Can you drink milk when you have a cold?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on May 04, 2025
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Patients with a cold can drink milk in moderation. For a cold, it is advisable to eat a light diet and avoid spicy, stimulating, and greasy food. However, it is appropriate to consume some protein-rich foods, such as lean meat and egg whites. During a cold, you can drink a small amount of milk, but it should not be consumed in large quantities. Since milk contains a lot of protein, and the immune system of patients with a cold is weakened, their absorption capacity is reduced. Drinking too much milk can be hard to absorb, thereby increasing the burden on gastrointestinal functions, making it easier to produce phlegm. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink a lot of milk if the cold is severe.

Other Voices

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Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
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What should I do if I have a heavy nasal voice due to a cold?

Cold with nasal voice, in most cases, does not require special treatment. A cold can cause symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, and coughing. These symptoms can lead to a nasal voice in patients, and this condition usually does not require special treatment. If the symptoms of runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion are particularly severe and affect the patient's daily life, some compound cold medicines can be used to alleviate the symptoms, such as compound cold medicines like Ammaminamide tablets. Additionally, for a heavy nasal voice due to a cold, it is also necessary to assess the patient's condition. If the patient has a lot of purulent nasal discharge and is accompanied by headaches, it is important to be alert to the possibility of sinusitis, which also needs to be treated. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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How many days can a cold and cough heal by itself?

In general, the common cold usually resolves itself in about seven days. Common symptoms of a cold often include a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, and coughing, which may be caused by exposure to cold air or getting wet in the rain. It is recommended to stay warm in daily life, and you can also drink some brown sugar ginger tea to dispel the cold inside the body. Additionally, soaking your feet in hot water before bed can help promote the self-healing process of a cold. At the same time, it is important to note that if the symptoms are severe, such as severe coughing, coughing up thick yellow phlegm, or difficulty in expectorating phlegm, it is essential to visit a hospital for an examination. Under the guidance of a doctor, carrying out relevant tests and taking medication according to the test results for targeted treatment is crucial.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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What should I do if I have a cold with headache and fever?

When experiencing symptoms of a cold such as headache and fever, one should first measure their body temperature and adopt corresponding treatment measures based on the severity of the fever. Fever can cause headaches, fatigue, body aches, and may even lead to complications like nausea and vomiting. If the body temperature does not exceed 38℃ (100.4°F), one can take vitamin supplements, drink ginger tea, and use physical methods to reduce fever. If the body temperature is above 38℃ (100.4°F), one may consider taking antipyretic and pain-relieving medications like ibuprofen or aspirin to alleviate symptoms. Generally, once the body temperature returns to normal, headache symptoms will gradually improve or disappear. (The use of medications should be based on specific conditions and under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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How to reduce fever when having a cold?

For treating fever from a cold, clinical practices include several physical cooling methods to alleviate fever symptoms. The simplest method involves using a cool towel or ice pack to compress the forehead. Other methods include wiping the palms, soles of the feet, chest, inner thighs, and inner arms with warm water or alcohol. Soaking feet in Sichuan peppercorn water or drinking more ginger sugar water can also help in physically reducing fever. Additionally, using fever-reducing patches and increasing water intake can promote metabolism.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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Symptoms of cold include weakness in the limbs.

If you experience weakness in your limbs during a cold, it is important to consider that this may be caused by the invasion of bacteria or viruses, leading to muscle soreness and weakness. There may also be accompanying symptoms such as mild fever, chills, or fatigue. It is advised to pay attention to these signs and visit a hospital for a routine blood test to identify the cause of infection. Subsequently, take the appropriate anti-inflammatory and anti-infection medications to treat and alleviate symptoms. During this period, it is crucial to rest adequately, avoid overexertion, maintain a positive mood without too much stress, avoid staying up late, and cooperate actively with medical treatment to ease symptoms. If you notice an increase in body temperature, you should use physical cooling methods or take fever-reducing medication to lower your temperature.