It's that time of year....scarf season! It's time to pull out your scarves and wear them regularly. Wearing a scarf protects your neck by keeping it warm so that your immune system stays strong during cold and flu season. In Chinese medicine, we view colds as "exogenous pathogenic invasions" that come in through the neck, and protecting the neck with a scarf can help prevent exogenous pathogenic invasions.
Thanks to Western medicine, we know that colds and flu usually come in through the nose and mouth and sometimes the eyes. However, the neck still plays an important role in preventing viruses from making us sick. In our neck, we have a number of lymph nodes that are one of the first lines of defense against viruses. These lymph nodes contain white blood cells that fight viruses, and they function better in a warmer environment, which is why it's important to keep your neck warm in colder seasons.
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