Cold or hot compress for a cold headache?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on May 14, 2025
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For symptoms of a cold and headache, if you have a fever, you can choose to use ice packs or a cool towel for local cold compresses. You can also use warm water to apply heat to the palms, soles, neck, and chest. This can dilate capillaries and relax sweat glands, promoting sweating and helping to restore normal body temperature. Additionally, you should adjust your diet, avoid stimulating, spicy, and overly greasy foods, and eat more foods that are high in rough fiber and vitamins.

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What is good to eat for a stomach cold?

Gastrointestinal colds primarily manifest gastrointestinal symptoms following a cold. It is advisable to consume more vegetables and fruits to stay hydrated and maintain the body's acid-base balance. Eating soft, easily digestible foods can also alleviate the burden on the gastrointestinal tract, such as drinking vegetable soup or rice soup. Avoid consuming raw, cold, spicy, or gas-producing foods, such as nuts, soy products, milk, eggs, etc. Moreover, actively use medications that clear heat, benefit dampness, and soothe the liver and stomach for treatment, and keep the abdominal area warm. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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What should a pregnant woman do if she has a cold and fever?

It is common for pregnant women to experience colds and fevers during pregnancy, as it is unlikely that the 40-week pregnancy period will go smoothly without issues. Cold and fever are common symptoms during this time and how to handle them mainly depends on the severity of the condition: Firstly, for a common cold, if there is only mild fever with a temperature below 38.5°C, or symptoms like nasal congestion, nasal pain, or sore throat, it is generally not recommended to take any medication, as colds are self-limiting diseases, primarily recovering through the body's immune system. Secondly, if the cold symptoms are very severe, exhibiting high fever with a temperature above 38.5°C, or symptoms like thick phlegm, this may indicate the possibility of influenza or signs of pneumonia. In such cases, it is important to conduct a blood test and to use antibiotics for treatment.

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Can you eat chicken when you have a cold?

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Can scraping (gua sha) treat a cold?

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Can you exercise when you have a cold in the summer?

Generally speaking, it is not advisable to exercise after catching a cold; it is usually recommended to rest instead. This is because after catching a cold, a person's immune system is often weakened, commonly accompanied by symptoms like fatigue, tiredness, and decreased appetite. If one exercises during this time, it will inevitably increase the body's consumption, further reducing the body's resistance, weakening the body even more, and hindering the recovery from the illness. Moreover, exercise increases lung capacity, leading to a higher volume of air passing through the airways, which can aggravate symptoms such as throat discomfort and cough associated with a cold. From this perspective, it is also unsuitable to exercise.