Why do colds cause headaches?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on January 25, 2025
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Why does a cold cause headaches? A cold is a viral infection, and the inflammation stimulates the body's temperature regulation center, causing immune-related fever, which leads to complications such as fever, headache, and limb pain. Additionally, a cold can cause symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, and tearing, which can also pull and cause forehead pain. Therefore, whether the headache is caused by any of these reasons, one can choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesic medications to relieve the symptoms. At the same time, treatment should also be paired with symptomatic medication and antiviral drugs for a targeted approach.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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How to alleviate the symptoms of a cold?

Cold refers to the condition where the upper respiratory tract is infected by various pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, and chlamydia, leading to symptoms primarily in the upper respiratory tract, which is called a cold. Generally, the symptoms of a cold mainly include a runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, chills, fever, cough, and painful throat. In addition, there may be symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath. As it stands, the symptoms of a cold are self-limiting, meaning they can generally improve within seven to ten days without medical treatment. During a cold, due to frequent symptoms and impact on daily life, it is possible to treat with common cold medicines. Currently, Western medicines available on the market can treat cold symptoms. Furthermore, drinking some brown sugar ginger tea to induce sweating can also provide relief. (Please use medication rationally under the guidance of a professional doctor, and do not use medication blindly.)

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Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Symptoms of excessive internal heat and cold

The symptoms of a heat-induced cold are numerous. Initially, one may experience a bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat, and ringing in the ears. It is likely to be accompanied by insomnia, frequent dreaming, and restlessness. In severe cases, symptoms may include nasal congestion, runny nose, chills, and aversion to cold. Thus, if one experiences a heat-induced cold, it is crucial to manage and treat it promptly to prevent exacerbation of the condition. Ordinarily, one can take heat-reducing medications, or consume more fresh fruits and vegetables, which can effectively help improve symptoms. It is also important to drink plenty of water, urinate frequently, and avoid staying up late.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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What is the typical body temperature for a common cold?

The common cold, clinically known as an upper respiratory tract infection, typically presents with symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. Generally, the body temperature of these patients is around 38°C, though it can be higher. This is due to the fact that colds are caused by infections from various pathogens, and the severity can depend on the patient's immune competence. Patients with weaker immune systems may experience more pronounced symptoms of colds and fevers. Furthermore, body temperatures caused by some viral infections tend to be quite high. For these patients, sometimes their body temperature does not increase. Specifically, the body temperature for a common cold can vary from person to person.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
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Are common colds afraid of the cold?

The common cold is a very prevalent clinical disease that falls under the category of respiratory internal medicine. Generally, patients with this type of cold exhibit varying degrees of fever, headache, dizziness, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. Additionally, some patients may also experience symptoms like coughing and an itchy throat. Since the common cold is mostly caused by viral infections in clinical settings, the presence of a fever of varying degrees can lead to chills. Therefore, it is very common for patients to exhibit symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, dizziness, and chills. Clinically, as long as the specific type of pathogen causing the common cold is identified, timely and effective symptomatic treatment can generally control the symptoms of chills caused by the common cold effectively.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
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Is an air conditioning cold a wind-heat cold?

The so-called air conditioning cold refers to a cold phenomenon caused by setting the air conditioning temperature too low, which makes patients overchilled. The clinical symptoms of such patients are mainly those of a cold caused by wind-cold, primarily characterized by a runny nose, nasal congestion, and clear watery nasal discharge, along with an itchy throat and coughing. Of course, these patients may also experience varying degrees of fever. Therefore, air conditioning-induced colds typically occur in the summer, and it is necessary to combine the patient’s clinical symptoms to determine the specific type of cold, which is generally dominated by wind-cold colds.