How many days will it take for a cold headache to get better?

Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on April 07, 2025
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Headache is a common symptom of the cold, which generally eases within three to four days. If a cold is accompanied by headaches, it is often considered severe. Symptoms like fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue may indicate a viral infection. It is advised to take antiviral medications under a doctor's guidance, along with medications for the cold to treat and alleviate these symptoms. Additionally, if the headache is severe, it's advisable to take some pain relief medication to ease the symptoms. Drinking plenty of water to promote excretion and boosting the immune system are also recommended. Moreover, maintaining a cheerful mood, keeping warm, avoiding exposure to cold, engaging in moderate exercise to enhance physical constitution, and avoiding strenuous activities which may lower resistance and exacerbate the cold are important. Therefore, it is suggested to engage in soothing exercises, avoid staying up late, and ensure adequate sleep to strengthen the body's defenses.

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Written by Han Shun Li
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Is it good to get an injection for a cold?

The common cold is caused by a viral infection and clinically, it often presents symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, throat discomfort, and coughing. Some patients may also experience mild fever, fatigue, headaches, and other symptoms. Currently, there are no specific and effective treatments for the common cold, and generally, there is no need for injections. This illness also has a certain self-limiting nature; even without medication, the common cold generally improves within about seven days. If the symptoms are significant, medications like compound cold medicine can be used to alleviate the symptoms of a cold.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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Can the same medicine be taken for a cold from heat and a cold from cold?

The common cold is a very common upper respiratory tract infection. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, patients are usually classified into hot-type colds and cold-type colds. Hot-type colds generally occur in the summer, while cold-type colds are more often caused by accidentally catching cold in the winter. For such patients, Western medicine may not show a clear distinction in symptoms and tends to be somewhat generic in medication use. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, distinguishing between cold and hot colds is very important in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore, when choosing medication treatment, Western drugs often do not differentiate much between hot and cold colds, while Chinese medicine treatments for colds vary significantly. For example, the most common cold treatment, Chai Hu formula, is divided into Chai Hu formula and proper Chai Hu formula. The Chai Hu formula is used for treating hot-type colds, while the proper Chai Hu formula is used for some cold-type colds. Thus, in clinical practice, some medications can treat both hot and cold colds, but some cannot.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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Does cold medicine hurt the stomach?

Cold medicines are harmful to the stomach because the drugs used to treat colds mainly involve symptomatic treatment and the selection of antiviral medications for etiological treatment. Colds often come with symptoms like headaches and fever, thus necessitating the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics. The most common adverse reactions to these drugs are gastrointestinal reactions. Therefore, taking cold medicines can easily harm the stomach, especially in patients with indigestion, chronic gastritis, or gastrointestinal ulcers, who may experience more pronounced symptoms. It is recommended to take cold medicines half an hour after eating to reduce their irritative effects on the gastrointestinal tract.

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Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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How to deal with repeated colds due to a cold body constitution?

For patients suffering from repeated colds due to a cold constitution, it is crucial to pay extra attention to their diet, avoiding overly hard, overly stimulating, or overly cold foods. One beneficial dietary practice is to consume more warm-natured foods and drink more ginger water, as ginger water has the effect of expelling cold, especially helpful for those with a cold constitution, providing significant relief and improvement. Drinking mugwort leaf water can also be beneficial. It is also essential to avoid excessive fatigue.

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Written by Wu Xiao Sheng
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What fruits should not be eaten when having a cold?

Theoretically, most fruits can be consumed during a cold, as there is no necessary connection between having a cold and consuming any specific fruit. Eating fruits will not exacerbate the clinical symptoms of a cold nor affect its outcome. Since a cold is a self-limiting disease caused by a viral infection, it might present with symptoms such as fever, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sore throat. Moreover, most fruits contain an abundance of water and vitamins, which provide beneficial replenishments for the losses caused by the cold. However, if it is a gastroenteric type of cold, it is generally advisable to avoid raw and cold fruits, such as those high in amino acids or those that can easily cause diarrhea, common examples being grapes and bananas.