How to alleviate the symptoms of a cold?

Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
Updated on February 13, 2025
00:00
00:00

Cold refers to the condition where the upper respiratory tract is infected by various pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, and chlamydia, leading to symptoms primarily in the upper respiratory tract, which is called a cold. Generally, the symptoms of a cold mainly include a runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, chills, fever, cough, and painful throat. In addition, there may be symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath. As it stands, the symptoms of a cold are self-limiting, meaning they can generally improve within seven to ten days without medical treatment. During a cold, due to frequent symptoms and impact on daily life, it is possible to treat with common cold medicines. Currently, Western medicines available on the market can treat cold symptoms. Furthermore, drinking some brown sugar ginger tea to induce sweating can also provide relief. (Please use medication rationally under the guidance of a professional doctor, and do not use medication blindly.)

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xia Min
Traditional Chinese Medicine
29sec home-news-image

Is wind-cold cold a viral cold?

Cold-induced common cold usually has milder symptoms without significant widespread characteristics. Viral colds are different; they are more severe, have a rapid onset, clear systemic symptoms, are more likely to lead to complications or conditions like pneumonia, and have broad infectivity and epidemic potential. Thus, cold-induced common colds and viral colds are not the same; they are distinct.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
1min 35sec home-news-image

How to determine if it is food stagnation or a cold?

The common cold is characterized by symptoms such as fever, chills, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, headache, and body aches. It is an externally contracted disease that can occur throughout the year but is most common in the winter and spring seasons, and when there is a sudden change in the climate. Overeating mainly results from dietary imbalances, leading to symptoms like loss of appetite, indigestion, bloating or pain in the stomach area, frequent belching, sour regurgitation, or vomiting, and having foul-smelling or irregular stools. This is more common in infants and toddlers, typically occurring after binge eating. Symptoms can suddenly include abdominal bloating, vomiting, or changes in the frequency and nature of bowel movements, without the general signs of an upper respiratory tract infection. If the issue is overeating, the baby may feel relief after passing stools or vomiting; however, if it is a cold, symptoms might include gastrointestinal issues like vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea, usually accompanied by mild fever and respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, or coughing. If vomiting or diarrhea occurs, the symptoms generally do not alleviate, and the baby would still feel very uncomfortable. Therefore, whether it is overeating or a cold can be determined by analyzing the specific conditions of the child.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
1min 5sec home-news-image

Can you take cold medicine if you have nephrotic syndrome and catch a cold?

People with nephrotic syndrome have particularly weak immune systems, making them especially prone to infections and colds. Once a cold occurs in someone with nephrotic syndrome, the patient often experiences headaches, whole-body muscle soreness, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. In other words, patients with nephrotic syndrome feel very uncomfortable when they catch a cold. If kidney function is normal, it is still possible to take cold medicine. Of course, before using cold medicine, it is essential to follow the doctor's advice for medication treatment. Moreover, after catching a cold with nephrotic syndrome, in addition to taking medication, it is important to rest, consume fresh vegetables and fruits, drink plenty of water, and maintain a light diet. Additionally, it is important to rest, avoid overwork, and if there is a concurrent bacterial infection, sensitive antibiotics should be used for anti-infection treatment, to avoid the recurrence or aggravation of nephrotic syndrome due to infections or colds.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
37sec home-news-image

Is scraping effective for a stomach cold?

When experiencing a stomach cold, gua sha can also be quite effective. Because during gua sha, it can effectively promote the digestion of the gastrointestinal tract and also improve internal heat conditions. It's also necessary to pay close attention to diet, such as avoiding overly greasy, spicy, or cold foods, and primarily sticking to a light diet to effectively prevent worsening the condition. Additionally, it's important to rest well and you can also massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction, which can effectively help promote gastrointestinal digestion and provide substantial relief from the illness.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
1min 2sec home-news-image

How to treat a cold with nasal congestion and dry cough?

The common cold is a very common inflammatory condition clinically, generally caused by viral infections, hence, the treatment for such patients usually needs to focus on antiviral medications. Most viral colds cause varying degrees of nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and even dry cough and itchy throat among other clinical symptoms. For such patients, treatment begins by identifying the specific pathogens causing the cold. If it is a virus, timely administration of heat-clearing and detoxifying medications is necessary, along with the appropriate use of traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate symptoms like nasal congestion and runny nose. For symptoms such as nasal congestion and dry cough, appropriate use of cough suppressant medications or nebulized inhalation may be chosen to provide symptomatic relief, with treatment effects generally being ideal around three days.