How many days does a child's stomach flu self-heal?

Written by Wu Ben Rong
Pediatrics
Updated on March 06, 2025
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Gastroenteritis in children is usually caused by viral infections, which are self-limiting diseases. The course of the disease generally lasts about 5-7 days, so most children can gradually recover within this period.

Gastroenteritis is relatively common in pediatrics. Its symptoms are somewhat similar to those of upper respiratory tract infections, including mild coughing, fever, as well as vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms. Most children with gastroenteritis will experience gastrointestinal symptoms for about two to three days, which then gradually alleviate. In the later stages of the disease, recurring low-grade fevers often occur, and mild coughing symptoms may also appear.

After the course of the disease, the aforementioned symptoms can improve, so parents need not worry too much. If the child's diarrhea is severe, it is important to ensure hydration to avoid dehydration.

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Written by Guo Xiao Yun
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Can I drink milk when I have a cold?

During a cold, it is okay to drink milk because milk contains abundant proteins, various trace elements, and minerals that can supplement the body's nutrition, boost the immune system, and facilitate recovery from the cold. However, during a cold, it is advised not to drink cold milk but to drink warm milk instead, as gastrointestinal function is also weakened during a cold. Drinking cold milk might irritate the gastrointestinal tract, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. Moreover, it is important not to drink excessive amounts of milk during a cold. Drinking a moderate amount of milk is acceptable, as too much milk can increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Besides drinking milk, consuming fresh vegetables and fruits and drinking plenty of warm water can also help speed up recovery from a cold.

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Written by Chen Xiao Jun
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How to deal with heatstroke, cold, and fever?

In summer, due to the high temperatures, the human body can intake too much heat, leading to weakened immunity and symptoms such as colds and fevers, including sore throat, pain in the throat, runny nose, chills, and feverish symptoms. In such cases, symptomatic treatment can be carried out, starting with controlling the indoor temperature, which should not be too high or too low, and can be in an air-conditioned room, but the room temperature should not be set too low. Also, drink more water and appropriately take some cold medicine for symptomatic treatment. If the body temperature reaches above 38.5°C and physical cooling methods are not controlling it, fever-reducing medications might be needed. It is best to visit a hospital for relevant examinations, such as routine blood tests, liver and kidney function tests, and electrolytes, to rule out serious damage to internal organs caused by heatstroke.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
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Do common colds cause headaches?

The common cold, also known as an upper respiratory tract infection, clinically can present with headaches. This mainly occurs because the onset of an upper respiratory tract infection is often acute, with patients typically experiencing varying degrees of fever due to viral, bacterial, or other pathogenic infections, which also leads to headaches of varying intensity, possibly even dizziness. In addition, patients may experience nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and general fatigue among other clinical symptoms. Therefore, it is very common for a common cold to cause headaches. For such patients, it is first necessary to identify the type of pathogen involved, and then provide appropriate antiviral, anti-infection treatments, and fever reduction. With these symptomatic treatments, the headache caused by the common cold will naturally subside.

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Should you keep warm if you have a cold caused by wind-heat?

Patients with wind-heat colds need to keep warm and avoid catching a chill. Wind-heat colds are caused by exposure to wind-heat, and if not kept warm, the body can easily be invaded by cold, worsening the condition. It is important to drink plenty of warm water, and salt water can be consumed as well. Maintain ventilation indoors to keep the air fresh. Pay attention to staying warm, avoid spicy, greasy, and highly stimulating foods, enhance the body's resistance, and perform moderate amounts of exercise.

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Written by Yuan Qing
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Cold and cough symptoms.

A cold is caused by the invasion of various pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, and chlamydia into our upper respiratory tract, leading to inflammation there. Due to the inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, a large amount of secretions such as nasal discharge and phlegm in the throat are produced, causing symptoms like coughing. Some patients may have a dry cough, while others might cough up phlegm, which can be white or yellow. Coughing during a cold is a common symptom, and it can generally be addressed by taking some cold medicines, which are available as both traditional Chinese and Western medicines. Choosing the right medicine that suits one's needs can help treat the symptoms of a cold cough. (The use of medicines should be carried out under the guidance of a professional doctor.)