Can you drink milk when you have a cold?

Written by Liao Bin
Pulmonology
Updated on May 10, 2025
00:00
00:00

Whether you can drink milk when you have a cold depends on the specific condition. For those with a mild cold and no significant gastrointestinal symptoms, it is appropriate to drink warm milk. Since milk is rich in nutrients, containing high-quality protein, calories, amino acids, etc., it can be quite beneficial for the body's recovery. It also helps alleviate cold symptoms, especially easing symptoms like general body aches and fatigue. However, caution is needed for cold sufferers who have obvious gastrointestinal dysfunction, particularly those with gastro-intestinal type colds displaying nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. It is advised not to drink milk in such cases to avoid worsening the gastrointestinal dysfunction and potentially prolonging the recovery period. Additionally, it is important to avoid taking milk with other medications during a cold, as it might affect the efficacy of the medications.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
42sec home-news-image

How many days does a baby usually have a cold and high fever?

If a baby has a cold and a high fever, it's generally hard to say how many days it will last. If infected by a virus or bacteria, the virulence and the body's immune function are both factors. If the viral strength is weak and the body's resistance is strong, with the appropriate use of medications, the fever can typically be controlled within one to three days. However, if the infection is due to stronger viruses or bacteria, such as the influenza virus, the common fever duration is around five to seven days, or even longer. So, for a common cold, the fever may last about three days, while influenza may last four to five days or even longer.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
1min 21sec home-news-image

What is the difference between viral cold and wind-heat cold?

The distinction between viral influenza and wind-heat cold is mainly the different naming conventions used by two different medical systems for the common cold. Viral influenza is a term used in modern medicine to describe a viral infection. In contrast, wind-heat cold is a term used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for a type of cold that occurs after being affected by a pathogenic heat. These two terms are completely different. The pathogen of viral influenza is primarily caused by a viral infection. On the other hand, wind-heat cold is diagnosed based on symptoms, suggesting that the individual might have been affected by pathogenic heat, or has internal heat, leading to the condition. Therefore, generally, viral influenza is not treated with traditional Chinese medicine. Wind-heat cold, conversely, is not treated with Western medicine. So, if diagnosed with viral influenza, one would typically take some antiviral medications along with Western cold medicines. If diagnosed with wind-heat cold by a TCM practitioner, some appropriate heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese medicines would be prescribed. These represent two distinct medical systems with their unique diagnostic labels for the illness.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
55sec home-news-image

Does the common cold have phlegm?

The common cold, also known as acute upper respiratory infection, is generally caused by a viral infection for most patients. For the first three days before catching a cold, patients typically experience a dry cough without phlegm. After symptoms persist for two to three days, some patients may develop a bacterial infection as well. Therefore, at this point, some patients with the common cold might also experience varying degrees of phlegm production. In the case of the common cold, once a diagnosis is confirmed, it is important to promptly administer appropriate treatments such as antivirals and heat-clearing detoxifying medications to alleviate the acute clinical symptoms of the patient. By effectively alleviating these symptoms, it prevents the patient from developing additional bacterial infections, thus avoiding the occurrence of a cough with phlegm.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
31sec home-news-image

Can I eat oysters when I have a cold?

You can eat oysters when you have a cold. However, it's important to control the amount consumed and not eat too many oysters. During a cold, the body is very weak, and eating too many oysters can increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Oysters are considered a "cold" food and consuming too many can also have an adverse effect on a cold. During a cold, it's also important to eat light food and not arbitrarily add seasonings to food; overly salty or spicy foods are not advisable.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zou Zhong Lan
Pulmonology
1min 34sec home-news-image

The difference between viral and bacterial colds

The main differences between viral and bacterial colds are: First, the pathogens are different. Viral colds are primarily caused by viruses, while bacterial colds are mainly caused by bacterial infections. Second, the characteristics of contagion differ. Viral colds generally have stronger contagiousness, such as influenza, which has distinct characteristics of outbreaks and often occurs seasonally in spring and winter, with a sudden onset. Bacterial colds are less contagious and typically occur sporadically. Third, the symptoms differ. Generally, viral colds mainly present symptoms of nasal congestion, runny nose, and other upper respiratory catarrhal symptoms. Bacterial colds mainly present with fever, sore throat, tonsillitis, and other symptoms. Fourth, in terms of examinations, a typical hemogram for viral colds usually shows normal or low white blood cells, with an increase in lymphocytes, while bacterial colds often show an increase in white blood cells or neutrophils. Fifth, the treatment approaches differ. Treatment for viral colds primarily includes antiviral therapy, nutritional support, ventilation, and hydration. Bacterial colds are mainly treated with antibiotics and anti-infection therapies.