Can you swim with a mild cold?

Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
Updated on April 09, 2025
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Mild colds in clinical settings, like in patients whose symptoms are not very severe and who do not have a fever, allow for activities like swimming during summer, especially for those suffering from heat-related colds. However, in winter, even with a mild cold, it's advisable not to swim due to the relatively lower temperature of the water in pools compared to normal temperatures. Instead, choosing other forms of exercise to boost the immune system is recommended during the cold winter months. Therefore, for patients with mild colds, it’s also important to assess the type of cold to decide whether swimming is appropriate.

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