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Common cold
How to take care of a baby with a cold
When a baby has a cold, it indicates that the baby has an acute upper respiratory infection. Over 90% of colds are caused by viral infections, and 10% are caused by bacterial infections. When a child catches a cold, in addition to administering medication, nursing care is very important. First, the child should be allowed to rest, sleep more, drink plenty of plain water, and avoid vigorous activities. It is important to monitor the child's temperature and promptly manage any symptoms if the child develops a fever. Additionally, ensure that the child's diet is light and easy to digest; it's better to drink more soups and avoid fatty meats or sweets. Also, under the guidance of a doctor, administer symptomatic medications to the child, and always follow the instructions carefully when using medications to avoid taking too much or too little, as either can be inappropriate.
How many days will it take for a cold headache to get better?
Headache is a common symptom of the cold, which generally eases within three to four days. If a cold is accompanied by headaches, it is often considered severe. Symptoms like fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue may indicate a viral infection. It is advised to take antiviral medications under a doctor's guidance, along with medications for the cold to treat and alleviate these symptoms. Additionally, if the headache is severe, it's advisable to take some pain relief medication to ease the symptoms. Drinking plenty of water to promote excretion and boosting the immune system are also recommended. Moreover, maintaining a cheerful mood, keeping warm, avoiding exposure to cold, engaging in moderate exercise to enhance physical constitution, and avoiding strenuous activities which may lower resistance and exacerbate the cold are important. Therefore, it is suggested to engage in soothing exercises, avoid staying up late, and ensure adequate sleep to strengthen the body's defenses.
Is it good to sweat when you have an air conditioning cold?
Air conditioning cold, also known as in the hot summer, due to long time indoors with the air conditioning temperature set too low, leading to the patient exhibiting various degrees of nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, fever, headache, dizziness, general weakness, some patients may also have nausea, vomiting and other clinical symptoms. For such patients, we must take it very seriously, promptly turn off the air conditioner or open the windows to ventilate, as this is relatively conducive to the improvement of cold symptoms, because many patients when the air conditioning temperature is too low, may accidentally catch a cold, allowing viruses and bacteria the opportunity to invade and cause the patient to develop a fever. During the fever reduction process, the patient may sweat to varying degrees. Therefore, for patients with an air conditioning cold, if sweating occurs, it is often a symptom of the fever subsiding, which is a positive sign.
What should you eat when you have a cold?
For the disease of the common cold, one should primarily consume light foods and eat more foods rich in vitamin C such as apples, bananas, kiwis, dragon fruits, and mangoes. Medically, one should choose antipyretic analgesics, which can help alleviate symptoms like headache and sore limbs. If symptoms include a runny nose and sneezing, one may take Chlorpheniramine Maleate to suppress gland secretion. Concurrently, using Qingkailing granules or antiviral oral solutions can provide antiviral targeted treatment.
What should I do if a cold and fever persist?
It is necessary to take corresponding interventions based on the degree of fever to prevent complications such as high fever convulsions and coma. Firstly, drink more water and rest more. You can wipe your palms, feet, neck, and inner thighs—areas where major blood vessels pass—with warm water or alcohol, which can help restore body temperature. You can also use a cool towel or ice packs to compress the forehead, which can protect brain cells and be effective. Along with taking antipyretic and analgesic drugs for symptomatic treatment, re-measure the temperature after two hours.
Can you drink alcohol during a cold?
During a cold, one should not drink alcohol. Patients with a cold often experience nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat. Some may feel general body aches and weakness. Drinking alcohol can potentially worsen these clinical symptoms, especially since patients are prone to gastrointestinal disturbances during a cold, particularly those with a gastrointestinal type of cold who exhibit significant nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Continuing to drink alcohol can lead to a severe worsening of digestive symptoms, and even lead to watery diarrhea and symptoms of collapse. Some patients with a cold may experience a fever induced by drinking alcohol, which can worsen and prolong the illness. Sometimes, drinking alcohol can lead to secondary bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, forming a bacterial type of cold and worsening the condition. Moreover, cold patients may need to take oral medication, and drinking alcohol could exacerbate the adverse reactions of these medications. Specifically, in cases of bacterial colds where cephalosporin anti-inflammatory drugs are required, drinking alcohol can cause a disulfiram-like reaction. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid alcohol during a cold.
How to relieve headache from a cold during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a very special physiological period for women, during which their immune system is relatively weaker, and their choices in food can be very selective. Moreover, many medications are prohibited during pregnancy. Therefore, it is common for pregnant women to experience headaches caused by viral colds. For pregnant women experiencing headaches, physical methods can be used for treatment. For instance, massaging the "Da Zhui" and "Feng Chi" acupoints located at the back of the neck can alleviate symptoms of colds and headaches. Additionally, applying heat, such as using a warm towel on the forehead or neck, can also effectively treat headaches from colds during pregnancy without affecting the development of the fetus.
How to comfort a friend who has a cold and a headache?
First, it is necessary to provide psychological and emotional comfort, making them understand that the common cold is a frequent and ordinary illness in daily life. It often occurs when the body's immune system is weakened, leading to viral infections, which can cause symptoms such as fever and headache. It is important to avoid stress. At the same time, you should advise your friend to eat more fruits and vegetables that are high in vitamin C to boost metabolism. Massaging acupressure points such as the temples, Hegu point, and Zusanli can also effectively relieve headache symptoms. Additionally, if there are symptoms of fever, appropriate measures should be taken to reduce the fever and treat the symptoms accordingly.
Treatment for sore throat caused by a cold
To treat a sore throat from a cold, the main principle is to choose sensitive antibiotics or antiviral medications, in combination with medications that clear the lungs and benefit the throat for symptomatic treatment. One should first observe whether there are hypertrophic lymphoid follicles on the posterior pharyngeal wall, whether the tonsils are hypertrophied and enlarged, and whether there are diseases such as herpetic pharyngotonsillitis. If it is due to an acute exacerbation of chronic pharyngitis, one can choose to take macrolide antibiotics, combined with medications such as throat pills and pharyngitis tablets. Nebulization inhalation can also be adopted, which acts like a local treatment and can have a more direct effect.
How to deal with heatstroke, cold, and fever?
In summer, due to the high temperatures, the human body can intake too much heat, leading to weakened immunity and symptoms such as colds and fevers, including sore throat, pain in the throat, runny nose, chills, and feverish symptoms. In such cases, symptomatic treatment can be carried out, starting with controlling the indoor temperature, which should not be too high or too low, and can be in an air-conditioned room, but the room temperature should not be set too low. Also, drink more water and appropriately take some cold medicine for symptomatic treatment. If the body temperature reaches above 38.5°C and physical cooling methods are not controlling it, fever-reducing medications might be needed. It is best to visit a hospital for relevant examinations, such as routine blood tests, liver and kidney function tests, and electrolytes, to rule out serious damage to internal organs caused by heatstroke.