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Common cold
Can scraping (gua sha) treat a cold?
Gua Sha is one of the methods used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating and preventing diseases. It is often performed on the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, which is located on the back of the human body. The Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang is superficial and acts as the first line of defense when external pathogens invade the body. By scraping the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, it stimulates the meridians and channels, enhances the body's immunity, and promotes the expulsion of pathogenic factors by strengthening the body’s vital energy. According to TCM, "when the vital energy is preserved within, pathogens cannot interfere." Therefore, scraping the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang can help in treating and preventing the common cold.
What should a baby eat when they have a cold?
Firstly, the diet should be light, such as offering white rice porridge, mung bean porridge, and red bean porridge, all of which can be consumed. The main point is to consume easily digestible foods. At the same time, you can also eat some fruits, such as apples, bananas, dragon fruit, and watermelon, which are still acceptable to eat. You should avoid spicy, greasy, and irritating foods, as they are not conducive to the recovery of the condition.
Can you drink alcohol when you have a cold?
A cold, also commonly referred to as an upper respiratory tract infection, can be classified based on the type of infecting virus into common cold and influenza. Regardless of the type, patients typically experience various symptoms following the virus infection such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, coughing, and an itchy throat. For patients exhibiting these symptoms, it is generally recommended in clinical practice to drink plenty of water and avoid overly greasy foods. Certainly, consumption of alcohol and spicy foods like chili peppers should be avoided. Similarly, it is advised not to consume cold-natured foods during a cold, hence drinking alcohol is discouraged while sick.
Is the common cold in autumn a wind-heat cold or a wind-cold cold?
In autumn, the temperature difference between day and night increases, and the weather also becomes drier, which leads to the anticipated arrival of colds. If the cold is accompanied by clear nasal discharge and symptoms like sneezing, then it is classified as a cold caused by wind-cold. If during the cold, thick yellow nasal discharge occurs, along with a hoarse voice and sore throat, these symptoms can be identified as a wind-heat cold. After catching a cold, it is important to keep warm to avoid catching cold again, eat more fruits and vegetables, improve physical fitness, and enhance immunity.
Can you eat watermelon if you have a cold from catching a chill?
In clinical practice, there are cases of colds classified as "hot" or "cold" types. Even patients suffering from a "hot" type cold can experience nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and fever when they catch a chill. For some patients who catch a cold in summer due to being chilled, it is appropriate to eat some watermelon, as watermelon is a cooling fruit. It can somewhat relieve the heat for patients suffering from a "hot" type cold. Therefore, for patients experiencing nasal congestion, sore throat, or even coughing due to a "hot" type cold, eating watermelon can help adjust and soothe, although it is not recommended to eat frozen watermelon.
Can you not eat seafood when you have a cold?
Cold patients can generally eat seafood unless they are allergic to it. The common cold is the most frequently seen acute upper respiratory tract infection in clinical settings, and it is a contagious disease. It can cause a variety of clinical symptoms such as fever, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sore throat. Therefore, patients with a cold will experience certain consumption, including nutritional and fluid loss. Seafood is the most common marine product food, and it does not affect the common cold. This means that eating seafood does not worsen the clinical symptoms of a cold. Moreover, seafood contains rich nutrients, which can beneficially supplement the losses caused by the cold. Of course, a very small number of cold patients may have an allergic constitution and be allergic to seafood, in which case it is not suitable for them, but this situation is very rare.
What are the symptoms of a stomach cold?
Gastrointestinal flu is quite common in clinical practice, primarily characterized by discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract and symptoms of a cold. Patients may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and may also exhibit fever and cough. Gastrointestinal flu is mostly caused by rotavirus infection and is more common in the summer and autumn seasons. Irregular eating habits and rest patterns can easily trigger it. The main treatment involves using anti-cold medication symptomatically as well as medication to regulate the gastrointestinal tract. During treatment, it is crucial to maintain regular eating habits, rest adequately, drink plenty of water, and ensure proper hydration. Gastrointestinal flu can also lead to dehydration, which must be carefully monitored.
What should you not eat when you have a cold?
When you have a cold, you should avoid eating spicy, overly greasy, and cold food. These foods may worsan coughing symptoms and can also irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, they are detrimental to the patient's condition. For a cold, it is recommended to have a light diet and eat some fruit appropriately, as well as drink plenty of plain water. Additionally, patients can consume some protein-rich foods, such as lean meat and eggs. Cold is usually a self-limiting illness and often does not require special treatment. Sometimes, just by making the dietary adjustments mentioned, the patient's condition may gradually improve. However, it is important to note that if the symptoms of the cold are severe, appropriate symptomatic treatment is necessary. Also, a minority of cold patients may develop complications such as pneumonia. Therefore, if cold symptoms persist, it is necessary to seek medical consultation to investigate the cause and receive appropriate management.
Can I eat oranges if I have a cold in the summer?
Colds that occur in the summer are generally more often heat-induced colds. Symptoms of heat-induced colds typically include fever, headache, or overall fatigue, along with chills, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and coughing among other clinical symptoms. It is generally not recommended for patients with such colds to eat oranges. Oranges are highly nutritious, containing a large amount of Vitamin C and some B vitamins. However, oranges can cause "internal heat," and eating too many oranges may exacerbate symptoms like sore throat. Therefore, it is generally advised not to eat oranges when one has a cold during summer. If one really wants to eat oranges, consuming a small amount, just a few segments, is acceptable.
Can I eat cherries if I have a cold and cough?
Cough caused by a cold is very common in clinical practice. Most are due to viral invasion of the respiratory tract, causing inflammatory lesions that lead to varying degrees of coughing. Patients with a cough caused by a cold can eat cherries. This is because cherries have a high nutritional value, containing large amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B, and other micronutrients needed by the body. A cold itself occurs because of low immune function in the body and can lead to upper respiratory tract infection symptoms after exposure to cold. Eating some cherries can also be beneficial for such patients, aiding in a quicker recovery from the illness.