How to treat a cold and fever?

Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
Updated on January 14, 2025
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Patients with the common cold can experience fever, and accompanying symptoms such as chills and headaches. So how should a fever from a cold be treated? First, consider the severity of the fever. If it's a mild fever, antipyretics are generally not needed; rest, avoiding cold exposure, and drinking plenty of water are recommended. If the temperature exceeds 38 degrees Celsius and there is significant discomfort, antipyretic medications can be used, commonly antipyretic analgesics. Besides medication, physical cooling methods like sponge baths or applying ice packs can also be employed. If sweating occurs during the fever, it's important to dry off with a clean towel promptly and change any sweat-soaked underwear to avoid getting chilled again, which can impede recovery from the cold.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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Can you eat onions when you have a cold?

During a cold, it is appropriate to eat some onions. If the onions are cooked, they are easier to digest. If consuming raw onions, eat them in moderation without overdoing it. Because they are spicy food, they have certain stimulating effects. Since onions are spicy, they can irritate the respiratory tract, leading to increased secretion of mucus, which in turn causes more nasal discharge and phlegm production. The expulsion of these secretions can help clear the respiratory pathways. Additionally, onions are rich in vitamins and can enhance the body's immunity.

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Written by Han Shun Li
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What should I do about nasal congestion from a summer cold?

There is currently no specific effective medication for colds. If the symptoms are mild, no special treatment is required, and they will improve on their own in a few days. However, if nasal congestion is severe, one option is to use compound cold medicine, or directly use drugs that can constrict the blood vessels in the nasal mucosa, such as certain drops, to alleviate the symptoms of nasal congestion. If nasal congestion is caused by excessive nasal discharge, then the nasal discharge should be cleaned promptly to relieve the symptoms.

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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Can I eat shrimp with a cold?

It is appropriate for cold sufferers to eat shrimp in moderation. For those with a cold, it is important to maintain a light diet and eat some fruits, avoiding spicy and greasy foods. However, they can consume protein-rich foods such as lean meat, fish, shrimp, and eggs. Additionally, cold sufferers should avoid alcohol, coffee, and strong tea. These dietary adjustments may help the patient's condition to recover on its own. However, it is important to note that although colds often have self-limiting characteristics, when symptoms are severe, it may be necessary to use cold medicines to alleviate symptoms. It is also important to be aware that a minority of patients may experience complications, so if cold symptoms persist, it is necessary to visit a hospital to avoid delaying treatment.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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What should I do if I have a cold and a runny nose?

Symptoms of a cold with a runny nose do not need to be overly worried about. Clinically, symptomatic treatment is mainly adopted, such as the local use of Ephedrine Nasal Drops, which can relieve the swelling of the nasal mucosa, causing the capillaries to constrict and control the symptoms of a runny nose. You can also choose Chinese patent medicines that open the orifices, such as Huodan Pills, Qianbai Biyan Tablets, Nose Comfort Tablets, etc., or take medicines that inhibit gland secretion, such as Chlorpheniramine Maleate Tablets, Cimetidine Tablets, etc. (Medication should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Zhang Ying Ying
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What will happen if you take medicine for wind-heat cold when you have a wind-cold cold?

The treatment principle for colds caused by wind-cold is to use pungent and warm herbs to expel the pathogen through sweating and to disperse wind-cold. The medications for wind-heat colds mainly focus on using pungent and cooling herbs to expel the pathogen, and the treatment principles for the two are completely opposite. If medications for wind-heat cold are taken for a wind-cold cold, it might lead to a worsening of the trapped cold, causing mild fever, more severe headache, and body aches, along with nasal congestion and a runny nose with clear discharge. At this point, it is necessary to stop using the medication for wind-heat colds and switch to medications for wind-cold colds, or, if the condition is severe, seek a face-to-face consultation with a doctor.