What should I do if I catch a cold during pregnancy?

Written by Zhang Yin Xing
Obstetrics
Updated on April 26, 2025
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During pregnancy, if a cold occurs, it should be analyzed based on the duration and type of the cold. Colds are generally categorized into common colds and influenza. Common colds are self-limiting, and typically heal on their own within 7 to 14 days without the need for medication.

Influenza can be accompanied by high fever, and severe cases can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, thus requiring early detection and treatment. If the cold occurs within two weeks after ovulation and does not lead to miscarriage, the pregnancy can usually continue, and there will generally be no long-term impact on fetal development. However, if a cold occurs between the first to third month of pregnancy, during the period of fetal organ differentiation, it might lead to abnormal fetal development. Additional examinations would be necessary during the mid-term of the pregnancy. Colds that occur after the third month of pregnancy typically have a minor impact on the fetus, and usually do not require special treatment.

Other Voices

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Do you have a headache, nausea, and a cold?

Headache and nausea can be caused by various common conditions including migraine, tension headache, cluster headache, and neuralgia. Thus, headache and nausea are not necessarily indicative of a cold. It is important to check the body temperature and other accompanying symptoms. If a patient experiences a slight increase in temperature, such as between 37-37.5 degrees Celsius, accompanied by symptoms like sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing, these could suggest that a cold is causing the headache. A cold can also lead to nausea, especially in cases of gastrointestinal flu, where the illness may begin with headache and vomiting. Therefore, headache and nausea are not definitive signs of a cold. If respiratory infection symptoms are present, it may indeed be caused by a cold, and rest, increased fluid intake, consumption of vegetables and fruits, and taking cold medications if necessary would be advisable. If the headache is severe, appropriate pain relief medication should be administered.

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Written by Zhou Qi
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Is a cold dangerous for membranous nephropathy?

Patients with membranous nephropathy becoming ill with a cold is indeed quite dangerous. This is because, firstly, a cold often leads to the relapse or aggravation of membranous nephropathy, causing changes in the condition of the disease. Secondly, patients with membranous nephropathy often use corticosteroids and immunosuppressants to control the disease, and a major side effect of these medications is that they suppress the body's immune capability, making infections more likely to occur. Once an infection sets in, it can lead to septic shock and the inflammation of multiple organs, with potentially life-threatening consequences for some patients.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
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What is the difference between a stomach cold and a common cold?

Gastrointestinal flu and common cold have certain differences. The so-called gastrointestinal flu, clinically, often involves some viruses infecting the respiratory tract, which causes patients to have not only upper respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, and throat itchiness. These patients will also experience gastrointestinal discomforts like nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and a decrease in appetite. These symptoms indicate gastrointestinal flu. On the other hand, patients with a common cold typically exhibit only upper respiratory symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, fever, throat itchiness, and coughing. Generally, a common cold does not accompany symptoms like abdominal distension, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

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What should you not eat when you have a cold?

After catching a cold, one should generally avoid eating spicy, greasy, or cold foods such as chili peppers, ice cream, and seafood, and should not drink coffee or strong tea. Avoid greasy foods and try to eat more light fruits and vegetables. It is important to keep warm, avoid catching a cold again, and rest well. If one has a cold due to wind-heat, one should not eat heaty foods, commonly including citrus fruits and lamb. If it is a cold due to wind-cold, then one should avoid cold foods such as beer and watermelon.

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Is it good to sweat when you have a stomach flu?

Gastrointestinal cold is a very common type of cold. In addition to various degrees of upper respiratory tract symptoms, patients also experience gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly common ones such as decreased appetite, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Some patients may also have varying degrees of fever. For such patients, if they have both fever and severe diarrhea, they are prone to sweating because the body needs time to cool down to normal temperature after a fever, which often results in sweating. Moreover, patients may experience sweating due to severe dehydration. If these factors are present, the situation is generally not good, so it is important to provide timely symptomatic treatment based on the symptoms exhibited by the patient.