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

Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
Updated on October 19, 2024
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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.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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Do you need to take medicine for a cold with nasal congestion?

Nasal congestion due to a cold is very common in clinical practice. The need for medication depends on the type of cold and the patient's own immune function. If the patient has a cold caused by a viral infection and the symptoms are not severe, or if the patient generally likes to exercise and is young, a mild cold may not require medication and can heal on its own within about a week. For children or elderly individuals with weaker resistance, when an upper respiratory infection occurs, it is advisable to administer some medication for symptomatic treatment to prevent the condition from worsening and to avoid unnecessary complications.

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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Can you drink tea when you have a cold?

It is not recommended to drink tea when having a cold; it is advised that patients drink more plain water instead. Patients also need to maintain a light diet and eat some fruits, and it’s recommended to avoid both tea and carbonated beverages, as well as alcohol. For conditions like the common cold, it is important to avoid staying up late and overexerting oneself. The common cold is usually self-limiting, meaning it will typically resolve on its own as the patient's immune system fights off the illness. However, if the symptoms of a cold are severe, it may be necessary to take medication for symptomatic treatment. It is also important to note that while the common cold is usually self-limiting and does not often lead to serious consequences, complications can sometimes arise. For example, it could lead to acute sinusitis or bacterial pneumonia. If a cold sufferer's symptoms persist or worsen, it is important to seek medical attention promptly for proper treatment.

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Written by Liao Bin
Pulmonology
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Can you drink alcohol when you have a cold?

You should not drink alcohol when you have a cold. Drinking alcohol during a cold often exacerbates the clinical symptoms of the cold, worsening the condition, and may even increase complications in some patients. Cold sufferers often experience marked upper respiratory tract catarrhal symptoms, and some may also feel generally unwell. Drinking alcohol can exacerbate these respiratory symptoms and sometimes lead to bacterial infections due to lowered immune defenses, resulting in acute suppurative tonsillitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, and other conditions. Moreover, drinking alcohol when you have a cold can trigger gastrointestinal disturbances, especially in patients with gastrointestinal-type colds, noticeably worsening symptoms such as nausea, abdominal bloating, and diarrhea. In cases of severe colds, where patients take oral cold medications, drinking alcohol can increase the adverse reactions of these medications, causing significant discomfort. Some bacterial colds require antibiotic treatment, especially oral cephalosporin antibiotics, where drinking alcohol may induce a disulfiram-like reaction; therefore, it is prohibited for cold sufferers to drink alcohol.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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Can you eat durian when you have a cold?

Wind-heat colds are not recommended for consumption. Traditional Chinese Medicine classifies colds into wind-heat colds and wind-cold colds based on the different external pathogenic factors patients experience. Wind-heat colds are primarily caused by exposure to external heat pathogens. Patients mainly exhibit symptoms including dry mouth, thirst, sweating, and coughing up phlegm, typically presenting with yellow phlegm. Durian is a food that tends to be warming; thus, consuming durian during a wind-heat cold could potentially worsen the condition or prolong the duration of the illness. Therefore, if the patient's symptoms match those described above for wind-heat colds, it is generally not recommended to eat durian. Of course, if the symptoms mentioned above are not present, eating durian is not a problem. Durian is a very nutritious food that can also aid in digestion. It is quite a good fruit.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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What are the symptoms of a cold in children?

Pediatric colds, also known as acute upper respiratory infections, exhibit symptoms that can be categorized into local and systemic symptoms. Local symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, mild coughing, discomfort in the throat, and sore throat. Systemic symptoms primarily consist of overall weakness, fever, reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and generalized aches. In infants and toddlers, local symptoms are generally not as pronounced, while systemic symptoms tend to be more severe. For some children aged six months to three years, colds accompanied by fever can also lead to febrile convulsions. In older children, local symptoms are usually more prominent, while systemic symptoms are milder. Regarding this type of acute upper respiratory infection, there are two common specific types in children: herpangina and pharyngoconjunctival fever.