Does having a cold and a runny nose detoxify the body?

Written by Han Shun Li

Pulmonology

Updated on April 24, 2025

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After catching a cold, having a runny nose is a common symptom. In fact, the appearance of a runny nose is due to inflammation of the nasal mucosa caused by the cold virus, and the runny nose is a symptom caused by inflammatory exudation. It is a manifestation of inflammation, not detoxification, and has nothing to do with the body detoxifying. In addition to a runny nose, other common symptoms include sneezing, nasal congestion, throat discomfort, coughing, fever, headaches, etc. After catching a cold, it is important to rest, avoid exposure to the cold, drink plenty of water, and ensure that the room is well-ventilated to aid recovery from the cold.

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Written by Yuan Qing

Pulmonology

58sec

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Is cold with yellow phlegm caused by a wind-cold cold or a heat cold?

Cold with yellow phlegm is generally classified as a wind-heat cold in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Colds are categorized based on the different pathogenic factors involved: wind-cold colds and wind-heat colds. A wind-cold cold is primarily caused by exposure to pathogenic wind-cold, characterized mainly by coughing up white phlegm, feeling chilly but not hot, and a reluctance to drink water. On the other hand, a wind-heat cold follows exposure to external wind-heat pathogens. Its symptoms include feeling hot instead of cold, coughing, yellow phlegm, yellow nasal discharge, sweating, irritability, and constipation. Therefore, the presence of yellow phlegm typically indicates a wind-heat cold. There are many medicinal treatments for wind-heat colds, particularly those that clear heat and detoxify the body, all of which can be used to treat a wind-heat cold.

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Written by Yuan Qing

Pulmonology

48sec

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Cold and cough symptoms.

A cold is caused by the invasion of various pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, and chlamydia into our upper respiratory tract, leading to inflammation there. Due to the inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, a large amount of secretions such as nasal discharge and phlegm in the throat are produced, causing symptoms like coughing. Some patients may have a dry cough, while others might cough up phlegm, which can be white or yellow. Coughing during a cold is a common symptom, and it can generally be addressed by taking some cold medicines, which are available as both traditional Chinese and Western medicines. Choosing the right medicine that suits one's needs can help treat the symptoms of a cold cough. (The use of medicines should be carried out under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Written by Han Shun Li

Pulmonology

32sec

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How long will it take to recover from a cold and cough?

After a cold, symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion often occur, as well as discomfort in the throat and coughing. So, how long does a cold cough last? Generally, the natural course of a cold is about one week. Therefore, from this perspective, a cold-related cough can get better in about a week. However, it is important to rest, avoid getting chilled, drink plenty of water, eat a light diet, quit smoking, and ensure the room is well-ventilated to aid recovery.

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Written by Zhang Shu Kun

Traditional Chinese Medicine

40sec

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What foods should you eat when you have a cold or flu?

For patients with typhoid and common cold, their diet should mainly consist of light and easily digestible foods, and they can eat more millet, rice, fish, chicken, and shrimp, which can promote the absorption of calcium and help speed up the healing of typhoid and common cold. It is advised to avoid raw and irritating foods to prevent worsening the condition. It's recommended to drink more water and urinate frequently to effectively speed up the healing of the cold. If the condition is serious, it is essential to go to a standard hospital promptly. Follow the doctor's guidance for symptomatic treatment and pay attention to rest, avoid overworking, and do not stay up late.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

1min 6sec

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Itchy throat and coughing, is it a wind-heat cold or a wind-cold cold?

When patients present with symptoms such as itchy throat and cough in a clinical setting, it is generally difficult to distinguish between a wind-heat cold and a wind-cold cold based solely on these symptoms. Distinguishing between wind-heat and wind-cold colds requires combining other clinical symptoms to accurately differentiate. Typically, patients with wind-heat colds are more common during the hot summers. These patients experience varying degrees of nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing, along with fever, chills, sore throat, and often cough up yellow sputum. On the other hand, wind-cold colds tend to occur more often in winter. These patients exhibit varying degrees of itchy throat and cough, nasal congestion, and also experience different degrees of fever, but generally do not have chills. Therefore, it is generally difficult to specifically distinguish the type of cold based on the solitary symptoms of itchy throat and cough in a clinical setting.