Symptoms of a cold

Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on March 15, 2025
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If it's just a common cold, then the symptoms are relatively mild, consisting only of some sneezing, a runny nose, and nasal congestion. However, if bacterial or viral infections are involved, the symptoms become more severe. A common cold is self-limiting and usually resolves itself in about seven days without the need for medical intervention. If a viral infection is causing the cold, the onset of symptoms is typically sudden and may include fever, cough, expectoration, headache, body aches, and fatigue. It is also important to note that in such cases, treatment should be carried out under the guidance of a doctor and may involve taking medication. Physically cooling methods or fever-reducing drugs may be used to reduce fever. Bacterial infections can also cause symptoms like cough, expectoration, and fever, and it is advised to actively treat these symptoms appropriately.

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How to physically reduce fever for a cold caused by wind-cold

Patients with wind-cold common cold who have a fever can apply a hot towel to their forehead, use moxibustion, or soak their feet in warm water, all of which can help reduce their temperature effectively. Moreover, in terms of diet, it is essential to avoid greasy and cold foods, as well as carbonated drinks and strong tea. It is best to eat light, easily digestible foods, and drink more jasmine tea or chrysanthemum tea, which can dispel wind and cold, achieving effective improvement. Medication can also be taken to provide timely and rapid treatment.

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What should I do if I catch a cold during my menstrual period?

During menstruation, if cold symptoms occur and are mild, it is not recommended to use medication. Instead, drinking more warm water and resting is advisable. If the cold is severe, it is better to use traditional Chinese medicine with no side effects under the guidance of a doctor, as the body is weak and has lower immunity during menstruation, making it prone to colds. During menstruation, keep warm, avoid cold and chilling stimuli, eat a light diet with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, avoid vigorous exercise, and maintain personal hygiene.

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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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How to treat a cold caused by exposure to cold?

In traditional Chinese medicine, the common cold due to exposure to cold, also known as "wind-cold cold," is primarily caused by a decrease in the body's resistance, leading to the invasion of wind and cold. If the wind-cold is not expelled in time, symptoms such as nasal congestion, clear nasal discharge, sneezing, headache, and chills may arise. At this point, consuming warm and heating foods can help dispel the wind and cold, and relieve the body surface. One can drink ginger brown sugar water, as ginger effectively warms the middle, dispels cold, and expels wind, while brown sugar can enhance the body's resistance. Drinking it while it's hot causes the body to slightly heat up and sweat, which can quickly alleviate the symptoms of the cold due to exposure. (Please consult a professional physician before using any medication, and do not self-medicate.)

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Symptoms of a heat cold

Heat colds are very common clinically and often occur in the hot summer. The so-called heat cold is mainly from the perspective of Chinese medicine, which divides cold types into heat colds and cold colds. Typically, patients with a heat cold exhibit symptoms such as fever and chills, and during the fever, they may experience headaches and fatigue in their limbs. Some patients may also have nasal congestion, a runny nose, sneezing, often with yellow mucus, as well as sore throat and cough, where the cough usually involves yellow phlegm. These are very common symptoms of a heat cold seen clinically. Therefore, when these symptoms appear in patients, as long as a timely and clear diagnosis is made and some heat-clearing and detoxifying medicines are administered for symptomatic treatment, the discomfort caused by the heat cold can generally be quickly improved.