How is a cold treated?

Written by Li Jian Wu

Pulmonology

Updated on May 05, 2025

00:00

00:00

How to treat a cold: Clinically, the treatment of colds mainly involves symptomatic treatment as well as antiviral etiological treatment. Colds are primarily divided into epidemic influenza and common colds. Comparatively, epidemic influenza has a longer duration and more severe symptoms. In children, colds mainly manifest as symptoms in the nasopharyngeal area. For symptomatic treatment, one can choose medications that influence gland secretion to treat a runny nose and sneezing. If symptoms like fever, soreness, or fatigue are present, one can take antipyretic and analgesic medications. At the same time, combine this with antiviral oral solutions or medications like Qingkailing to treat the virus.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Liao Bin

Pulmonology

56sec

home-news-image

Can you drink milk when you have a cold?

Whether you can drink milk when you have a cold depends on the specific condition. For those with a mild cold and no significant gastrointestinal symptoms, it is appropriate to drink warm milk. Since milk is rich in nutrients, containing high-quality protein, calories, amino acids, etc., it can be quite beneficial for the body's recovery. It also helps alleviate cold symptoms, especially easing symptoms like general body aches and fatigue. However, caution is needed for cold sufferers who have obvious gastrointestinal dysfunction, particularly those with gastro-intestinal type colds displaying nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. It is advised not to drink milk in such cases to avoid worsening the gastrointestinal dysfunction and potentially prolonging the recovery period. Additionally, it is important to avoid taking milk with other medications during a cold, as it might affect the efficacy of the medications.

home-news-image

Written by Hu Bai Yu

Pulmonology

59sec

home-news-image

Can I use air conditioning if I have a cold?

When you have a cold, it is best not to use air conditioning. However, it is important to note that if the cold is caused by heatstroke, then it is okay to use air conditioning at this time, but you should ensure that the temperature is not set too low and avoid direct exposure to the airflow. If it is a cold caused by exposure to cold wind, it is best not to use air conditioning. Using a fan is acceptable, but avoid direct exposure to the airflow as well. Additionally, it is recommended to actively cooperate with treatment, abstain from smoking and drinking, and maintain a light diet, consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement vitamins. Also, it is advised to exercise moderately to strengthen the body, pay attention to personal hygiene, and consume fresh fruits and vegetables to help promote a quicker recovery from the illness.

home-news-image

Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

1min 19sec

home-news-image

What should I do if I have a fever, cold, and vomiting?

A cold is an inflammatory condition of the upper respiratory tract. When a patient's immune function is decreased and they are inadvertently exposed to cold, this can lead to the invasion of viruses, bacteria, and pathogens into the respiratory tract, causing clinical symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. Colds can be divided into heat-type colds and cold-type colds based on the timing of onset and the different clinical symptoms that appear. Heat-type colds generally occur more often in summer. If a patient also experiences vomiting, the first step is to determine whether the cold is caused by a viral infection. If it is, appropriate antiviral medications and medications to clear heat and detoxify can be utilized to treat the symptoms. Once the symptoms of the cold are effectively controlled, the symptoms of vomiting will also subside. Of course, care must be taken to ensure a bland diet for patients with heat-type colds who experience vomiting, avoiding spicy and irritating foods until the condition is effectively controlled, after which the diet can gradually return to normal.

home-news-image

Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

58sec

home-news-image

What is the difference between a stomach cold and a common cold?

Gastrointestinal flu and common cold have certain differences. The so-called gastrointestinal flu, clinically, often involves some viruses infecting the respiratory tract, which causes patients to have not only upper respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, and throat itchiness. These patients will also experience gastrointestinal discomforts like nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and a decrease in appetite. These symptoms indicate gastrointestinal flu. On the other hand, patients with a common cold typically exhibit only upper respiratory symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, fever, throat itchiness, and coughing. Generally, a common cold does not accompany symptoms like abdominal distension, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

home-news-image

Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

1min 32sec

home-news-image

How to relieve cold, nasal congestion, and chest tightness?

Patients like those with a common cold are often seen in populations with weakened immune systems. They may develop various symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing due to carelessness in exposure to cold, and infection by viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens. Additionally, if patients already suffer from bronchial asthma, infections by viruses or bacteria can trigger an asthma attack at any time. Therefore, when such patients experience symptoms like nasal congestion and runny nose, they may also experience chest tightness and shortness of breath. To alleviate these symptoms, it is important first to identify the causative factor of the chest tightness and shortness of breath. If it is due to a cold leading to an episode of chronic bronchitis, then the chest tightness and shortness of breath can be managed by timely administering anti-infective, cough-suppressing, expectorant, and antiviral medications. Once the symptoms of the upper respiratory tract infection are effectively controlled, medications that relieve bronchospasm can be appropriately used to ease the condition.