Subscribe
Common cold
How to distinguish between viral cold and bacterial cold
The majority of colds are caused by viral infections, with only a very small portion caused by bacterial infections, or accompanied by bacterial infections. The distinction between viral and bacterial colds is primarily made from the following two aspects: First, in terms of clinical symptoms, those caused by viral colds are mostly short-lived, usually healing quickly within about a week, while the clinical symptoms caused by bacterial colds tend to persist longer, often exceeding a week. Secondly, in terms of blood work, viral colds mostly show normal results, or a lower white blood cell count; whereas bacterial colds often exhibit an increased white blood cell count, or an increased proportion of neutrophils.
Can you eat chestnuts during a cold?
During a cold, it is advisable to eat fewer chestnuts. Although chestnuts are rich in proteins, vitamins, and carbohydrates, and can provide the necessary substances for the body, especially high in carbohydrates, providing the body's energy, it is important to note that chestnuts are warm in nature. Eating too many during a cold can possibly induce symptoms of 'internal heat', leading even to sore throats, which is not conducive to alleviating the condition. Furthermore, during a cold, the patient’s digestive function generally declines, particularly in those with gastroenteric colds, who may also experience significant nausea, abdominal bloating and pain, diarrhea, etc. Consuming too many chestnuts at this time can potentially cause an increase in abdominal symptoms like bloating and nausea, which are not conducive to recovery and might worsen the patient's appetite. Therefore, during a cold, it is recommended to avoid spicy, stimulating, and hard-to-digest foods.
How many days until one can eat after a stomach flu?
Patients with gastrointestinal colds can continue to eat if they are able to do so without skipping meals. Therefore, it is not necessary to wait until the cold is over before eating. Additionally, consuming nutritious foods can aid significantly in the recovery from a gastrointestinal cold. It is advisable to eat soft, easily digestible foods, such as vegetable soup, noodle soup, and rice soup. Increase vegetable intake and stay hydrated. Avoid raw, cold, and spicy, irritating foods. It is important to rest and actively use medication for treatment.
Do you still need to take cold medicine for a cough in the later stages of a cold?
Patients with colds are generally caused by viral infections and are often self-limiting diseases, usually recovering completely within about a week. In a minority of patients, different degrees of cough may occur later on. For such cases, where there is throat itchiness and varying degrees of dryness in the throat, or even cough symptoms, it is generally not necessary to continue with cold medicine. Instead, antiviral medications and throat-clearing drugs can be used for symptomatic treatment to relieve the cough that appears later. As for the later cough, if it is a dry cough, use some cough suppressants. If there is phlegm with the cough, appropriate cough suppressants should also be used, along with antibiotics for symptomatic treatment, to provide relief. However, the use of cold medicines that relieve nasal congestion and runny nose is generally not advised at this stage.
How to Treat a Child's Cold in the Early Stages
Children's colds are mostly viral infections and are self-limiting, which means they can resolve on their own. Therefore, no special treatment is needed in the early stages of a child's cold, but it is important for the child to drink plenty of water and get plenty of rest. If an adult at home has a cold, avoid contact with the child and ensure good ventilation; windows should be opened daily for air circulation. Additionally, feed the child light, easily digestible foods. If the child experiences significant nasal congestion or runny nose causing discomfort, child-specific cold granules or physiological saline nasal wash can be used to relieve the symptoms of the cold. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)
How to solve the problem of nasal congestion due to a cold?
If the symptoms of nasal congestion are not too severe, you can use steaming methods, apply a hot towel, or massage acupoints, such as the temples and the Fengchi acupoint. If the cold symptoms are more severe, then some medications will be necessary. You can use medications for nasal congestion or cold medicines. If the virus invades the nasal cavity, causing congestion and swelling of the mucous membrane, and resulting inflammation, some anti-inflammatory medications can be used. Drink more warm water and eat more fresh vegetables and fruits. You can take some traditional Chinese medicine to treat the cold. If there is also fever and thick nasal discharge, some antiviral medications should be taken for treatment.
What is the difference between a stomach cold and a common cold?
Gastrointestinal flu and common cold have certain differences. The so-called gastrointestinal flu, clinically, often involves some viruses infecting the respiratory tract, which causes patients to have not only upper respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, and throat itchiness. These patients will also experience gastrointestinal discomforts like nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and a decrease in appetite. These symptoms indicate gastrointestinal flu. On the other hand, patients with a common cold typically exhibit only upper respiratory symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, fever, throat itchiness, and coughing. Generally, a common cold does not accompany symptoms like abdominal distension, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.
How to deal with repeated colds due to a cold body constitution?
For patients suffering from repeated colds due to a cold constitution, it is crucial to pay extra attention to their diet, avoiding overly hard, overly stimulating, or overly cold foods. One beneficial dietary practice is to consume more warm-natured foods and drink more ginger water, as ginger water has the effect of expelling cold, especially helpful for those with a cold constitution, providing significant relief and improvement. Drinking mugwort leaf water can also be beneficial. It is also essential to avoid excessive fatigue.
Is a cold with fever easy to get over?
Heat cold is also just a type of cold, and it is also quite common in clinical settings. Typically, such patients often occur in the summer, and a slight chill or getting caught in the rain can trigger the symptoms of a cold. The general clinical symptoms of a heat cold include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and often yellow nasal discharge. Patients may also have varying degrees of fever, and during a fever, they might feel chills throughout the body, headaches, dizziness, etc. Most heat colds are caused by viral infections. Therefore, appropriate antiviral drugs and heat-clearing and detoxifying medications are given to treat the symptoms. Heat colds generally get better within about a week, especially in young people, some of whom may recover from heat cold symptoms even without medication.
Is catching a cold from excessive internal heat the same as a wind-heat cold?
Colds caused by excessive internal heat are common in everyday life. They are mostly caused by wind-heat type colds, and part of them are what we often refer to as "cold wrapped in heat", meaning one has caught a wind-cold type cold while also showing symptoms of excessive internal heat. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor in person for diagnosis. Based on one's condition, the diagnosis is made through the four examinations of inspection, listening and smelling, inquiry, and palpation to differentiate the syndromes and decide on the treatment. Colds caused by excessive internal heat generally require the use of herbs that clear heat and purge fire, combined with herbs that expel wind and release the exterior for treatment to achieve recovery. (The use of medicines should be under the guidance of a doctor.)