What foods can you eat when you have a cold and a fever?

Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on January 16, 2025
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Generally, when experiencing a cold or fever, it is important to focus on eating light and easily digestible foods. This is because our gastrointestinal function tends to decline during the cold and fever stages. Consuming spicy, greasy, and indigestible foods at this time may add extra burden to the stomach and intestines, leading to indigestion. Additionally, there might be symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, or even diarrhea. Therefore, it is advisable to consume warm, well-cooked foods such as porridge, millet porridge, vegetable porridge, noodles, or dishes like wonton soup, vegetable soup, and dragon whisker noodles. Moreover, it is essential to drink plenty of water during a fever to promote metabolism and enhance the body's resistance. It is also appropriate to eat some fresh fruits and vegetables to replenish vitamins. Vitamin C can help boost metabolism and aid cellular repair, which is significantly helpful in recovering from colds and fevers. At the same time, it is recommended to maintain a positive mood, and if the body temperature exceeds 38.5℃, it is important to take antipyretic medicine promptly.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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Cold symptoms include swelling of the face and eyes.

Swelling of the eyes caused by a cold may be due to increased mucosal edema and secretions in the eyes, or it might be due to a secondary bacterial infection causing conditions such as eyelid inflammation or conjunctivitis. If there is eye swelling accompanied by purulent secretions, it is considered to be caused by inflammatory irritation. Topical use of rifampin eye drops or erythromycin ointment can be applied for anti-inflammatory treatment. If there is simply swelling and tearing without redness of the eyes, it may be due to increased glandular secretions caused by the cold, and medications that suppress glandular secretion along with vitamin supplements can be taken for symptomatic treatment. Drink plenty of water, rest more, and promote metabolism. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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How many days has the cold caused a runny nose?

If you have a cold with a runny nose, it will generally recover within about seven days. Since this is just a common cold and it is self-limiting, there is no need for excessive worry. However, if the symptoms are more severe and include coughing, phlegm, and fever, it is important to take some anti-inflammatory and anti-infection medications along with symptomatic treatment to alleviate the symptoms. Recovery should also take about three to five days, and there is no need for excessive worry. Additionally, it is important to keep warm, avoid catching cold, eat a light diet, avoid spicy and greasy foods, cold and irritating foods, drink plenty of water to promote metabolism, and enhance your immunity. Do not stay up late and ensure sufficient sleep to help the illness recover faster. (Please follow the guidance of a professional physician when taking medication and avoid self-medication.)

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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What should you eat when you have a cold?

For the disease of the common cold, one should primarily consume light foods and eat more foods rich in vitamin C such as apples, bananas, kiwis, dragon fruits, and mangoes. Medically, one should choose antipyretic analgesics, which can help alleviate symptoms like headache and sore limbs. If symptoms include a runny nose and sneezing, one may take Chlorpheniramine Maleate to suppress gland secretion. Concurrently, using Qingkailing granules or antiviral oral solutions can provide antiviral targeted treatment.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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Which department should I visit for a cold and cough?

For symptoms of cold and cough, it is necessary to visit the general internal medicine department of the hospital. If further examination and treatment are needed, the specialized department for this is respiratory medicine. The majority of these symptoms are due to swelling of the mucous membrane in the throat area, such as pharyngitis and tonsillitis, but it is also possible that they are caused by bronchitis or bronchopneumonia, etc. It is necessary to perform tests including a complete blood count, C-reactive protein, mycoplasma, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and a chest X-ray. Diagnosis should be made in conjunction with clinical symptoms. During the acute phase, it is necessary to choose sensitive antibiotics and medications that can alleviate bronchial smooth muscle spasms and dilute sputum for symptomatic treatment.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
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Can you take cold medicine if you have nephrotic syndrome and catch a cold?

People with nephrotic syndrome have particularly weak immune systems, making them especially prone to infections and colds. Once a cold occurs in someone with nephrotic syndrome, the patient often experiences headaches, whole-body muscle soreness, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. In other words, patients with nephrotic syndrome feel very uncomfortable when they catch a cold. If kidney function is normal, it is still possible to take cold medicine. Of course, before using cold medicine, it is essential to follow the doctor's advice for medication treatment. Moreover, after catching a cold with nephrotic syndrome, in addition to taking medication, it is important to rest, consume fresh vegetables and fruits, drink plenty of water, and maintain a light diet. Additionally, it is important to rest, avoid overwork, and if there is a concurrent bacterial infection, sensitive antibiotics should be used for anti-infection treatment, to avoid the recurrence or aggravation of nephrotic syndrome due to infections or colds.