What to eat when you have a cold and cough?

Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on January 13, 2025
00:00
00:00

If you have a cold and cough, it is advisable to eat a light diet and consider taking some cough suppressant medicine to relieve the symptoms. Additionally, one can eat fresh fruits and vegetables like pears, loquats, grapefruits, and watermelons, which help clear heat and detoxify the body, reducing internal heat. Both pears and loquats additionally help moisten the lungs and relieve coughs and dissolve phlegm. It is also recommended to drink some honey water, which can moisten the lungs and relieve dryness. It is important to avoid spicy, greasy, raw, and irritating foods. You can also drink some porridge, eat soft noodles or small green vegetables, soy milk, and tofu. Thus, it is recommended to pay attention to diet for managing and effectively treating cold and cough symptoms.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
1min 3sec home-news-image

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

During pregnancy, if a cold occurs, it should be analyzed based on the duration and type of the cold. Colds are generally categorized into common colds and influenza. Common colds are self-limiting, and typically heal on their own within 7 to 14 days without the need for medication. Influenza can be accompanied by high fever, and severe cases can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, thus requiring early detection and treatment. If the cold occurs within two weeks after ovulation and does not lead to miscarriage, the pregnancy can usually continue, and there will generally be no long-term impact on fetal development. However, if a cold occurs between the first to third month of pregnancy, during the period of fetal organ differentiation, it might lead to abnormal fetal development. Additional examinations would be necessary during the mid-term of the pregnancy. Colds that occur after the third month of pregnancy typically have a minor impact on the fetus, and usually do not require special treatment.

doctor image
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.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
46sec home-news-image

How to deal with a cold caused by deficient fire?

Deficiency fever colds are generally caused by congenital insufficiencies and bodily weakness, leading to pathogenic yin. It may also result from imbalances between yin and yang, or dysfunction of the spleen. For this type of cold, there is no need to panic, as it can be managed with traditional Chinese medicine. Colds relating to deficiency fever typically manifest with symptoms such as oral sores, dizziness, headaches, irritability, and insomnia. Effective improvement can be achieved by taking medicine that reduces deficiency heat. Alternatively, maintaining a light and simple diet can effectively help improve gastrointestinal digestion. (Medicine should be used under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
51sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of a stomach cold?

Gastrointestinal flu is quite common in clinical practice, primarily characterized by discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract and symptoms of a cold. Patients may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and may also exhibit fever and cough. Gastrointestinal flu is mostly caused by rotavirus infection and is more common in the summer and autumn seasons. Irregular eating habits and rest patterns can easily trigger it. The main treatment involves using anti-cold medication symptomatically as well as medication to regulate the gastrointestinal tract. During treatment, it is crucial to maintain regular eating habits, rest adequately, drink plenty of water, and ensure proper hydration. Gastrointestinal flu can also lead to dehydration, which must be carefully monitored.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
39sec home-news-image

Physical cooling methods for colds

Fever symptoms caused by a cold can be treated with physical cooling methods. There are many commonly used methods in clinical practice. For adults, one can wipe the palms, soles, neck, and chest—areas where major blood vessels run—with warm water or alcohol. You can also use a cool towel or ice packs to compress the forehead. Drinking herbal concoctions like scallion water or ginger sugar water can also help reduce fever physically. Additionally, soaking feet in Sichuan peppercorn water can be effective. Regardless of the method used, it's important to drink plenty of water and recheck the temperature after two hours.