How to determine if it is food stagnation or a cold?

Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
Updated on September 10, 2024
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The common cold is characterized by symptoms such as fever, chills, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, headache, and body aches. It is an externally contracted disease that can occur throughout the year but is most common in the winter and spring seasons, and when there is a sudden change in the climate. Overeating mainly results from dietary imbalances, leading to symptoms like loss of appetite, indigestion, bloating or pain in the stomach area, frequent belching, sour regurgitation, or vomiting, and having foul-smelling or irregular stools. This is more common in infants and toddlers, typically occurring after binge eating. Symptoms can suddenly include abdominal bloating, vomiting, or changes in the frequency and nature of bowel movements, without the general signs of an upper respiratory tract infection. If the issue is overeating, the baby may feel relief after passing stools or vomiting; however, if it is a cold, symptoms might include gastrointestinal issues like vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea, usually accompanied by mild fever and respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, or coughing. If vomiting or diarrhea occurs, the symptoms generally do not alleviate, and the baby would still feel very uncomfortable. Therefore, whether it is overeating or a cold can be determined by analyzing the specific conditions of the child.

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Chills and dizziness are symptoms of what kind of cold?

Chills and dizziness are just symptoms of a common cold, which clinically is categorized into wind-cold, wind-heat, and summer-heat colds. In both wind-cold and wind-heat colds, symptoms of chills and dizziness can appear. When distinguishing between them, generally, a wind-cold cold presents more severe chills but milder fever, and symptoms may include dizziness and covered sweat. Note that sweating while covered is a symptom of wind-cold colds. Other symptoms include headache, sore limbs, and a floating-tight pulse, characteristic of a wind-cold cold. In wind-heat colds, chills and dizziness also occur, but the chills are milder and the fever is more intense. Symptoms include sweating, unresolved heat, dizziness, headache or a sense of swelling, flushed face, red eyes, and signs of heat such as dry mouth, preference for cold drinks, a thin yellow tongue coating, and a floating-rapid pulse. Therefore, in addition to observing chills and dizziness, other clinical symptoms must be considered to determine whether the cold is of the wind-cold or wind-heat type.

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Written by Liu Yong
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Should you cover yourself with a thick blanket if you have a cold caused by wind-heat?

Generally, it is not advisable to cover oneself with heavy blankets when suffering from a wind-heat cold, as this type of cold is caused by externally contracted wind-heat, commonly occurring in the summer. Covering with heavy blankets after contracting a wind-heat cold may hinder the body's ability to dissipate heat, which is not conducive to the dispersion of body heat. If a wind-heat cold occurs during the autumn or winter seasons, it is acceptable to use blankets, otherwise, it may lead to the invasion of wind-cold, exacerbating the cold's condition and adversely affecting the treatment of the wind-heat cold. In daily life, one should pay attention to resting more and avoid eating raw, greasy, or strongly spicy foods; drinking more water; and consuming fresh fruits and vegetables.

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Written by Quan Xiang Mei
Pediatrics
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What should a baby eat when they have a cold?

Most colds in children are caused by viral infections. During a cold, it is normal to take oral cold medications and antiviral drugs. Additionally, we should consider the specific condition of the child's cold. For simple symptoms like sneezing and a runny nose, just taking cold medications and antivirals should suffice. However, if the child has other symptoms such as gastrointestinal nausea and vomiting, it may be necessary to also use digestive aids to adjust the stomach and intestines. If the cold is accompanied by fever, with temperatures exceeding 38.5 degrees Celsius, antipyretics are also needed for treatment. Besides medication, it is important to maintain a light and reasonable diet and ensure proper rest during a cold. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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Symptoms of gastroenteritis

Gastrointestinal flu is caused by a viral infection, commonly seen in the summer and fall seasons, and its symptoms often include those of both upper respiratory tract infections and acute gastroenteritis. Symptoms of upper respiratory infection include fever, chills, dizziness, headache, fatigue, general muscle pain, sore throat, cough, etc.; symptoms of acute gastroenteritis are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, etc., often presenting as watery stools. This disease can be diagnosed through routine blood tests and stool exams, which help distinguish it from bacterial infections causing diarrhea. Treatment typically involves oral antiviral medications and anti-diarrheal drugs.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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How to deal with cold chills and fever?

Symptoms of a cold such as chills and fever are manifestations of chills and high fever. During this period, one should first measure the body temperature, drink plenty of water, and promptly take appropriate fever-reducing measures depending on the severity of the fever to prevent febrile convulsions. Generally, the body temperature is measured again two hours after fever reduction through physical cooling or medication. Once the body sweats, the body temperature will return to normal, and the symptoms of chills will gradually ease. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be taken. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)