Common cold


What should I do if the baby has a cold and a dry cough?
When a baby has a cold and a dry cough, the first step is to administer a cough suppressant, which can be a traditional Chinese medicine or medications like ambroxol. Additionally, nebulizer inhalation can be used, which also acts as a cough suppressant. Moreover, if a viral infection is suspected, it is appropriate to use some antiviral medications for treatment. However, since viral infections often last a long time and may be complicated by bacterial infections, antibiotics such as cephalosporins and penicillins in oral formulations can be added to treat the infection.


What should I do if the baby has a cold and cough?
When children catch a cold and cough, specific treatments should be based on the causes of the cold and the severity of the cough. If the child's cold results from exposure to cold weather and other similar reasons, and the cough symptoms are not very severe, some home care can be applied. For example, you can have your child drink more warm water, ensure they are dressed warmly, eat a light diet, and get adequate rest. With time, the symptoms of the cold may improve. However, if the child's cold is caused by a bacterial infection and the cough symptoms are severe, it is advisable to visit a formal hospital for relevant examinations. Then, treatment with the appropriate antibiotics should be carried out based on the examination results.


Can you exercise when you have a cold?
When you have a cold, it is appropriate to engage in some light exercise, such as walking or slow strolling, and avoid vigorous exercise. Vigorous exercise can easily lead to physical fatigue, decreased immunity, and the possibility of secondary bacterial infections. Additionally, intense exercise can cause the sweat pores to dilate, making it easy to catch external pathogens, leading to or exacerbating symptoms such as fever and chills. You should drink more ginger tea, rest well, avoid spicy foods, and drink plenty of water. If fever symptoms are present, physical measures to reduce the fever should be taken, or antipyretic analgesic medications should be taken orally.


Can you take a bath with a cold?
Colds are a common ailment in our daily lives, so can we take a bath after catching a cold? This situation requires specific analysis. If the symptoms of the cold are mild, such as just having a slight nasal congestion or sneezing, it is okay to take a bath, but it is advised to avoid catching a chill while bathing. However, if the symptoms of the cold are more severe, such as significant fever and headache, and the body is relatively weak, it is best not to take a bath in such cases to prevent symptoms like fainting.


A cold with a runny nose and sore throat is what kind of cold?
A cold accompanied by a runny nose and a sore throat may be a viral infection. Typical symptoms of a viral cold include a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, and a sore throat, as well as coughing. Sometimes symptoms also include headache, muscle aches, chills, fatigue, and even a low fever. Influenza can also cause symptoms like a runny nose and sore throat, but compared to a common viral cold, influenza is more likely to present with high fever and more severe systemic symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue. Furthermore, the treatment for influenza differs from that of a common cold; besides symptomatic treatment, antiviral treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors is often required for influenza.


What are the symptoms of a cold due to qi deficiency?
Qi deficiency cold generally manifests as symptoms such as a yellowish complexion, weight loss, dizziness, and overall fatigue, which most often occur after getting chilled in autumn. It is advisable to drink more water and urinate frequently, which can effectively remove some toxins through the urine and alleviate the symptoms of qi deficiency cold. The diet should be light and easy to digest, avoiding spicy and stimulating foods to prevent exacerbating the condition. If the condition is severe, it is essential to visit a formal hospital in a timely manner and follow the doctor's guidance for symptomatic treatment. Additionally, soaking your feet more often can effectively improve the symptoms.


Can you eat mangoes when you have a cough and cold?
It is best not to eat mangoes when you have a cough or cold, as mangoes are tropical fruits, and consuming them during this time can aggravate the production of phlegm and worsen the condition. Additionally, mangoes contain a relatively high amount of sugar, and eating foods high in sugar during a period of coughing or cold can also aggravate phlegm production, increasing cough or secretion of mucus, and worsening the situation. Therefore, it is recommended to maintain a light diet during periods of cough and cold, and to consume fruits rich in vitamins and fiber. It is also important to drink plenty of water to facilitate elimination and enhance body resistance, aiding in quicker recovery from the illness. Furthermore, if symptoms are severe, it may be necessary to take cough suppressant medicines under the guidance of a doctor to alleviate the symptoms.


Can I drink milk tea when I have a cold?
It is advised not to drink milk tea after catching a cold. Milk tea actually contains only a small amount of milk; it is mostly made up of various additives, colorants, and other concoctions. Consuming large amounts of these additives, colorants, and other chemical substances can be harmful to the human body. Especially during a cold, when gastrointestinal function is weak and the throat mucosa is congested, drinking milk tea can potentially worsen the swelling of the throat mucosa, causing more pronounced throat symptoms, leading to reduced gastrointestinal function and triggering acute gastric diseases. Therefore, it is recommended not to drink milk tea during a cold, and to generally reduce the intake of milk tea.


Nasal congestion cold is which type of cold?
Nasal congestion when catching a cold is a common symptom in daily life, mainly caused by viral infections due to exposure to cold. Common viruses include Coxsackievirus, influenza virus, and parainfluenza virus, all of which can lead to a cold. In addition to nasal congestion, patients with a cold usually also experience clear watery nasal discharge, sneezing, headache, fever, and fatigue among other clinical manifestations. When these symptoms occur, we can first complete a routine blood test and C-reactive protein test. A significant increase in the percentage of lymphocytes may be seen in patients with viral infections. Under the guidance of a physician, antiviral medications and symptomatic treatment drugs that clear the orifices can be used. The patient's symptoms can generally improve gradually within 5-7 days.


The causes of colds and fever
First, it should be correctly understood that a fever is a type of immune response of the body. When the body is infected by bacteria, viruses, chlamydia, mycoplasma, etc., it leads to this kind of immune response, causing fever symptoms. During a fever, the body's blood concentrates in the brain tissues, and other important organs such as the liver, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. Comparatively, the blood supply to the hands, feet, and limbs decreases, which is a protective response. A cold is caused by a viral infection, and inflammation stimulates the body's temperature regulation center, causing a protective reaction. Therefore, there is no need to worry; symptomatic treatment is enough.