Is a cold contagious in summer?

Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
Updated on May 03, 2025
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Summer colds can also be contagious. Colds in the summer are usually viral colds, which are generally contagious. Viral colds often involve viruses such as rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, human metapneumoviruses, and coronaviruses, all of which are contagious. Therefore, it is necessary to take preventive measures against summer colds to prevent the spread to family members, such as maintaining a certain social distance, and covering your mouth and nose with an arm or tissue when coughing to reduce the spread of viral droplets. These practices help prevent the transmission of colds. Additionally, washing hands frequently and paying attention to hand hygiene also aid in preventing the spread of colds.

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Which department should I visit for a cold and cough?

For symptoms of cold and cough, it is necessary to visit the general internal medicine department of the hospital. If further examination and treatment are needed, the specialized department for this is respiratory medicine. The majority of these symptoms are due to swelling of the mucous membrane in the throat area, such as pharyngitis and tonsillitis, but it is also possible that they are caused by bronchitis or bronchopneumonia, etc. It is necessary to perform tests including a complete blood count, C-reactive protein, mycoplasma, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and a chest X-ray. Diagnosis should be made in conjunction with clinical symptoms. During the acute phase, it is necessary to choose sensitive antibiotics and medications that can alleviate bronchial smooth muscle spasms and dilute sputum for symptomatic treatment.

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What fruits to eat for a cold due to excessive internal heat?

Eating fruits actually cannot effectively cure a cold, but it can improve and alleviate the symptoms of a cold associated with excessive internal heat. You can eat more apples, bananas, grapefruits, mandarins, and oranges, as these are beneficial for reducing internal heat. You can also eat more green vegetables and white radishes to effectively lower internal heat. It is recommended to drink more water and urinate frequently. It is also necessary to engage in regular physical exercise, which can effectively help increase sweat production. Sweat can expel some viruses from the body. Additionally, it is important to rest adequately, avoid excessive fatigue, and importantly, not stay up late.

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Can you eat watermelon if you have a cold from catching a chill?

In clinical practice, there are cases of colds classified as "hot" or "cold" types. Even patients suffering from a "hot" type cold can experience nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and fever when they catch a chill. For some patients who catch a cold in summer due to being chilled, it is appropriate to eat some watermelon, as watermelon is a cooling fruit. It can somewhat relieve the heat for patients suffering from a "hot" type cold. Therefore, for patients experiencing nasal congestion, sore throat, or even coughing due to a "hot" type cold, eating watermelon can help adjust and soothe, although it is not recommended to eat frozen watermelon.

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How to relieve an uncomfortable nose due to a cold?

In terms of treatment, the primary focus should still be on targeting the common cold, with oral cold medications being the most commonly used. If there is a lot of nasal discharge, you might consider using saline solution to rinse the nasal cavity. Furthermore, if there is significant redness and swelling in the nasal cavity, it is advisable to use a nasal spray medication concurrently, which can effectively alleviate nasal symptoms and also aid in the treatment and recovery from the cold, typically within about a week. During a cold, symptoms of nasal discomfort such as nasal congestion and runny nose can occur. Nasal congestion may be intermittent and alternate between the two nostrils, while the nasal discharge may be purulent or clear. Overall, these are relatively common manifestations.

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How to differentiate between Wind-Cold Common Cold and Wind-Heat Common Cold

The differences between colds caused by wind-cold and those caused by wind-heat mainly lie in the symptoms. Colds caused by wind-cold are due to the invasion of wind-cold into the body, often as a result of exposure to cold environments. Common symptoms include chills, cold limbs, dizziness, fatigue, and coughing up white phlegm. On the other hand, colds caused by wind-heat occur due to the invasion of wind-heat, which frequently happens in the summer. Clinically, they are characterized by symptoms such as dark urine, coughing up pus-filled phlegm, high fever, headaches, and sore, swollen throat. Whether it is a cold caused by wind-cold or wind-heat, both can lead to related discomfort in the body and need active treatment and management to prevent the condition from worsening.