What is the typical body temperature for a common cold?

Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
Updated on March 02, 2025
00:00
00:00

The common cold, clinically known as an upper respiratory tract infection, typically presents with symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. Generally, the body temperature of these patients is around 38°C, though it can be higher. This is due to the fact that colds are caused by infections from various pathogens, and the severity can depend on the patient's immune competence. Patients with weaker immune systems may experience more pronounced symptoms of colds and fevers. Furthermore, body temperatures caused by some viral infections tend to be quite high. For these patients, sometimes their body temperature does not increase. Specifically, the body temperature for a common cold can vary from person to person.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Qiu Xin Hui
Traditional Chinese Medicine
45sec home-news-image

How to treat a cold caused by wind-cold?

Wind-cold common cold, this is mainly due to the decline in the body's resistance, caused by exposure to wind and cold. Clinically, it is mainly characterized by chills, fever, mild headache, body aches, accompanied by sore throat, nasal congestion, and hoarse voice. Some people may also experience sneezing, runny nose, and coughing. At this time, it is necessary to use medicines that expel wind-cold and disperse external cold for treatment. You can use wind-cold cold granules. The simplest method is to use ginger brown sugar water, along with some hot porridge, cover yourself with more blankets, let the body sweat slightly, and after sweating, these symptoms can be significantly alleviated.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Qiu Xin Hui
Traditional Chinese Medicine
50sec home-news-image

Can you eat watermelon when you have a cold caused by wind-cold?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that the common cold caused by wind-cold primarily occurs when the body's resistance is weakened, and the body is exposed to the pathogenic influences of wind and cold. These influences then linger within the body producing a series of symptoms. To treat a cold caused by wind-cold, it is appropriate to take medicines that expel wind and dispel cold. This means using warm-natured medicines to regulate and cure the cold. Therefore, during this time, one should not eat watermelon. Watermelon has cooling properties, which can cause the wind-cold to remain within the body instead of being expelled, potentially worsening the symptoms of the cold. Hence, eating watermelon should be avoided when suffering from a wind-cold type of cold.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
51sec home-news-image

What should I do if I have a cold, headache, and vomiting?

After catching a cold, various respiratory symptoms can occur, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, sore throat, etc. However, there is also a category of patients who, particularly after a viral cold, may exhibit symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, and even abdominal pain and diarrhea. These patients are referred to as having a "gastrointestinal cold." Like the common cold, a gastrointestinal cold is also caused by respiratory virus infections. Therefore, there are no special medications required for treatment; general over-the-counter cold medicines are sufficient. If there is severe vomiting, some antiemetic medication may be used, and drinking some cola boiled with ginger can also be very effective in treating the headaches and vomiting.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
39sec home-news-image

How to distinguish between bacterial cold and viral cold

Bacterial colds and viral colds can be distinguished by a complete blood count. A viral cold, generally caused by a viral infection, is characterized by symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and mild fever. Bacterial colds, on the other hand, often present with chills and high fever, sore throat, and pus in the tonsils. In viral colds, lymphocyte counts are elevated, and there is no significant increase, or no increase, in the total white blood cell count. Bacterial colds show an increase in white blood cells and neutrophils.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
1min 23sec home-news-image

What foods can you eat when you have a cold and a fever?

Generally, when experiencing a cold or fever, it is important to focus on eating light and easily digestible foods. This is because our gastrointestinal function tends to decline during the cold and fever stages. Consuming spicy, greasy, and indigestible foods at this time may add extra burden to the stomach and intestines, leading to indigestion. Additionally, there might be symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, or even diarrhea. Therefore, it is advisable to consume warm, well-cooked foods such as porridge, millet porridge, vegetable porridge, noodles, or dishes like wonton soup, vegetable soup, and dragon whisker noodles. Moreover, it is essential to drink plenty of water during a fever to promote metabolism and enhance the body's resistance. It is also appropriate to eat some fresh fruits and vegetables to replenish vitamins. Vitamin C can help boost metabolism and aid cellular repair, which is significantly helpful in recovering from colds and fevers. At the same time, it is recommended to maintain a positive mood, and if the body temperature exceeds 38.5℃, it is important to take antipyretic medicine promptly.