How many days can a cold and cough heal by itself?

Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on May 23, 2025
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In general, the common cold usually resolves itself in about seven days. Common symptoms of a cold often include a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, and coughing, which may be caused by exposure to cold air or getting wet in the rain. It is recommended to stay warm in daily life, and you can also drink some brown sugar ginger tea to dispel the cold inside the body. Additionally, soaking your feet in hot water before bed can help promote the self-healing process of a cold. At the same time, it is important to note that if the symptoms are severe, such as severe coughing, coughing up thick yellow phlegm, or difficulty in expectorating phlegm, it is essential to visit a hospital for an examination. Under the guidance of a doctor, carrying out relevant tests and taking medication according to the test results for targeted treatment is crucial.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
1min 7sec home-news-image

Is sweating effective for a cold?

Heat colds are divided into heat colds and cold colds from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. Heat colds generally occur more frequently in the hot summer. Patients with heat colds typically experience different degrees of fever, chills, as well as headache, dizziness, sore throat, and coughing. When coughing, there is often yellow phlegm, and there may also be varying degrees of nasal congestion. Therefore, for patients with heat colds in summer, we generally recommend using some heat-clearing and detoxifying medicines appropriately based on their body temperature. Typically, these patients will sweat to different extents after the fever subsides. In clinical practice, it is generally not recommended for patients with heat colds to use blankets or wear more clothes to induce sweating. This method should not be taken. It is generally advised to use some physical methods to reduce fever, or appropriate antipyretic drugs if the body temperature is quite high. This approach is relatively more scientific and safer.

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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What should be paid attention to for a cold caused by wind and cold?

What should we pay attention to when dealing with a common cold caused by external contraction of wind-cold? The first thing is to keep warm and avoid further exposure to wind-cold, which can aggravate the condition. Secondly, diet is also important; eat light and easy-to-digest foods, and avoid spicy, greasy, and hard-to-digest foods that can worsen the condition. Third, it is essential to rest during a wind-cold cold; failing to rest well might worsen the condition, while good rest can alleviate it. If the symptoms of a wind-cold cold are severe, such as heavy nasal congestion, severe chills, or lack of sweat and overall body aches, it is still appropriate to take some medicine. In terms of Chinese medicine, you can take some that expel wind and disperse cold, such as Fang Feng and Qiang Huo to relieve the exterior and disperse cold. You can also use Chai Hu to expel wind and release the exterior, with a common formula used being Jing Fang Bai Du San. Of course, besides taking these Chinese medicines, you can also consult a doctor to prescribe other medications based on different symptoms for treatment.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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How long does it take to recover from a cold and fever?

If medication is not used, the general course of the illness is about three to seven days. With medical intervention, recovery can generally be achieved in one to three days. If the fever exceeds 38.5°C, it is advisable to take measures to reduce fever to prevent complications such as febrile convulsions. Physical methods can be used to reduce fever. Fever can also be treated with oral antipyretics. During the treatment period, it is advisable to eat light meals, avoid staying up late, and avoid consuming large portions of meat and fish.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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What drip should be given for a cold?

A cold is a symptom of nasopharyngeal infection caused by a viral infection, typically characterized by sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, throat discomfort, sore throat, fever, and headache. Generally, a cold can be cured within about a week through rest or symptomatic treatment with medication. Usually, there is no need for an IV drip. However, in some special cases, such as when the patient is young or elderly and weak, and where symptoms of a cold, such as sweating a lot due to fever and lack of appetite, occur, it may be appropriate to administer fluids intravenously.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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Are common colds afraid of the cold?

The common cold is a very prevalent clinical disease that falls under the category of respiratory internal medicine. Generally, patients with this type of cold exhibit varying degrees of fever, headache, dizziness, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. Additionally, some patients may also experience symptoms like coughing and an itchy throat. Since the common cold is mostly caused by viral infections in clinical settings, the presence of a fever of varying degrees can lead to chills. Therefore, it is very common for patients to exhibit symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, headache, dizziness, and chills. Clinically, as long as the specific type of pathogen causing the common cold is identified, timely and effective symptomatic treatment can generally control the symptoms of chills caused by the common cold effectively.