Wind is a yang pathogenic factor, characterized by upward flowing.

When it attacks the human body, it often affects the upper region first. For example, if exogenous pathogenic wind causes a common cold, its symptoms are headache, nasal obstruction, itching or sore throat, etc., which are confined to the upper body. If pathogenic wind together with dampness induces disease the symptoms are swelling of the eyes and face.

Wind is characterized by outward dispersion.

If pathogenic wind attacks the body, it may affect the defensive qi causing derangement in the opening and closing of pores. The clinical symptoms are fever, sweating, aversion to wind, etc.

Wind blows in gusts and is characterized by rapid change.

In the Suwen it says, "The wind is good at traveling and undergoes change frequently." Diseases caused by wind are marked by migrating disease location and symptoms that appear and disappear. Onset is abrupt and disappearance hasty, e.g., migrating joint pain of bi syndromes, which usually involve joint pains, and intolerable itching of urticaria.

Wind is characterized by constant moving.

Pathogenic wind causes motor impairment or abnormal motion of the trunk or limbs manifested by convulsion, opisthotonos, spasm and tremor of the four limbs, and rigidity of the neck. In the Suwen it says, "Predominant wind causes symptoms characterized by movements."

Wind is liable to associate itself with other pathogenic factors.

Pathogenic wind is apt to be accompanied with cold, damp, or heat to become wind-cold, wind-damp, or wind-heat pathogenic factors.

Wind may be also associated with some pathological products such as phlegm, forming pathogenic wind-phlegm. The commonly seen symptoms caused by exogenous pathogenic wind are known as shangfeng (wind damage).

Main clinical manifestations: fever, aversion to wind, perspiration, slow and superficial pulse, dry and itching throat, cough, nasal obstruction and discharge.

These symptoms are due to damage by exogenous pathogenic wind to the body surface and the lung. If exogenous pathogenic wind attacks the skin and muscles, the wei (defensive) qi is damaged and fails to defend the body surface. So perspiration and aversion to wind occur. When wei qi fights against exogenous pathogenic wind, fever arises. When the disease locates in the exterior of the body, it causes sweating, thus the pulse is superficial and slow. When exogenous pathogenic wind attacks the lung, its function will become abnormal in the spreading and descending of qi and also brings about a dysfunction of body fluid distribution. The clinical manifestations of dry and itching throat, cough, nasal obstruction and discharge occur.