Quick remedy for children's cold and nasal congestion

Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
Updated on September 17, 2024
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Children experiencing nasal congestion due to a cold is mainly because of the congestion and swelling of the nasal mucosa, coupled with an increase in nasal secretions, which leads to the blockage. There isn't a specific effective treatment for children's nasal congestion like there is for adults in the ENT field, which uses medications that quickly shrink the nasal mucosa. These medications can have significant side effects for children, potentially affecting the nasal blood vessels and the normal state of the nasal mucosa. Therefore, if a child is experiencing nasal congestion, it is recommended to visit a hospital where the doctor can provide specific treatment according to the child's condition. Parents should not use adult decongestants on their children without professional advice.

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People who catch colds easily lack what?

If you find yourself catching colds easily, it usually indicates that your immune system is weak. This could be due to a deficiency in trace elements such as vitamins, calcium, or zinc. It is advisable to get these trace elements tested at a hospital and then supplement accordingly. In daily life, you can also consume foods high in protein, calcium, and vitamin C. For example, you might include eggs, milk, or lean meats in your diet, and it is important to eat fresh fruits and vegetables to boost your vitamin C intake and enhance your resistance to illnesses. Additionally, it is recommended to exercise regularly to strengthen your physique. Exercising also increases metabolism and promotes excretion, which can further enhance your immune system.

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Can you drink alcohol when you have a cold?

You should not drink alcohol when you have a cold. Drinking alcohol during a cold often exacerbates the clinical symptoms of the cold, worsening the condition, and may even increase complications in some patients. Cold sufferers often experience marked upper respiratory tract catarrhal symptoms, and some may also feel generally unwell. Drinking alcohol can exacerbate these respiratory symptoms and sometimes lead to bacterial infections due to lowered immune defenses, resulting in acute suppurative tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, and other conditions. Moreover, drinking alcohol when you have a cold can trigger gastrointestinal disturbances, especially in patients with gastrointestinal-type colds, noticeably worsening symptoms such as nausea, abdominal bloating, and diarrhea. In cases of severe colds, where patients take oral cold medications, drinking alcohol can increase the adverse reactions of these medications, causing significant discomfort. Some bacterial colds require antibiotic treatment, especially oral cephalosporin antibiotics, where drinking alcohol may induce a disulfiram-like reaction; therefore, it is prohibited for cold sufferers to drink alcohol.

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What should I do if my nose turns red from a cold?

What should I do if my nose turns red from a cold? First, you should avoid rubbing your nose. You can relieve the swelling of the nasal mucosa through oral medications. The redness of the nose is due to the expansion of local capillaries. Additionally, external stimuli, pinching the nose, runny nose, and sneezing are all directly related. You can choose to take vitamin-based medications and medications known to affect glandular secretion for symptomatic treatment. If there is acute inflammation of the nasal mucosa, you should also choose some antibacterial drugs for treatment. Drink more water and rest more; generally, you will gradually recover in about three days.

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What can a baby eat when they have a cold?

When a baby catches a cold, they typically exhibit symptoms such as fever, cough, and runny nose. Some may also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other digestive system symptoms. Therefore, during this period, it is important that the diet is light and easy to digest. For instance, if the baby is breastfed, they can continue breastfeeding, but the mother should also maintain a light and easily digestible diet. Continuing with milk is fine, but it should be diluted to aid digestion. Additionally, light meals like porridge, noodles, rice paste, some vegetables, and a moderate amount of fruits as supplements can be given. Spicy, greasy, and stimulating foods should be avoided during this time.

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Is a wind-heat cold contagious?

In traditional Chinese medicine, a cold caused by wind-heat is seen as resulting from the combination of wind and heat pathogens. The symptoms include fever with relatively high heat signs, slight aversion to wind, not much sweating, headache, facial redness, coughing, sticky or yellow phlegm, thick yellow nasal discharge, dry throat or red and swollen throat, and other symptoms such as swollen and painful throat, nasal congestion, and dry mouth. The wind-heat type of cold in Chinese medicine generally corresponds to what is considered the common cold and influenza in Western medicine, both of which are recognized as viral infections. Therefore, the wind-heat cold is contagious, and patients should maintain a certain distance from others.