, and the epidemic influenza, mainly caused by the influenza virus. Generally speaking, both Chinese and Western medicine employ different treatment methods and medications specific to the pathogens involved in the cold, and both approaches can be very effective in treating the condition.