Can you take a bath with a cold?

Written by Han Shun Li

Pulmonology

Updated on May 26, 2025

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Colds are a common ailment in our daily lives, so can we take a bath after catching a cold? This situation requires specific analysis. If the symptoms of the cold are mild, such as just having a slight nasal congestion or sneezing, it is okay to take a bath, but it is advised to avoid catching a chill while bathing. However, if the symptoms of the cold are more severe, such as significant fever and headache, and the body is relatively weak, it is best not to take a bath in such cases to prevent symptoms like fainting.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

51sec

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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 Yuan Qing

Pulmonology

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Which one causes body aches, bacterial cold or viral cold?

Bacterial colds and viral colds are named after the different microorganisms that cause the symptoms of colds. The upper respiratory tract includes the nose, pharynx, and larynx. Usually, when the body's resistance decreases or one is overly fatigued, it is very easy to be infected by external pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. However, when bacteria infect the human body, most of the symptoms are mainly concentrated in the nasopharyngeal area and do not spread throughout the body. On the other hand, viral colds are different. After infecting the human body, in addition to causing respiratory symptoms, viral colds also cause general discomfort throughout the body, such as headaches, limb weakness, muscle soreness, joint pain, and can even lead to abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms. Thus, viral colds produce more severe whole-body symptoms.

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Written by Li Tao

Pulmonology

55sec

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What should I do if I have a cold and fever but no medicine?

A cold refers to what we commonly call an acute upper respiratory tract infection. It is mostly caused by viruses and bacteria infecting the upper respiratory tract, resulting in symptoms like coughing up phlegm. For example, symptoms may include sore throat, hoarseness, runny nose, teary eyes, fever, and other symptoms. All of these are referred to as a cold. After a cold, a fever may occur. Generally, if the body temperature exceeds 38.5°C, fever reduction treatment is necessary. If there are no medications available and the body temperature is quite high, drinking warm water, alcohol rubs, or warm water bathing can be used to reduce the temperature. If the body temperature is below 38.5°C, we can try to lower it to normal by drinking water and monitoring the body temperature frequently.

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Written by Han Shun Li

Pulmonology

45sec

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Quick relief for sore throat due to cold

We know that the common cold is caused by a viral infection, and currently, there are no specifically effective drugs for treatment. After experiencing a cold and sore throat, the following measures can help alleviate symptoms quickly. First, it is important to rest, avoid getting chilled, drink plenty of water, and eat light meals. Avoid spicy and irritating foods, and refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol, as these are beneficial for recovery. Secondly, medications can be used to reduce symptoms. For example, compound cold medicines, antipyretic analgesics, and some traditional Chinese medicine lozenges or patent medicines can be used to relieve symptoms.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

46sec

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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.