What is good for a cold?

Written by Li Jian Wu

Pulmonology

Updated on June 26, 2025

00:00

00:00

There are many drugs for treating the common cold clinically, and it is impossible to compare which one is better or worse, as all have certain advantages and adverse reactions. The general principle of treatment is to select medications for symptomatic treatment, combined with antiviral drugs to kill the virus inside the body. The specific choice of medication should be determined based on clinical symptoms and physical examination. The main methods include drinking plenty of water, resting, and treating the symptoms; it is not possible to distinguish which one is better or worse.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Yuan Qing

Pulmonology

46sec

home-news-image

How to relieve a cold and cough?

Coughs associated with the common cold are mainly related to symptoms of the cold itself, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. These secretions can irritate our throat, causing a cough. Additionally, the cold virus can infect our throat, leading to irritation and coughing. Therefore, for cold-related coughs, taking anti-inflammatory cold medicines can be effective. Over-the-counter cold medicines, including ingredients like phenylephrine, diphenhydramine, and chlorpheniramine, have a good therapeutic effect on colds. Thus, taking a compound cold medicine is advisable. (Specific medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor, and self-medication should be avoided.)

home-news-image

Written by An Yong Peng

Pulmonology

49sec

home-news-image

What should I do if I catch a cold during breastfeeding?

In the case of a cold during breastfeeding, the treatment should be based on the specific condition of the patient. If symptoms of a typical viral cold appear during breastfeeding, such as runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, coughing, and no fever or only mild fever, it is generally not necessary to use medication if the symptoms are mild. Drinking more water and resting adequately can gradually alleviate most patients' conditions. However, if the patient's symptoms are severe, or if there are signs of bacterial infection such as a high fever or coughing up pus-filled sputum, it is necessary to visit a hospital for appropriate treatment. Under the guidance of a doctor, it may be necessary to choose medications that have lesser impact on the child, and even consider temporarily stopping breastfeeding.

home-news-image

Written by Zou Zhong Lan

Pulmonology

44sec

home-news-image

The difference between viral influenza and the common cold.

The common cold is mostly caused by viruses and has milder symptoms, mainly including cough, nasal congestion, and runny nose. It tends to resolve on its own, and the whole-body symptoms are mild. Viral colds usually refer to colds where a specific pathogen can be identified, also known as influenza, such as H1N1, H3N2, type A influenza, and type B influenza prevalent in the winter and spring seasons. Its whole-body symptoms are more severe, mainly including fever, sore throat, headache, whole-body muscle soreness, poor spirits, fatigue, and other systemic symptoms.

home-news-image

Written by Zhang Ying Ying

Traditional Chinese Medicine

53sec

home-news-image

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.

home-news-image

Written by Li Jiao Yan

Neonatology

59sec

home-news-image

Symptoms of a cold in a baby over 40 days old

The symptoms of a cold in a baby over 40 days old are definitely different from those in adults. Parents should observe whether the baby's behavior has changed. For example, if the baby becomes noticeably fussy or irritable, especially while sleeping, or if the baby has nasal congestion, a runny nose, or sneezing, these could be signs. Also, if the baby drools bubbles at the corners of the mouth while sleeping quietly, breathes noticeably faster, vomits milk after feeding more frequently than usual, or if there is an increase in the frequency and looseness of stools and bloating, these may indicate a cold. If cold symptoms appear, please seek medical attention promptly, as babies have weaker immune systems and their conditions can progress quickly. Without timely intervention, it is easy for the condition to develop into pneumonia.